SpaceX successfully launched four Astranis-built broadband spacecraft into geostationary orbit on December 29th. This is the first time a single commercial manufacturer has deployed four of its own satellites to GEO in one mission. A Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, placing the satellites in super-synchronous geostationary transfer orbit.
Astranis spokesperson Christian Keil confirmed signal acquisition three hours later. The satellites will take several months to reach their final positions and undergo health checks before entering commercial service. The company's previous satellite, Arcturus, experienced a solar array malfunction after launching in April 2023.
This latest launch includes two satellites, NuView Alpha and NuView Bravo, destined for geostationary orbit over the Americas for Anuvu. Another, Agila, is for Orbits Corp, part of the Philippine internet service provider HTechCorp, marking the first communications satellite dedicated to the Philippines. The fourth, UtilitySat, is a multi-mission spacecraft for several customers, initially providing communications over Mexico for Apco Networks before bridging capacity over Alaska.
“This UtilitySat mission will be an accelerator to that mission — giving them capacity to get started and get some market traction before the two dedicated sats launch,” Keil said. Astranis operates its satellites and sells capacity under long-term leases. Their size, comparable to a dishwasher, contrasts with larger GEO spacecraft.
In a statement, Astranis CEO John Gedmark said: “With this launch we will prove that Astranis can ship and operate multiple satellites at once. We are well on our way to the increased manufacturing cadence we need to hit to meet all of customer demand, including both commercial and government.” Block 3 will include replacements for Pacific Dataport and further satellites for Orbits Corp and Thaicom.
According to Keil, the December 29th mission makes Astranis the fourth company to deploy four or more satellites to GEO in a year, alongside SES, Intelsat, and Eutelsat. Astranis has launched more satellites to GEO in the last two years than any other operator, despite a declining geostationary market.