Sateliot plans to launch five satellites in its Draconis mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. Liftoff is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026, at 20:18 CEST from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as part of Transporter-18. The schedule is subject to change.
The October 1 launch plan
Draconis is designed to expand Sateliot’s 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN), which uses satellites to extend connectivity beyond terrestrial mobile networks. SpaceX is the reported launch provider, and the mission is expected to bring Sateliot’s total number of launched satellites to 11.
Alén Space is manufacturing the five satellites. Exolaunch is handling mission integration and logistics, while KSAT and Leaf Space are partners for ground tracking and control. Comfone provides IPX connectivity linking Sateliot’s network with mobile operators.
What Sateliot expects Draconis to change
The mission aims to give Internet of Things (IoT) devices more frequent opportunities to connect in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage. Sateliot estimates that the additional satellites will double average daily passes and cut the time between revisits in half.
Those figures describe the company’s expected network effect. A satellite pass is an opportunity for a device in range to connect; more frequent passes are intended to make those opportunities available more often.
The satellites and the 2024 baseline
Each planned satellite is listed at 20 × 10 × 35 cm and 10 kg. The reported upgrades over Sateliot’s 2024 satellites include an optimized payload, improved onboard data storage, a more capable central computer and changes to the attitude-control system, which manages a spacecraft’s orientation.
On Aug. 16, 2024, four Sateliot satellites launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission. Draconis is the company’s planned next step, with five satellites intended to build on that earlier group.
