Telesat, a global leader in satellite operations, aims to launch its "Lightspeed" broadband constellation to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). On September 11, the company announced it signed a 14-launch agreement with SpaceX to deploy the Telesat Lightspeed fleet of satellites in the years to come. The satellites will launch atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket with each launch accommodating up to 18 Telesat Lightspeed satellites.
The ambitious launch campaign is scheduled to kick off in 2026, harnessing SpaceX's impressive launch frequency to rapidly deploy the satellites. This collaboration paves the way for Telesat to commence global service provision by 2027. Launches will originate from SpaceX's state-of-the-art facilities in California and Florida. “With growing demand for high-speed internet around the world, SpaceX is proud to launch and deploy Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation," stated SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. “Building upon our successful launch partnership to-date, we look forward to flying Telesat once again as they expand connectivity capabilities for their customers across the globe,” she said.
Telesat's President and CEO, Dan Goldberg, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating –“SpaceX has been a trusted and effective launch provider to Telesat on our geostationary satellite programs and I am delighted that they will be supporting us with their highly reliable Falcon 9 rocket to deploy the Telesat Lightspeed constellation, the most ambitious program in Telesat’s 54-year history,” said Goldberg. “Given the dedication and professionalism of the SpaceX team, and their outstanding track record of reliability and demonstrated high launch cadence, I have the utmost confidence that they will be an outstanding partner in helping us bring Telesat Lightspeed into service in a timely and low risk manner.”
Engineered from its inception to meet the demanding connectivity needs of enterprise and government users, the Telesat Lightspeed network will offer multi-Gbps data links, delivering highly secure, resilient, and low-latency broadband connectivity across the globe. With MDA onboard as the prime satellite manufacturer and all essential launch contracts in place, Telesat is poised to deliver enterprise-class connectivity starting in late 2027.
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Featured Image Source: Telesat
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
