Last month Constellation Technologies & Operations (CTO) announced its plans to launch its first regenerative operational payload into space in June of this year, marking a further step in the journey for a company that was first founded in 2022, secured €9.3 million in funding in 2024, and continues to innovate.
The establishment of CTO came about because its CEO and Founder, Charles Delfieux, recognised that global infrastructure projects could be helped through satellite communications (‘satcom’) and connectivity.
Taking a step back for a moment, news and announcements discussing building better infrastructure through launching LEO satellites to provide truly global connectivity have increased in number over the years. And there are plenty of startups operating in this space (sorry).
Some startups are launching their own satellites to offer their own network, while others are signing partnerships with existing satellite operators to harness their technology. The scope varies, too: while some see satcom as being incredibly beneficial for industries like logistics or telemetry, others are focused on the advantages of having satellite functionality on your phone, such as end users being able to make emergency calls, regardless of where they are in the world.
What CTO is doing is slightly nuanced, by offering their solutions and services to telecommunication operators.
“We’re not doing direct to sales … that differentiates us from other big constellations that you would have heard about,” said Shola Efunshile, COO of CTO, “the Starlinks and Amazons. Where their approach is to sell directly to consumers, cutting out the telecommunications operators, we aim to work with those operators to serve their customers.
“That’s who we’re talking to now and trying to get on board with our demonstrations.”
Payload launch
The idea behind the payload launch is to test its hardware and software technologies, including its AR antenna technology, as well as its 5G development software.
“We’re going to use that technology to perform end-to-end connectivity tests with some of our customers or potential customers,” explained Efunshile. “We’ve got around 15 telecommunications operators signed up to participate in tests using that payload.”
CTO is utilising 5G millimetre wave (mmWave) technology, which is newer for satellite communications, but Efunshile noted she saw this as a plus: “There are fewer people using it … There is a lot of bandwidth available. Another advantage that has for us is because these frequencies are used for terrestrial communications, there are components that are already available and have been developed.”
This means CTO can make use of existing components and build them into user terminals and gateways, as opposed to having to start from scratch.
“The first question we get [from telecom operators] is, how can you show that it’s not going to interfere with our existing customers in our existing networks? That’s something we’ve worked on … our system is not going to cause problems with the bandwidth. There’s a lot of bandwidth there.”
2025 roadmap
The roadmap for CTO is the launching of their payload in 2025, to test their technology, as well as the development of their own satellites. The tests will centre on ensuring their antennas work, user terminals, and gateways all work.
Where satcom typically uses Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, CTO is looking at Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO).
“That comes with different challenges and constraints and characteristics,” said Efunshile. “We’re developing a bespoke satellite design to operate at that altitude … we plan to launch the first two demonstrations in late 2026, early 2027.”
The deliberate decision to launch VLEO satellites stems from the advantages of being closer to the Earth: “We don’t need as much power and gain to get the signals up and down, that means we can simplify the antenna design, and the other thing is it means we can have smaller user terminals. Generally speaking with electronics, the smaller it is, the cheaper it is … that’s very key to the business plan.”
Another advantage is the atmospheric drag that comes with having the satellites closer, resulting in the technology de-orbiting itself. “That makes sure we don’t leave orbital debris behind.”
Finally, there is less light pollution because the satellites reflect the sun’s light for less time compared with their LEO counterparts.
Where there are advantages, there are also constraints: “The atmospheric drag means we have to be more active on keeping the satellites on orbit. There are some challenges on the propulsion and altitude control systems, but we’ve been working on those, and we believe that we can have satellites that will have a seven-year lifetime at that altitude as well.”
Another challenge is taking into consideration the atomic oxygen, and choosing the right components and materials that won’t degrade from it.
The design of the final constellation looks to be considerably time-consuming, as Efunshile mentioned building “1,500 satellites, 1,200 gateways and the 1.6 million user terminals we’re going to need”.
Efunshile concluded by saying she was excited for the company’s payload launch. “To finally see something come together, put something on orbit and become a space company who has a satellite [constellation] to operate. That will be a huge deal.”
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