Sateliot launches five Draconis satellites, taking its 5G IoT constellation to 11

All five units were confirmed in nominal initial status after launch. Each satellite orbits at 510 km, measures 20 by 10 by 35 centimetres, weighs 10 kg and has an operational lifetime of five years. Alén Space manufactured them and Exolaunch handled integration with the launch vehicle. Telecompaper reported that they flew aboard a SpaceX Falcon.

The new units carry an optimised payload and a more reliable onboard data storage system than the four satellites launched in 2024, according to the company. They also have upgraded central computer and attitude control systems, which Sateliot says provide greater stability and make in-orbit manoeuvres easier, plus memory systems more resistant to radiation.

What the satellites add

Sateliot says the extra capacity increases connection frequency and service capacity in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage. Adding the five to the constellation will double the average number of daily passes and halve revisit time, the company said. It describes the satellites as telecommunications towers in space, used by mobile operators through wholesale agreements to provide IoT services beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.

Constellation and funding

Six satellites had launched before Draconis, including the four that went up on SpaceX's Transporter-11 mission in early 2024. Sateliot, founded in 2018, describes that deployment as the first low-Earth orbit constellation using 5G standards for narrowband IoT. The five new craft form part of a single constellation planned to exceed 500 satellites, evolving from massive IoT to higher-capacity and mission-critical services including direct-to-device. Sateliot targets complete deployment in 2027/28; the 11 launched so far are just over 2% of that total.

In April 2026 the company raised a €100 million Series C round, which it said would mainly fund deployment of 16 satellites. It projected revenue of €500 million in 2027 and €1 billion in 2030, and cited pre-contracts valued at €270 million, more than 400 clients in 60 countries and agreements with operators such as Telefónica and Deutsche Telekom.

CEO Jaume Sanpera said the Draconis mission reflected where the company stands: "We have validated the technology and are now increasing capacity and service regularity to scale together with mobile operators." He said the aim is to make satellite connectivity "a natural extension" of operators' networks wherever terrestrial coverage does not reach.

Sateliot's network uses the 3GPP Release 17 standard, which lets cellular-enabled IoT devices connect to the satellite network through a single SIM when terrestrial coverage is unavailable. The company is chasing a 5G NTN market that ResearchAndMarkets projects will grow from $11.91 billion in 2026 to $45.55 billion by 2031, a 30.8% compound annual growth rate, driven by demand for direct-to-device services and NTN-enabled IoT.