OTTAWA – Telesat announced Monday it has contracted 14 launches on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 reusable orbital rocket to deliver the Telesat Lightspeed satellite constellation to low Earth orbit (LEO).
The launch campaign is scheduled to begin in 2026 and the Falcon 9 rocket will carry up to 18 Lightspeed LEO satellites per launch, according to a press release. The launches will lift off from SpaceX’s facilities in California and Florida.
Telesat says it expects to begin providing global service on the Lightspeed satellite network in 2027. The company has previously said it plans to have 198 satellites total in the Lightspeed LEO constellation when it is completed.
“Designed from inception to serve the demanding, mission-critical connectivity requirements of enterprise and government users, the optically-linked Telesat Lightspeed network will provide multi-Gbps data links and highly secure, resilient, low-latency broadband connectivity anywhere in the world,” reads the press release.
“With the August signing of MDA as the prime satellite manufacturer and all necessary launch contracts in place for global constellation deployment, Telesat is well-positioned to begin delivering unmatched, enterprise-class connectivity in late 2027,” the release adds.
“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,” Telesat’s president and CEO, Dan Goldberg, said in a statement.
“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,” he said.
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief operating officer, is quoted in the release as saying: “With growing demand for high-speed internet around the world, SpaceX is proud to launch and deploy Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation.
“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 added.
