Telesat has contracted SpaceX to deliver 14 satellite launches on the Falcon 9 reusable orbital rocket. Beginning in 2026, each launch will carry up to 18 of Telesat’s Lightspeed satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Given the frequency of SpaceX launches, Telesat hopes to be able to deploy all the required satellites and begin providing global service in late 2027. Launches for the campaign will lift off from SpaceX’s launch facilities in California and Florida.
The SpaceX contract is the latest stage in the rollout plan of the optically linked Telesat Lightspeed network, following the signing last month of MDA as the prime satellite manufacturer.
“SpaceX has been a trusted and effective launch provider to Telesat on our geostationary satellite programmes 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 programme in Telesat’s 54-year history,” stated Dan Goldberg, Telesat’s president and CEO
