Invest in Astranis Space

Astranis is building small communications satellites for a geostationary orbit that are 20 times smaller than those of its predecessors – just 350 kg – compared to traditional satellites that are upwards of 6,500 kg.

Astranis can manufacture and launch satellites in as little as 12 months instead of 3-5 years, with more bandwidth than was previously possible with the same form size.

The company’s proprietary software-defined radio technology, which increases satellite performance and flexibility, allows manufacturing at scale, lowering the price point to end consumers.

Astranis differentiates itself in several ways from low-Earth orbit constellations like SpaceX's Starlink, which is a constellation of compact satellites in low-Earth orbit.

Astranis' satellites fly at an altitude of 37,000 km and remain over a single area of the world, where they can deliver continuous service.

Astranis’ Micro geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites weigh approximately 800 pounds, about one-fifteenth of the 13,000-lb. mass of space-communications firm Viasat’s upcoming ViaSat-3 broadband satellite and one-fifteenth the cost.

Astranis’ spacecraft feature proprietary software-defined radios that can be reprogrammed to use different frequencies as needed instead of having their spectrum soldered in place before launch. This capability is key to flexibility and essential for the Astranis' leasing model, in which one satellite may see multiple customers over an expected eight-year lifespan.

Astranis aims to provide backhaul capacity and other services to telecommunications providers in remote areas. For example, instead of laying expensive fiber cables to remote cell towers, a small dish on each tower could pick up a signal from an Astranis satellite.

Astranis’ offering is essentially a much more targeted, nimble solution that works with existing ground infrastructure.

With just one launch, Astranis can provide high-speed, reliable connectivity to an entire state, country, or region.

Astranis launched its first satellite, called Arcturus, to GEO onboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in April 2023. This test demonstrated the core functionality of Arcturus, with the payload fully powered on and including a test of Astranis’s proprietary software-defined radio.

The company has already built four more satellites—one of which will serve a customer in Peru, two for airline Wi-Fi, and one for an unspecified customer—that will launch on a dedicated Falcon 9 mission later this year.

With proven traction in its proprietary technology, Astranis plans to scale production to two satellites per month.

Astranis offers a unique, dedicated service model, with minimal upfront payments and flexibility of ownership—but without its operational challenges.

According to CNBC, Astranis has a demand pipeline worth over $1 billion, representing orders for 10 satellites, over the next two years. CEO Gedmark has said the company remains in “a strong cash position” and is currently focused on making sure it gets service operational as soon as possible.

Astranis CEO Gedmark has estimated the market for broadband demand to be a $1 trillion global opportunity and has noted that Astranis’ existing pipeline features contracts that have options for additional satellites.

In April 2024, Astranis unveiled its next-generation product, Astranis Omega, a broadband communications system delivering superior pound-for-pound performance compared to any current geostationary satellite. Astranis Omega will provide over 50 Gbps of dedicated, uncontended throughput per satellite, all while maintaining a compact satellite form factor. The first flight vehicle is expected in 2025, with initial satellite launches planned for 2026.

In April 2024, Astranis announced it had sold out multiple launches of its MicroGEO communications satellites to commercial customers across the globe, including the United States, Mexico, Argentina, the Philippines, Thailand, and more. These satellites will provide affordable, reliable broadband internet to millions, generating over $1.2 billion in revenue for the company.

In October 2024, Astranis was selected as a prime contractor for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Resilient GPS (R-GPS) program. Astranis is one of four companies awarded an agreement to develop design concepts for the R-GPS Lite Evolving Augmented Proliferation program. Astranis has been awarded an $8 million contract as a prime contractor leveraging its expertise in manufacturing and operating cost-effective, high-orbit satellites.

“We’ve started to see a huge push towards proliferation in higher orbits by the U.S. national security community,” Astranis CEO John Gedmark told CNBC. “Now the Department of Defense has recognized all of the fantastic things that we can do in high orbits with a next-generation small satellite approach.”