Rivada Contracts Terran Orbital to Build 300 Satellites

Rivada Space Networks GmbH has enlisted Terran Orbital, through its subsidiary Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, to manufacture 300 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites for its laser-connected “network in the sky” in a contract worth $2.4 billion. Per the contract, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems will design, build, and deploy 288 low-Earth-orbit satellites for Rivada, and it will also develop 12 “spare” satellites.

Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a subsidiary of Terran Orbital, will manufacture 300 satellites for Rivada’s satellite constellation network. Courtesy of Rivada Space Networks.

Terran Orbital, through Tyvak, will design and manufacture the approximately 500-kg satellites, integrate the communication payload, and perform the final satellite assembly, integration, and test. The company will also be responsible for developing portions of the ground segment. Mission operations for the on-orbit satellites will be conducted from a state-of-the-art satellite operations control center.

Subject to compliance with regulatory requirements, Rivada intends to start deploying its network in 2025 with the launch of four satellites. From there, the company expects a total of 300 satellites to be deployed by mid-2026, before doubling that value to achieve 600 launched satellites.

Terran Orbital, based in Boca Raton, Fla., began publicly trading on the New York Stock Exchange less than a year ago. Through its history, the company has shifted its focus from the development of cubesats to nano- and small satellites.

By connecting its satellites with lasers, Rivada aims to enable resellers and business-to-business customers to securely connect any two points on the globe with low latency and high bandwidth. The company plans for each craft in its 300-satellite constellation to carry four laser terminals. Rivada previously partnered with quantum-secure communications systems provider SpeQtral to demonstrate the technical compatibility of adding a quantum key distribution encryption layer to enhance the security of communications over LEO satellite constellations.