The Lithuanian company NanoAvionics has received a contract worth €122.5 million for the development and subsequent mass production of 280 communication satellites for the Meridian Space constellation, a project by the American company SpinLaunch.

NanoAvionics announced this in its press release.

It is expected that the 280 satellites will be just the initial constellation of Meridian Space, which will eventually grow to at least 1,200 satellites.

The current contract stipulates that NanoAvionics, in collaboration with SpinLaunch, will develop a satellite optimized to improve launch performance and efficiency. This includes the creation of two satellite prototypes, including an orbital demonstrator scheduled for 2026.

According to Space News, the agreement also involves a $12 million investment in SpinLaunch from NanoAvionics’ parent company, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

The IOD mission will demonstrate Meridian’s highly efficient communications payload onboard NanoAvionics’ standard MP42 microsatellite bus. Simultaneously with the IOD phase, NanoAvionics, in collaboration with SpinLaunch, will develop a tailored satellite optimized for higher performance and launch efficiency. Approximately 70 kilograms each, the satellites for this project are lighter than currently operational satcom platforms and are designed to provide significant performance advantages per kilogram.

“NanoAvionics brings a strong track record in small satellite manufacturing that aligns well with our goal of bringing a highly differentiated satcom constellation to market. Together, we are taking meaningful steps towards providing a low-cost, reliable, high-speed broadband service to global enterprises,” said David Wrenn, CEO of SpinLaunch.

The initial constellation of 280 satellites will provide a capacity of at least two terabits per second available for sale.

Although SpinLaunch’s constellation targets a similar niche to SpaceX’s Starlink, the company plans to focus on corporate and government clients rather than offering consumer services.

The satellites will operate at altitudes of 830 kilometers, arranged in such a way that they will pass over the same areas of land at the same time. This will allow the use of cheaper ground equipment, which will only need to track the satellites in one dimension.

It was reported in March that the Franco-British-German satellite communication operator Eutelsat was in negotiations with the European Union to provide satellite communication services to Ukraine. In April, it was announced that Germany had financed Ukraine’s access to the Eutelsat satellite internet network, but for a limited number of terminals, which were planned to be quickly and significantly increased.

The alternative to Starlink is being considered against the backdrop of the unpredictable foreign policy of U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as his ally Elon Musk.