Ukraine’s new Starlink rival moves forward as Stetman prepares massive satellite network despite founder’s sudden death

Ukraine’s Stetman prepares a 360-satellite network with SpaceX launch support
New leadership keeps Ukraine’s ambitious satellite project moving forward
The billion-euro constellation aims to strengthen Ukraine’s communication independence

Ukrainian company Stetman is currently preparing to launch its own low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, with service set to begin in 2027.

The company recently lost its founder, Dmytro Stetsenko, but the project is still on course after the appointment of a new CEO, Kateryna Diachenko.

According to the company, its planned constellation will orbit at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers, with a test satellite currently scheduled for launch in October 2026 to validate the underlying technology together with SpaceX engineers.

Constellation with Danish and American partners

Full deployment of the constellation is expected to begin in 2027 and take three full years to complete entirely across the network.

The finished network will ultimately consist of 360 satellites manufactured by the Danish company GomSpace under an ongoing partnership.

Stetman has chosen SpaceX to handle the launches, citing the company’s lower cost and stronger reliability compared with rivals.

“SpaceX is the best option, as they are the cheapest and the most reliable,” Stetsenko had previously told reporters directly.

No formal agreement has yet been reached covering delivery of the remaining constellation satellites beyond that initial test satellite launch.

Ukraine itself would require roughly 150 satellites, according to Andrii Kolesnyk, a former adviser to the head of Ukraine’s State Space Agency.

Diachenko has already met personally with GomSpace representatives to confirm continuity of their joint manufacturing plans going forward into the future.

A billion-Euro project

The total project cost reportedly exceeds one billion euros, though financing will proceed in several separate stages, a Stetman representative said.

That budget reportedly covers the satellite constellation itself, software development, launch services, broker fees, and staff salaries across the entire company workforce.

Manufacturing and launching a single satellite reportedly cost between $2 million and $3 million per unit.

A single SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can carry several dozen satellites into orbit, and each launch typically costs between $60 million and $70 million depending on payload size.

With a target of 360 satellites, those per-unit costs alone would account for roughly $720 million to over $1 billion of the total budget

Stetman also plans a joint satellite manufacturing facility inside Ukraine alongside GomSpace, expected to fully open next year if funding arrives on schedule.

The factory could require several hundred million euros in investment, although details about funding sources remain undisclosed.

The company currently supplies communication equipment to Ukraine’s military, emergency services, police, medical personnel, and government institutions.

The company also produces modified communication terminals, including Starmod systems designed for military conditions and UASAT satellite terminals operating through existing satellite networks.