The Californian start-up Logos Space Services is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy up to 4,178 telecommunications satellites in low Earth orbit, intended to provide high-speed internet almost anywhere on the planet. A partial green light, because the FCC played it safe.
A constellation designed for professionals
Operations are permitted in the K, Q and V frequency bands, but some requests for higher frequencies have been denied or put on hold. Nothing unusual in an era when the radio spectrum increasingly resembles a highway during rush hour. On the technical side, Logos plans seven orbital layers, between 870 and 925 kilometers in altitude, with inclinations ranging from 28 to 90 degrees. Enough to ensure broad coverage, including in regions where terrestrial networks struggle to reach.
The FCC, however, imposes a strict timetable: half of the constellation must be deployed and operational within seven years. The rest will have to follow before January 30, 2035. In other words, Logos has time… but not too much. Founded in 2023 by Milo Medin, formerly of NASA and former senior executive at Google, Logos does not claim to water the entire planet from day one. Its founder estimates that about a quarter of the planned satellites would already be enough to serve government and business customers globally.
Last year, the start-up raised $50 million in a funding round led by US Innovative Technologies (USIT), the fund of entrepreneur Thomas Tull. USIT invests in technologies at the crossroads of civil and military uses, with investments in companies such as Anduril or Stoke Space. “ Secure and resilient communications infrastructure is essential to global competitiveness and business operations “, summarized a USIT executive, after the FCC decision.
Logos also relies on a reassuring technical message: high frequencies, narrow beams, significant elevation angles… All elements supposed to limit interference and jamming, a sensitive point for institutional clients not inclined to unpleasant surprises.
The arrival of Logos takes place at a time when low orbit is seriously starting to fill up. The sector’s juggernaut remains SpaceX and its Starlink network, which concentrates most of the active satellites. According to the European Space Agency, just over 14,000 satellites operate around the Earth today, including around 9,600 for Starlink. The agency estimates that this figure could rise to 100,000 by 2030.
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