Ukraine's HIMERA and Denmark's GomSpace said on Oct. 27 that OBRIA NANO, a test satellite for a planned independent Ukrainian communications network, is operating in orbit.
The companies said the craft launched as part of SpaceX's Transporter-18 mission on Oct. 1 and has already commenced operation. It will support technical testing intended to inform the design of an operational system, advancing OBRIA toward Ukrainian national infrastructure, according to their joint announcement.
OBRIA NANO will operate under the control of a Ukrainian operator and serve Ukraine's strategic security needs, the firms said. In the long term, the initiative plans to deploy a constellation providing communications coverage across Ukraine while complementing European satellite systems, the release said.