{"id":633030,"date":"2026-11-04T05:39:13","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T03:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/11\/633030\/starlink-alternative-for-the-military-obria-needs-at-least-100-satellites\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T06:14:05","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T04:14:05","slug":"starlink-alternative-for-the-military-obria-needs-at-least-100-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/11\/633030\/starlink-alternative-for-the-military-obria-needs-at-least-100-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Starlink Alternative for the Military: Obria Needs at Least 100 Satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"

For basic continuous satellite coverage of the entire territory of Ukraine<\/strong>, the future Obria<\/strong> network will need at least 100 satellites<\/strong>. This preliminary estimate comes from Ukrainian company HIMERA<\/strong>, which is developing its own communications system together with Denmark\u2019s GomSpace<\/strong>, primarily for the military, government, and other state institutions. HIMERA founder Misha Rudominsky<\/strong> discussed the project\u2019s scale, timeline, and funding in an interview with Oboronka<\/strong>. As reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The developers aim to reduce the state\u2019s dependence on the American Starlink<\/strong> system and ensure critical communications regardless of decisions made by foreign companies. At the same time, the team does not intend to immediately replace the service for all its users in Ukraine<\/strong>: the military and state institutions remain the priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe network will belong to a Ukrainian company, governed and operated under the laws of Ukraine<\/strong>,\u201d Misha Rudominsky<\/strong> explained.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Practical testing of the technology is already underway. HIMERA<\/strong> and GomSpace<\/strong> launched the first test satellite, Obria NANO, into orbit<\/a> on October 1, 2026<\/strong>, as part of SpaceX<\/strong>\u2019s Transporter-18<\/strong> mission. The companies announced the launch and the planned course of technical testing on October 27, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The spacecraft, built with Danish partners and weighing 10 kilograms<\/strong>, is a technology demonstrator, not a production satellite for the future network. It will be used to test equipment and develop system operations. The first telemetry was received the day after<\/strong> launch, but it is too early to draw conclusions about the results: the testing program is set to run for 1 year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Obria NANO<\/strong> is in a low Earth sun-synchronous orbit and passes over Ukraine once a day<\/strong>. During each pass, the team will be able to establish contact with the spacecraft. According to Misha Rudominsky<\/strong>, the available window for data transmission may last around 6 minutes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The satellite\u2019s movement can be tracked online. The source article also notes that its trajectory does not pass over Europe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Production satellites will differ substantially from the current demonstrator: their estimated mass will be 250 kilograms<\/strong>. The plan is to send them into orbit in groups of dozens<\/strong> during a single space mission<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur main objective is stable connectivity 24\/7<\/strong>,\u201d Misha Rudominsky<\/strong> noted.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The network\u2019s desired capabilities include transmitting video with minimal delay and supporting terminals on moving vehicles. However, it is not yet known whether its speed will match Starlink<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

According to the company\u2019s preliminary estimate, full deployment could take 1\u20132 years<\/strong> under favorable conditions. This is not a guaranteed timeline: it will depend on satellite production, the availability of necessary components, and the ability to launch spacecraft into space.<\/p>\n

The initial phase was funded by private members of the consortium, including HIMERA<\/strong> and GomSpace<\/strong>. No government funding was used to launch the test satellite, and the company has not disclosed the cost.<\/p>\n

Continuing the work will require significantly greater investment. Misha Rudominsky<\/strong> speaks of tens and hundreds of millions of euros<\/strong>, and potentially even billions of euros<\/strong>. Funding is expected to come from private investors and government programs, including through cooperation between Ukraine<\/strong> and the European Union<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s founder identifies the following key obstacles:<\/p>\n