WASHINGTON — Rivada Space Networks plans to start deploying test satellites for its projected low-Earth constellation in 2026, the company announced March 10.
The initial deployment of test satellites will be followed by launches of operational satellites beginning in 2027 for Rivada’s Outernet project that aims to create a secure, laser-linked mesh network in space that does not rely on terrestrial gateways.
Rivada’s Outernet represents a departure from conventional satellite communications, which depend on ground-based stations to relay data. Instead, its satellites will form a network in space to enable customers’ data to travel from one satellite to another until it reaches its final destination. This architecture, the company argues, minimizes the risk of data interception and interference by keeping data within the satellite network until it reaches its destination.
The German company, based in the United States and Ireland, is intensifying its focus on U.S. government and defense markets with the formation of Rivada Select Services, a Washington, D.C.-based subsidiary that recently secured a contract with the U.S. Navy.
“Rivada has made significant progress over the past six months that sets a clear path for the exciting launch of our demonstration mission to LEO next year and full Outernet service delivery by late 2027,” said Declan Ganley, CEO of Rivada Space Networks.
The company’s approach appeals to security-conscious clients such as military and government agencies, he told SpaceNews. The network would be accessible via Ka-band user terminals from anywhere globally.
Financial, regulatory challenges
Rivada’s latest announcements follow a series of financial and regulatory challenges. The company reportedly was late making payments to its satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, and has encountered legal hurdles related to Ka-band spectrum licensing — issues that analysts warned could derail the project.
Despite these setbacks, Ganley insists the company is working through these issues and is gaining momentum, citing $15 billion in memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with potential customers. The latest agreement, signed with satellite communications firm UltiSat, positions UltiSat as a reseller of Rivada’s services.
According to Ganley, recent incidents affecting undersea cables have heightened interest in self-contained space-based networks like the Outernet. With most international data traffic carried by undersea cables vulnerable to accidental damage, natural disasters, and potential sabotage, systems offering alternative pathways have become more attractive to governments and financial institutions.
“You control both ends, and that is an important differentiator for customers with extremely sensitive data,” Ganley said, referring to the Outernet architecture that gives users tight control over uplink and downlink endpoints.
To strengthen its government market position, Rivada Select Services, led by former BridgeComm CEO Michael Abad-Santos, has appointed three new board members: Joe Maguire, a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral and former acting director of national Intelligence; John O’Connor, CEO of J.H. Whitney Investment Management; and Allen Parker, former Interim CEO and general counsel of Wells Fargo.
The subsidiary has been cleared for classified work following a review by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency — a process known as Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) mitigation — allowing it to handle sensitive U.S. government contracts despite its parent company’s foreign status.
Abad-Santos described the Navy contract as a multi-year agreement to build a zero-trust architecture that will eventually integrate with the Outernet. “The Navy is interested in leveraging Rivada’s gateway-less architecture and is laying the groundwork for when the constellation is available in 2027,” he said.
Rivada confirmed that satellites are in production at Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, and that the company has made milestone payments to the manufacturer. The planned 2026 demonstration mission will serve as a testbed before the operational constellation begins launching in 2027.
