Ukrainian company HIMERA and Denmark’s GomSpace have launched OBRIA NANO into orbit — the first test satellite for a future independent Ukrainian communications network. GomSpace’s press office reported this.
The satellite was launched on 1 October 2026 as part of the SpaceX Transporter-18 mission. It is testing the capabilities of the OBRIA satellite constellation in line with the planned schedule. The satellite will support technical trials, the results of which will help determine the parameters of the future full-scale system. This will bring OBRIA closer to establishing Ukraine’s national communications infrastructure.
GomSpace explained that reliance on other countries’ technologies, including those of partner states, creates strategic risks, especially during wartime. Developing its own technological capabilities will help Ukraine diversify communications channels and strengthen strategic security. OBRIA NANO will operate under the control of a Ukrainian operator and will meet Ukraine’s strategic security needs.
The next step will be to localise the production of satellites and ground communications terminals in Ukraine. This will contribute to the development of domestic expertise in satellite communications and the gradual expansion of Ukraine’s manufacturing capabilities, the company said.
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In the long term, the initiative envisages deploying a satellite network that will provide communications coverage across the whole of Ukraine and complement the capabilities of European satellite networks. This will form the basis for an independent Ukrainian satellite communications system that aligns with the country’s strategic security interests, GomSpace said.
It recently emerged that Finnish companies ICEYE and Nokia, together with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, plan to create their own satellite communications system.