Ukrainian defence-tech firm Himera and Danish satellite manufacturer GomSpace have begun in-orbit testing of Obria Nano, a demonstrator spacecraft they describe as the first step toward satellite internet that Ukraine owns and controls. Himera said on 27 October that the satellite reached orbit on 1 October aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission and is already operating, according to Kyiv Post, which cited the company’s statement to Ukrainska Pravda.
Key facts
- Obria Nano launched on 1 October 2026 on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission, per Defence24.com.
- GomSpace, founded in 2007, designs nanosatellites and microsatellites; Himera is a Ukrainian startup founded in 2022, Defence24.com reports.
- The satellite is controlled by a Ukrainian operator, according to UNITED24 Media.
- Himera says the trials are running to plan and are meant to supply the practical experience needed to turn the project into Ukrainian national infrastructure.
- The planned Obria constellation would cover all of Ukraine’s territory and complement European satellite systems, the company says.
- Obria Nano is a test spacecraft, not a finished Starlink alternative, Ukrainian National News states.
Why it matters
Defence24.com reports that efforts to reduce Ukraine’s dependence on Starlink and its military counterpart, Starshield, gained significant momentum after widely reported, deliberate restrictions on those services in mid-October. The outlet says the American “kill switch” over key Ukrainian military capabilities is becoming an increasingly serious concern for Kyiv, which views it as an instrument of pressure and control by Washington.
Service has since recovered. Ukrainian National News notes President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 24 October that Starlink and Starshield operations in Ukraine had been restored to their previous speed level, and Defence24.com similarly says connectivity reportedly returned to normal in recent days.
That episode is why a small test satellite is being read as a strategic signal rather than a routine launch — and it follows weeks in which Starshield outages have already exposed Europe’s dependence on SpaceX.
What the test is supposed to prove
The demonstrator’s primary role is technical testing that will inform the design of the final system, Defence24.com reports. Ukrainian National News says the scheduled tests are intended to verify the technologies needed to create a fully operational satellite system, and that the results will feed into development of the wider constellation.
How big that constellation would be remains undisclosed. None of the four reports cited here gives a satellite count, a cost estimate or a target date for Obria entering service, so the scale of Ukraine’s planned satellite internet access is still unquantified; the only published figure attached to a GomSpace–Ukraine programme is the several hundred satellites envisaged for the separate UASAT project described below.
Himera co-founder and chief executive Misha Rudominskyi — whose name Defence24.com renders as Misha Rudominski — framed the launch as a beginning. “This is an opportunity to lay the foundation of Ukraine’s independent communications network,” he said in remarks carried by UNITED24 Media. He added that the long-term goal is to build capabilities that strengthen Ukraine’s strategic security and reduce dependence on external communications providers. GomSpace chief executive Carsten Drachmann said the shared goal was to strengthen Ukraine’s independent communications potential and support its long-term security and economic development, the same outlet reports.
Next step: build the hardware in Ukraine
All four reports agree the next major stage is moving production of both satellites and ground communications terminals into Ukraine. Defence24.com says that would help develop domestic expertise in satellite communications and expand the country’s manufacturing capabilities; Kyiv Post frames it as Himera’s next priority.
One satellite or two? The UASAT-NANO question
Defence24.com flags a genuine ambiguity around the launch, which also drew coverage when Ukraine orbited the first satellite of its Starlink alternative. The outlet reports that in April this year GomSpace also signed an agreement with a different Ukrainian company, STETMAN, to develop the UASAT constellation, ultimately expected to comprise several hundred satellites, with a demonstrator called UASAT-NANO also scheduled for a SpaceX launch in October.
According to Defence24.com it remains unclear how far the two projects are connected, or even whether Obria Nano and UASAT-NANO are in fact the same satellite. The outlet says the confusion stems from GomSpace and Himera announcing Obria Nano while the name UASAT-NANO appears in public orbital object catalogues. Readers should treat that detail with caution: it rests on a single outlet’s reporting, no other source reviewed for this story addresses the overlap, and neither company has publicly clarified it.
The other routes Kyiv is testing
Defence24.com lists further options: in the shorter term, Ukraine’s potential participation in the EU satellite communications capacity-sharing programme EU GOVSATCOM is being considered, while ICEYE and Nokia have signed a letter of intent with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence to explore a sovereign satellite network providing broadband internet access.
Kyiv Post reports Ukraine signed seven agreements with Finland on 22 October, including deals to expand Kyiv’s use of Finnish satellite capabilities through Nokia and ICEYE, with Zelensky saying greater use of those capabilities matters for defence and resilience.
Defence24.com concludes that these projects, alongside the EU’s planned IRIS² constellation, offer the prospect of gradually reducing dependence on American satellite internet over the coming years, but that there is little prospect of replacing them on a comparable scale in the foreseeable future. The priority, it says, is continuity of critical military and government operations if access is restricted or lost again.
Russia’s parallel effort
Kyiv Post reports that Russia is working on its own domestic alternative to Starlink, a low-orbit broadband service called Rassvet, which has lost satellites of its own, built by the Russian company Bureau 1440 and accessed through dedicated terminals. Major General Ilya Pavlenko, a former deputy chief of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, told Interfax-Ukraine the growing network could eventually let Russian forces control long-range drones over Ukraine in real time, and cautioned against writing the project off because of problems with its first satellites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Obria Nano replace Starlink in Ukraine right now?
No. Ukrainian National News says a fully independent network will require the launch of additional satellites and the deployment of ground infrastructure.
What are the published specifications of Russia’s Rassvet network?
Kyiv Post, citing Bureau 1440, reports the finished system would operate at an altitude of about 800 kilometres (497 miles) and deliver speeds of up to 1 Gbps with delays of up to 70 milliseconds. The company says it will use 5G non-terrestrial network standards and laser links between satellites.
What has Himera built apart from satellites?
Himera makes secure tactical communications systems, particularly jam-resistant radios used by the Ukrainian military, according to Defence24.com. Kyiv Post reports the company said on 15 October that a unit of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence had tested its HIMERA G1 PRO radios and B1 repeater in combat conditions, running up to four days on a single charge, with testers asking mainly for better sound quality.
Is Denmark backing other Ukrainian defence manufacturing?
Yes. UNITED24 Media reports that on 21 October Copenhagen agreed to guarantee a $112.6 million loan, through Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund, to the Danish subsidiary of Fire Point, the Ukrainian maker of the FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missile. The outlet says the facility is expected to begin producing long-range missile fuel by the end of 2027.
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