Elche/Barcelona (Spain), February 17, 2026. PLD Space, an international space transport company, and Sateliot, a leading 5G satellite telecommunications operator, have signed a commercial contract for the launch of their first two high-capacity 5G D2D (Direct to Device) satellites. The agreement covers the launch of two Tritó satellites, each weighing approximately 160 kilograms, and their subsequent deployment into LEO. The flight will take place on a dedicated MIURA 5 mission, scheduled for 2027.
This commercial contract consolidates the first 100% Spanish private space mission and highlights the strength of national capabilities by covering the entire industry value chain: manufacturing, launch, operations, and exploitation. It also demonstrates the dynamism of the Spanish space ecosystem, which is redefining access and communications from space.
Sateliot’s choice of PLD Space is based on MIURA 5’s ability to provide an independent, dedicated service tailored to the client’s specific needs, ensuring optimal launch conditions for deploying its space infrastructure. Thanks to this value proposition, Sateliot gains a competitive advantage over other operators that must share launches.
MIURA 5 is PLD Space’s two-stage reusable orbital launcher for small satellites, designed, manufactured, and operated by the company. Its mission is to provide reliable, customized launch services, guaranteeing European technological sovereignty in space transportation.
Sateliot’s next-generation Tritó satellites represent a significant leap in capacity and performance for defense and security, thanks to their increased operational payload power. Not only will they provide dual connectivity to IoT devices, but they will also enable D2D connectivity in Europe to link mobile units with data, voice, and video services based on the 5G standard. These capabilities will support critical applications in security, civil protection and defense, maximizing network resilience.
“I founded PLD Space 14 years ago to make this possible. Our alliance with Sateliot is a key milestone for the Spanish and European space ecosystem. It demonstrates the ability of two national companies to break new ground and offer vertically integrated solutions like never before. The level of competitiveness of this approach is unprecedented in our sector”, says Raúl Verdú, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer of PLD Space. “For PLD Space, the priority is to ensure Sateliot’s satellites reach the required orbit at the required time”.
“With this agreement, we fulfill two principles we set for Sateliot from the start: national and European autonomy and sovereignty. By launching our satellites with a Spanish company like ours, we support the Spain Brand and guarantee D2D connectivity worldwide in any scenario, with enhanced capabilities for defense and security, as well as civil use, serving as a strategic backup when terrestrial networks are unavailable or fail”, says Jaume Sanpera, co-founder and CEO of Sateliot.
About Sateliot
Sateliot is a European satellite telecommunications company headquartered in Barcelona. Founded in 2017 by Jaume Sanpera and Marco Guadalupi, it has a team of over one hundred professionals from diverse nationalities and operates the first European 5G satellite center, where it develops the next-generation Tritó satellites, capable of connecting 5G devices to provide mobile data, voice and video services.
The company has deployed the first LEO satellite constellation based on the 5G standard, enabling unmodified commercial NB-IoT devices to connect directly from space. Its technology seamlessly integrates terrestrial and satellite telecommunications to provide affordable IoT connectivity in remote areas and in scenarios where conventional networks are unavailable, aligning with its mission to democratize access to a global IoT.
About PLD Space
PLD Space is an international space services company with in-house engineering and manufacturing. It is dedicated to transporting satellites and humans to space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Headquartered in Elche (Spain) and founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space has established itself as a benchmark in the global space launcher sector. Its MIURA family of launchers and its LINCE crew capsule position the company as a leader in European technological sovereignty in space transport, covering the full range of space missions.
With a team of over 400 employees and more than 12,500 m² dedicated to advanced manufacturing, PLD Space manages facilities in Teruel (Spain), Kourou (French Guiana), and Duqm (Oman), enabling it to offer complete satellite and other payload launch services to space.
For more information:
Sateliot
Carolina Morales [email protected]
+34 636 01 47 93
Ion Comunicación
Eduardo Lobillo [email protected]
+34 647 35 35 37
PLD Space
Maria Climent, Communications Manager at PLD Space
Burson
+34 618 074 286
