stc group orders dedicated Astranis satellite for Saudi Arabia

what happened

stc group ordered a dedicated GEO satellite from Astranis to expand its satellite communications portfolio across Saudi Arabia, per Astranis' own release. The satellite joins Astranis' Block 3 dedicated Falcon 9 mission, whose manifest also includes Thaicom, Chunghwa Telecom, Apco Networks and Oman's MB Group, per Via Satellite; the stc group satellite replaces one of two satellites Apco Networks had previously ordered for the mission. Launch is targeted for Q1 2027. stc group keeps full control over payload configuration and coverage, with data kept in-region, per Astranis.

why it matters

This is Astranis' second dedicated-GEO deal in the Middle East alongside its Oman/MB Group satellite, extending its MicroGEO business model into Gulf state telecom operators that want national control over satellite capacity and data residency rather than shared transponder space. For Astranis, it adds to a Block 3 manifest already reshuffled once by a customer change; for stc group, it locks in dedicated in-country satellite capacity alongside its terrestrial fibre network.

signal-to-noise

quick facts

Companies

Astranis, stc group

Category

contract

Impact

notable

SNR

4 / 5

Event date

2026-09-10

Published

2026-09-12 17:28 UTC