Ukraine launches its own satellites — FT
Photo: Ukraine has begun launching its own satellites (Getty Images)
Ukraine has begun deploying its own satellite network. The first two satellites are already in orbit, Denys Shtilierman, co-founder and chief designer of Fire Point, tells Financial Times.
According to him, developers plan to launch dozens more satellites into space as early as 2027, which will allow Ukraine to rely less on the US and private Western corporations.
The impetus for the rapid development of Ukrainian technology was last year’s conflict in the Oval Office between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At that time, Washington blocked the transfer of intelligence data to Kyiv for a week.
Another reason was the Starlink system, which turned out to be not as reliable a support as expected. It turned out that Russia had learned to exploit Elon Musk’s network, turning it into a navigation tool for its drones hunting Ukrainian targets.
Shtilierman also says that European governments and defense groups are considering purchasing and co-producing his company’s drones and missiles, which are significantly cheaper than Western models.
He adds that the idea behind Ukraine's weapons is that we are selling not only weapons and not only security, but also independence in the field of security.
Space Policy Directorate
In March, during the international forum Space For Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Defense for Digitalization Kateryna Chornohorenko announced the creation of the Space Policy Directorate.
According to her, with the help of this new structure, the Ministry of Defense aims to become the primary procurer of space technology and software for the needs of the Defense Forces.
She also hinted at the possible creation of a new branch of the military.
The department will focus on three main areas.
First, it will improve the regulatory framework and draft documents to develop the military’s space capabilities.
The agency’s second area of focus will be technological expertise. The department will collaborate with scientific institutions, centers, and developers to identify promising technologies and specialists for integration into the defense sector.
The department will also establish partnerships with international governmental and commercial entities and enter into contracts for the supply of technologies and data.
