Elveo picks Apex to build its D2D satellites
What happened
Elveo Mobile, the direct-to-device satellite operator SES calls a lead strategic investment, named Apex Space as the manufacturer for its planned 320-satellite constellation on September 14. Apex will build the first factory in the US, with Elveo planning to add manufacturing sites in Europe and Asia through regional partners. Elveo's chief executive, Ramu Potarazu, said the deal puts the company in control of its own production costs and timeline. Neither company disclosed a contract value or a specific in-orbit deployment date.
Read-across for SES
SES calls itself a lead strategic investor in Elveo, so the network's execution is SES's own execution risk too. A named manufacturer removes the biggest open question since the Lynk-Omnispace merger closed last month. The constellation stays at 320 satellites, matching the figure SES has already disclosed. It gives Elveo a path to compete for direct-to-device customers against AST SpaceMobile and Starlink, the same rivals pressing SES in the EU's 2 GHz spectrum fight.
As the brief filed it
[AGE: 9h] Elveo Mobile, the direct-to-device operator SES calls a lead strategic investment, picked Apex Space to build its 320-satellite constellation. It is Elveo's first move from paper to hardware since last month's Lynk-Omnispace merger.