Telesat Eyes 2026 for Lightspeed Launches, Now That Funding Is Secured

Telesat has raised the money needed for its planned, 198-satellite Lightspeed low earth orbit satellite constellation, it said Friday. The company said financing is a combination of Telesat's own equity contribution, some vendor financing and funding commitments from its Canadian federal and provincial government partners. It said it signed a contract with MDA to produce the satellites, with satellite launches scheduled to start in mid-2026. Telesat said polar and global services should begin in late 2027.