Skykraft Completes Deployment of Next-Gen Air Traffic Management Satellites

Following the mandatory 7-day post-launch waiting period, Skykraft has successfully completed the separation of our five Air Traffic Management (ATM) satellites launched on the 24^th July aboard the TRACERS mission with SpaceX.

For the first time, this mission utilised Skykraft’s in-house developed satellite deployment system. This innovation dramatically improves the efficiency of multi-satellite missions which are essential for cost effective constellation deployment. Higher efficiency translates directly into the delivery of a high-performing, resilient, and cost-effective service to our customers.

Image of deployment— captured at T+1:44:07, in our mission operations centre

In accordance with regulatory requirements, our five satellites remained attached as a single unit for seven days following launch. As part of our commissioning plan, we initiated manual separation of the first three spacecraft, followed by successfully testing the automated release of the remaining two on the morning of Friday, 1^st August.

Contact was established promptly with all satellites, and we are now progressing with planned commissioning activities to validate their performance. 

This marks another key milestone in advancing Skykraft’s mission to revolutionise global air traffic management from space.

Skykraft is building a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites to provide space-enabled Air Traffic Management services.  These services improve flight safety and efficiency by optimising aircraft separation and enabling carrier preferred air routes.  It has benefits in airspace from the most congested to the most remote: improving services, reducing fuel burn, lowering costs and minimising greenhouse gas emissions.  

This successful mission is a key milestone on our path to launching a global Air Traffic Management constellation in 2026.