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Foxconn Launches New LEO Satellites With SpaceX

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Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has launched its second-generation low-Earth orbit satellites, PEARL-1A and PEARL-1B, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California. The mission marks another major step in Foxconn’s growing expansion beyond electronics manufacturing into space technology.

According to the company, both satellites successfully entered their planned orbits and are expected to carry out operational missions for five years. Their primary role is to test and validate payload technologies focused on communications systems and space science applications.

This launch highlights Foxconn’s broader diversification strategy as it moves into advanced technology sectors beyond consumer electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. By investing in LEO satellite systems, Foxconn joins a rapidly expanding global race in satellite communications, an area increasingly dominated by both commercial and national players.

The PEARL-1A and PEARL-1B mission is particularly important because it positions Foxconn as a more serious contender in aerospace-adjacent innovation, potentially opening future opportunities in satellite infrastructure, communication networks, and scientific research.

As demand for satellite-based communication and data systems continues to rise, Foxconn’s latest move signals that major electronics manufacturers are seeking a role in the evolving commercial space economy.

Spain’s First Private 5G Satellite Mission

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Spanish satellite startup Sateliot and space engineering firm PLD Space have agreed to launch two 5G satellites in what will become the first fully private space mission carried out exclusively by Spanish companies.

Under the agreement, the two satellites will be placed into low Earth orbit by 2027 using PLD Space’s Miura-5 rocket, a partially reusable launch system designed for commercial missions.

The partnership comes as European nations aim to strengthen their own space capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign providers in the rapidly expanding satellite communications sector.

Sateliot is working toward building a large satellite network and plans to deploy up to 100 satellites by 2028 as part of its long-term strategy to deliver global 5G connectivity from space.

The mission is also expected to support Europe’s ambitions for technological independence while expanding secure telecommunications infrastructure.

PLD Space, which achieved Europe’s first fully private rocket launch in 2023, continues positioning itself as a future competitor in the global commercial launch market.

Spacecoin Sends Blockchain Data Through Space in First-of-Its-Kind Test to Challenge Starlink

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U.S. satellite startup Spacecoin announced on Wednesday that it had successfully transmitted secured blockchain data through space, marking what it called an industry first and a potential challenge to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

The company’s goal is to create a decentralized satellite network offering connectivity and data storage for users in regions where internet access is unreliable, censored, or prohibitively expensive, according to its founder Tae Oh.

HOW IT WORKS

Unlike Starlink — where SpaceX maintains full control over its vast satellite constellation — Spacecoin envisions an open, participatory model that allows users, developers, and organizations to contribute to the network and verify transactions.
Its technology uses blockchain encryption to ensure that data sent through satellites cannot be intercepted, altered, or falsified.

During the test, Spacecoin transmitted blockchain data over 7,000 kilometers, from Chile to the Azores, entirely through a satellite link — without relying on terrestrial internet.
The nanosatellite used in the experiment was built by Bulgarian microsatellite manufacturer EnduroSat, and the company said the data returned to Earth intact and verifiable.

“Beyond end users, we are also targeting builders — such as developers, telecom companies, NGOs, and infrastructure partners,” said founder Tae Oh.
“For people using the internet, this means the information or payments they send can’t be faked, changed, or intercepted by bad actors.”

CONTEXT AND FUTURE PLANS

The success of Spacecoin’s test comes amid a boom in satellite internet services as global demand for secure broadband increases.
While J.P. Morgan previously tested blockchain payments between satellites, Spacecoin’s test is the first to bypass terrestrial networks entirely, operating solely in orbit.

Currently, Spacecoin has just one satellite, launched in December 2024 on a SpaceX rocket, and orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at up to 2,000 km altitude.
The company plans to add three more satellites by the end of 2025 to expand coverage and reliability.

With Starlink’s 8,000-satellite fleet dominating global satellite broadband, Spacecoin’s blockchain-based approach positions it as an innovative but niche challenger, combining crypto technology with space-based communication infrastructure.