FCC Grants Logos Space Conditional Approval for 4,178-Satellite Enterprise Constellation
February 11, 2026
In a significant move for the satellite connectivity sector, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted conditional authorization to Logos Space Services to deploy a massive low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation. The approval marks a pivotal step for the enterprise-focused venture as it seeks to establish a secure, high-bandwidth network for business and government applications, positioning itself as a potential competitor to established players like Amazon's Project Kuiper. The regulatory body partially approved the company's application to build, launch, and operate a constellation of 4,178 satellites. The authorization covers operations in the K-, Q-, and V-band spectrums but deferred a decision on the use of even higher frequencies requested by Logos. A key condition mandates that at least half of the planned fleet, or 2,089 satellites, must be in orbit within seven years, with the full constellation deployed by 2035. The Redwood City-based startup, founded by former NASA project manager and Google executive Milo Medin, had initially proposed a 3,960-satellite network in 2024 before revising its plans upward. The constellation is designed to operate across seven orbital shells at altitudes between 870 and 925 kilometers. Logos Space argues that this architecture, combined with the use of narrow beams and higher-frequency spectrum, will make its network more resilient to interference and jamming compared to conventional broadband satellite systems. Peter Tague, managing partner of U.S. Innovative Technologies (USIT), which led Logos's $50 million Series A funding round, stated, "Secure, resilient communications infrastructure is a foundational requirement for both global competitiveness and enterprise operations, and receiving this approval meaningfully advances Logos’ deployment roadmap." The company aims to launch its first operational satellite by 2027. The FCC's decision arrives amid heightened scrutiny of satellite deployment timelines. Amazon's Project Kuiper recently sought a 24-month extension from the commission after facing setbacks in launching the required number of satellites. Logos's ambitious schedule to orbit over 2,000 satellites in seven years will be a formidable challenge, highlighting the intense capital and logistical demands of the new space race. The regulatory process itself has drawn political attention, with Senator Ted Cruz proposing legislation in January to compel the FCC to rule on satellite proposals within a year, citing "massive delays" for innovative companies. For the enterprise and data center industries, the emergence of dedicated LEO constellations promises to augment global connectivity backbones, offering low-latency, high-throughput alternatives for data-intensive operations and edge computing. However, the path to operational service remains long and capital-intensive, with Logos now entering a critical phase of execution against strict regulatory deadlines and well-funded competitors.
Source: datacenterdynamics
