Lightspeed Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage and growth-stage investments across various sectors, including enterprise, fintech, consumer, and healthcare. While not exclusively focused on space, Lightspeed has demonstrated interest in the space industry through investments in companies like Vector, a revolutionary launch platform for small satellites. The firm manages approximately $25 billion in assets and has offices in multiple locations including Menlo Park, California, and internationally.
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Thales Alenia Space was selected in February 2021 to build 298 Lightspeed satellites.
Telesat selected Thales Alenia Space of France and Italy in February 2021 as prime contractor for the 298-satellite Lightspeed constellation.
Telesat announced separate 2019 contracts with Blue Origin and Relativity Space for an unspecified number of New Glenn and Terran 1 launches for Lightspeed.
Telesat received commitments for about two-thirds of the Lightspeed network’s projected $5,000,000,000 cost, including about $1,150,000,000 from the Canadian government.
Telesat planned to supplement the initial 188 satellites with another 110 satellites to reach the full 298-satellite Lightspeed constellation.
Lightspeed was originally envisioned as a 298-satellite constellation designed to provide 15 terabits per second of capacity worldwide.
Telesat expected to begin launching Lightspeed in 2025 and to enter global commercial service in 2026 if program timelines unfolded as anticipated.
Telesat is building the Lightspeed constellation of nearly 300 satellites at an estimated cost of $5,000,000,000.
New COVID-19 variants have contributed to manufacturing delays at satellite manufacturers including Europe’s Thales Alenia Space on Telesat’s $5,000,000,000 Lightspeed broadband network.
OneWeb, Starlink, Gwo Wang, Kuiper, and Lightspeed will account for only 10% of satellite manufacturing and launch revenues.
OneWeb, Starlink, Gwo Wang, Kuiper, and Lightspeed will represent 58% of the 17,000 satellites to be launched.
Telesat is seeking the final $2,000,000,000 in debt financing to complete its $5,000,000,000 Lightspeed broadband constellation.
Without an FCC waiver, Telesat must deploy 50% of Lightspeed’s satellites by 2023-11-03.
Telesat plans a roughly $5,000,000,000 Lightspeed constellation of 298 satellites to be built by Thales Alenia Space.
Telesat has arrangements covering more than two-thirds of Lightspeed’s projected $5,000,000,000 cost.
Telesat intends to become a publicly listed company before the end of 2021 to support funding for Lightspeed.
The Government of Canada committed about $1,150,000,000 in investment to Telesat’s Lightspeed constellation.
Telesat is investing in a low Earth orbit broadband constellation called Lightspeed that aims to start launching a network of 300 broadband satellites in 2022.
Ontario’s government provided Telesat a five-year investment agreement worth 109 million Canadian dollars less than a week before the federal Lightspeed financing package.
Telesat values the Lightspeed program at $5,000,000,000, or 6.3 billion Canadian dollars.