CesiumAstro is a US-based company founded in 2017 that specializes in developing advanced communication systems for space and airborne platforms, including active phased array antennas and software-defined radios. They provide full-stack, multi-mission hardware and software products that enable high-throughput connectivity and data transmission. CesiumAstro partners with organizations like NASA, the Space Development Agency (SDA), the U.S. Air Force, Axiom Space, and commercial entities to deliver next-generation connectivity solutions. Their key products include the Nightingale, Vireo, Skylark, and Element, and they focus on innovations in satellite communications, lunar communications, and inter-satellite links.
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CesiumAstro received $470 million in funding on February 2, 2026.
CesiumAstro builds a full technology stack that includes hardware, software, and firmware.
Other investors in CesiumAstro’s Series C round include Woven Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, Airbus Ventures, the Development Bank of Japan Inc., MESH, and NewSpace Capital.
CesiumAstro expanded from a phased array technology provider to also supply ground antennas and full satellites.
Approximately 75% of CesiumAstro’s business is in defense and government.
CesiumAstro’s Series C funding includes $270 million in equity led by Trousdale Ventures.
CesiumAstro introduced the Element software-defined satellite design in 2024.
CesiumAstro received an award from the Taiwan Space Agency for a national experimental low Earth orbit program in 2024.
CesiumAstro’s latest hardware includes AI-powered processing capabilities for real-time threat detection and secure, jam-resistant communications.
CesiumAstro is positioning itself to serve as a prime contractor for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and telecommunications missions.
CesiumAstro targets connected car applications as a commercial market for its technologies.
CesiumAstro holds a NASA contract for LunaNet technology.
CesiumAstro received $200 million in financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States to expand its manufacturing capability in Texas.
Woven Capital, the venture capital arm of Toyota, is an investor in CesiumAstro’s Series C round.
CesiumAstro expects commercial applications to account for 50% of its business by 2030.
CesiumAstro has a strategic partnership with the Taiwan Space Agency to provide payloads for Taiwan’s upcoming LEO communication constellations.
CesiumAstro serves as a supplier supporting Rocket Lab’s contract work for the Space Development Agency.
CesiumAstro provides high-end communication technology to satellite manufacturers ranging from startups to established prime contractors.
CesiumAstro focuses on developing active phased array communication payloads rather than building complete satellite buses.
CesiumAstro is a potential supplier for future tranches of the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.