How our satellites reach orbit

At Apogeo Space, we’re working on launching the first private Italian constellation of picosatellites, designed to provide satellite IoT connectivity. Thanks to this constellation, devices all over the world will be able to connect and send messages whenever one of our satellites passes overhead.

A question we often get is: how exactly do you get your satellites into orbit?

The short answer: we don’t launch them ourselves. We partner with specialized launch providers — companies that are experts at taking our PODs (PicoSatellite Orbit Deployers) beyond Earth’s atmosphere and into space.

But let’s take a closer look at how it actually works.

Getting into Space

Only a handful of companies worldwide can perform these kinds of launches. Among them is Avio, a respected Italian company, and of course SpaceX, famous for its Falcon 9 rocket.

Falcon 9 is remarkable because it’s partially reusable: after releasing satellites into orbit, its first stage can return to Earth and fly again.
That’s one of the reasons SpaceX now manages more than 180 launches per year — compared to just a handful from its competitors.

Inside the rocket

Every rocket has a protective shell at the top, called the fairing. This section shields the satellites during the rough ride through the atmosphere. Once the rocket reaches space, the fairing opens and releases the satellites it’s carrying — including ours — into their designated orbits.

Unlike the Falcon 9 booster, the fairing usually isn’t reusable, so a new one is needed for every launch.

Sharing the ride

Our picosatellites are usually launched in groups of nine, taking up about the same space as a single 3U CubeSat. Depending on the mission, they can be placed directly inside the rocket’s fairing or hosted on larger satellites with their own propulsion systems, thanks to partnerships with companies like ISISpace, D-Orbit, and Exolaunch.

This arrangement is known as rideshare — multiple satellites sharing one rocket. For example, D-Orbit’s ION satellite rides inside the fairing and then acts like a space “taxi”, carrying smaller satellites (like ours) and releasing them precisely into their orbits.

The moment of release

When it’s time for deployment, our POD uses a spring-based system to gently push the satellites out once it receives the command. About an hour later, the satellites unfold, extend their antennas, recharge their batteries, and begin sending their first signals back to Earth — tiny beacons confirming they’re alive and well.

And just like that, our picosatellites are ready to start doing their job: enabling reliable, satellite IoT connectivity across the globe.