MILAN - Italian ground segment operator Leaf Space has decided that space communications are too clunky and unveiled a new connectivity service on May 27. The technology, dubbed TreeNet, aims to make satellites feel like they're part of an actual community by treating them as nodes in an interconnected communications network rather than floating islands of solitude. The company also announced partnerships and launch timelines, because nothing sells a dream like a schedule.
“This launch reinforces Leaf Space’s long-term commitment to building the infrastructure that allows space to function as a network bridging the gap between orbital operations and the connectivity of Earth-based infrastructure,” Cristina Zanchi, CEO of Leaf Space, said during SmallSat Europe, presumably while gesturing at a PowerPoint slide.
To test the initial phase, named Alpha, the company has partnered with Italy's D-Orbit and Bulgaria's EnduroSat. These two will launch four satellites equipped with TreeNet nodes in the first half of 2027. Because if you're going to test something, you might as well do it with friends.
Giovanni Pandolfi Bortoletto, Leaf Space chief product officer and co-founder, told SpaceNews that the startup is planning for a “rapid industrial ramp in the commercial phase, with a target production and deployment capability of at least 100 nodes per year from the first year of operations.” That's a lot of nodes, which is either impressive or terrifying depending on how you feel about space traffic.
The full commercial phase is planned by the end of 2027. No pressure.
D-Orbit and EnduroSat, Pandolfi Bortoletto added, were chosen for the early testing phase because of their high launch cadence. Beyond launch capacity, “they are long-standing partners with whom we have a strong alignment on longer-term use cases.” Translation: they've worked together before and nobody wants to deal with new-client onboarding.
D-Orbit sees the early testing as an opportunity to explore how in-orbit connectivity can simplify mission operations and enable data-driven use cases, the company said during the TreeNet launch at SmallSat Europe. EnduroSat, meanwhile, emphasized the potential to expand its mission-as-a-service offering by introducing an always-on connectivity layer that is increasingly in demand from customers.
Founded in 2014 by Pandolfi Bortoletto and Jonata Puglia, Leaf Space initially set out to build launch capabilities before moving to Ground Segment-as-a-Service. It currently has around 40 antennas across 20 sites and serves customers among satellite operators and launch providers. In 2023, it completed a 35 million euro ($41 million) Series B round, which is a lot of euros for a company that started with launch dreams.
“TreeNet is the natural next chapter in Leaf Space’s vision,” Pandolfi Bortoletto concluded. “We built the ground infrastructure. Now we are extending that principle into orbit itself.” Because why stop at Earth when you can clutter up space too?