On May 13, 2026, SpinLaunch and Aalyria announced a strategic partnership to develop the ground and network infrastructure for the Meridian low Earth orbit (LEO) communications constellation. Under the agreement, Aalyria will serve as a lead technology partner, integrating its Spacetime network orchestration platform to manage Meridian’s multi-domain connectivity and dynamic traffic routing.
Orchestrating a 5G NTN “Network of Networks”
The partnership focuses on accelerating the ground segment readiness for Meridian, which is being designed as an open-standards, 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN). Aalyria’s Spacetime platform—a software-defined networking (SDN) solution originally developed at Google—will function as the “digital cartilage” for the constellation.
Spacetime utilizes a planet-scale digital twin to proactively manage steerable antennas and optical terminals, predicting potential signal disruptions from atmospheric conditions or orbital motion. This capability is critical for Meridian’s fractional ownership model, which allows government, defense, and national telecommunications providers to operate dedicated portions of the global LEO network while maintaining full sovereign control over their data and capacity.
Meridian Constellation Technical Specifications
The Meridian program, first unveiled by SpinLaunch in April 2025, represents a strategic pivot for the company from launch-only services to a vertically integrated satellite operator.
- Constellation Size: 280 satellites in low Earth orbit.
- Network Standard: 5G NTN with native O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) support.
- Connectivity: High-speed broadband delivering resilient, low-latency links.
- Launch Strategy: While SpinLaunch continues to develop its centrifugal Orbital Launch System, the initial Meridian satellites are expected to be deployed via conventional chemical rockets to meet early operational timelines.
“Spacetime’s ability to dynamically manage and optimize complex satellite and ground networks through a unified platform is powerful,” said Massi Ladovaz, CEO of SpinLaunch. “Its open-standards-based approach aligns with how we are designing the Meridian program to support long-term flexibility, interoperability, and a multi-partner ecosystem as the constellation scales.”
Rationale for Cloud-Native Ground Segments
The integration of Aalyria’s Spacetime platform aligns with the industry trend of ground segment cloudification. By virtualizing the control layer, SpinLaunch can optimize network resources in real-time without the overhead of proprietary physical infrastructure for every customer. This software-first approach allows for “tactically responsive” timeframe adjustments, where operators can establish new transport paths and reallocate spectrum in response to surge usage or mission-specific surges.
Timeline to Initial Deployment
The collaboration is expected to finalize the Meridian ground station architecture and network interface designs by the end of 2026. Aalyria, which recently closed a $100 million Series B round in February 2026, will provide ongoing technical and commercial support as SpinLaunch prepares for the first orbital launches of Meridian hardware. Initial operational capability for the constellation is currently targeted for the second half of 2027.
