Less than a week after Viasat flagged an outstanding regulatory review as an obstacle to its direct-to-device (D2D) partnership, Space42 confirmed that the Equatys joint venture has secured the required clearance.
Speaking during a Nov. 12 investor call, Space42 Chief Executive Karim Michel Sabbagh stated that the single regulatory approval on the venture’s critical path is now complete, removing the administrative hold that had delayed contract execution.
Constellation Scope and Prime Contracting
The regulatory milestone clears Space42 and Viasat to finalize a prime manufacturing contract for the planned Equatys constellation, which is designed to comprise up to 2,800 satellites. Prior to the clearance, Viasat noted during its Nov. 6 second-quarter fiscal year 2027 (Q2 FY27) financial results call that the pending approval remained a prerequisite before advancing full-scale hardware commitments.
Formed to deliver shared space-based D2D connectivity, the Equatys joint venture entered its initial satellite procurement preparations earlier in 2026. Resolving the critical-path regulatory requirement allows both companies to transition from pre-contract evaluations into formal prime contractor negotiations for the multi-thousand-satellite network.
Implementation Timeline Through Early 2027
With regulatory conditions satisfied, Space42 and Viasat will focus on concluding the prime spacecraft contract and establishing deployment schedules for the constellation. Sabbagh indicated that the partners expect to announce formal implementation milestones for the Equatys program in the first quarter (Q1) of 2027 or earlier, setting the operational timeline for spacecraft production and initial launch preparations.
