Viasat and Galaxy 1 Launch Commercial Drone Satellite Platform

Galaxy 1 Communications and Viasat, Inc. announced an agreement on November 2, 2026, to begin commercial production of their Velaris satellite communications platform for drones and advanced air mobility. This move follows two years of joint development, integration, and testing, shifting the focus from proof-of-concept to supporting scalable service delivery for operators. The partnership aims to establish the operational and commercial infrastructure needed to grow satellite connectivity beyond basic coverage, addressing the challenge of moving from technology demonstrations to services supporting many aircraft.

Platform Scope and Capabilities

The Viasat Velaris platform provides L-band satellite communications services designed for autonomous aircraft. The goal is to make this connectivity easier to deploy and manage across a growing range of uncrewed operations. The commercial agreement focuses on customer onboarding, billing, network management, and integration with third-party applications.

Galaxy 1 will provide the systems supporting commercial delivery. Their responsibilities are comprehensive, covering several key operational areas:

The platform allows service providers to monitor and configure connected equipment, manage incidents, and restore services. Application programming interfaces support integration with partner systems and other drone applications.

Operational Applications and Use Cases

Satellite connectivity is critical for operations where terrestrial networks have limited coverage or across large and remote areas. The Velaris service is designed to support next-generation aviation applications. These include autonomous delivery aircraft, flying taxis, and inspection aircraft used for emergencies and industrial purposes. Potential use cases span drone delivery, medical logistics, emergency response, and industrial inspections.

Partner Roles and Commercial Context

Galaxy 1 brings over twenty years of expertise in managed satellite connectivity and secure IoT enablement for critical infrastructure. Their platform unifies hardware, airtime, application integration, billing, and management for enterprise-grade resilience. Martyn Durrant, Chief Commercial Officer of Galaxy 1 Communications, stated that the agreement validates the platform developed over the past two years and establishes the infrastructure needed for scalable UAV and Advanced Air Mobility services.

Viasat provides the satellite network and manages the Velaris ecosystem, which includes aircraft manufacturers, operators, communications providers, and technology partners. Sandeep Moorthy, Senior Vice President and GM of Advanced NTN Solutions at Viasat, said the collaboration strengthens the partner network and accelerates the delivery of global services. The production agreement establishes a scalable foundation for commercial growth that extends beyond connectivity alone. This development occurs as regulators, including the FCC, seek input on simplifying satellite communications rules for drones. The agreement ultimately creates the operational backbone for commercial expansion in a sector poised for growth.