LacunaSat 4A, ..., 4F

LacunaSat 4 is a naonosatellite to demonstrate the receiving of LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) signals from terrestrial IoT (Internet-of-Things) devices to relay the data through the company's cloud-based Lacuna Network.

The Lacuna Space IoT satellites are a series of small satellites manufactured by Spire Global in the United Kingdom for Lacuna Space, a satellite-based IoT connectivity provider based in the United Kingdom. The spacecraft support the expansion of Lacuna’s global, low-cost tracking and sensor detection network.

The mission aims to extend Lacuna Space’s IoT constellation for reliable, low-bandwidth communication with sensors deployed worldwide. The system targets applications in agriculture, maritime activity, logistics, remote infrastructure supervision and environmental monitoring. Typical use cases include soil-moisture measurements in remote agricultural regions and the tracking of mobile or isolated assets.

The satellites carry Lacuna’s payloads to collect encrypted data from distributed sensors and forward it to ground systems. The service is designed to operate globally, including regions without terrestrial connectivity, enabling sensor networks for commercial, scientific and environmental applications. The constellation is planned to scale from the initial six spacecraft to several dozen units.

The satellites are built by Spire Global at its production facility in Glasgow, UK. Spire uses its established small-satellite platform and production line, enabling rapid development cycles and uniform spacecraft configurations. The payloads and antennas installed on the satellites are supplied and operated by Lacuna Space.

A key technological element is Lacuna’s proprietary, ultra-high-density “Gentoo” satellite gateway. This gateway works with Lacuna’s ground scheduling network and employs adaptive, region-specific frequency algorithms derived from extensive AI-supported spectrum analysis. The system improves the density of supported devices and enhances signal detection in varied radio environments.

The satellites are based on Spire’s standardized 4U-CubeSat

bus. They host Lacuna’s IoT payload, including the Gentoo gateway and dedicated antennas for low-power sensor communication. The spacecraft are optimized for low data-rate links and global store-and-forward operations.

Each satellite supports secure, encrypted data forwarding to Lacuna’s operations center in Harwell, United Kingdom. The onboard processing system manages payload data acquisition, storage and downlink according to Lacuna’s scheduling algorithms.

Under the agreement, Spire will build and launch six satellites carrying Lacuna’s payloads. These spacecraft complement Lacuna’s existing group of ten earlier satellites, forming an expanded operational constellation for global IoT services. Launch details, including vehicles and dates, will be determined according to Spire’s rideshare integration schedule and availability of launch providers.