TAMPA, Fla. — Space-based Bluetooth connectivity startup Hubble Network has become the anchor customer for Muon Space’s MuSat XL satellite platform, the smallsat maker’s largest yet at 500 kilograms.
Seattle-based Hubble ordered two MuSat XL satellites that are slated to launch in 2027 as part of an initial contract with the California manufacturer, the companies announced Aug. 7.
Hubble previously partnered with Spire Global to deploy seven smaller cubesats in low Earth orbit (LEO), enabling what it says was the first Bluetooth connection directly to a satellite last year.
“Muon’s platform gives us the scale and power to build a true Bluetooth layer around the Earth,” Hubble co-founder and CEO Alex Haro said in a statement.
The first two MuSat XL satellites are designed to provide a 12-hour global revisit time for Hubble’s business-focused Bluetooth tracking network. The system would function similarly to Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find My Device services, but without relying on terrestrial infrastructure.
According to Muon, the larger platform enables Hubble to field a receiver in space that is 20 times more powerful than those on its cubesats, enabling Bluetooth detection at 30 times lower power and allowing direct connectivity for low-cost, energy-efficient devices.
Hubble, which like Muon was founded in 2021, ultimately plans to deploy 96 satellites by 2028 to support connectivity for up to a billion devices worldwide.
Going large
MuSat XL is twice as big as the 200-kilogram-class satellites Muon has developed for companies including FireSat, Hydrosat and Sierra Nevada Corporation.
“Scaling up to a 500 kg-class platform with MuSat XL is a significant leap because it dramatically broadens the mission profile we can support,” Muon president Gregory Smirin told SpaceNews.
“At this size, we’re able to accommodate more demanding payloads — larger apertures, more power-hungry sensors, and even run onboard processing and networking tasks that would traditionally require a ground-based architecture.”
The platform also opens the door to more dynamic, real-time operations, he said, from rapid tasking in crisis scenarios to hosting multiple payloads for defense, climate and commercial use cases.
“This kind of versatility, combined with fast production timelines, is exactly what’s needed as space moves toward more proliferated, responsive and software-defined systems,” Smirin added.
Key Muon XL capabilities:
| Capability | Description |
| High Payload Power | 1 kW+ average power to support advanced sensors, phased arrays and edge computing applications. |
| High-speed communications | 5+ TB/day downlink with low-latency, internet-standard links and optical crosslinks. |
| Flexible payload integration | Modular system enables fast hardware/software integration, supporting onboard computing. |
| Precision Pointing | High stability and agility for next-gen Earth observation and radio frequency payloads. |
The contract comes as Muon accelerates hiring and facility expansion following a recent $90 million capital infusion.
While Smirin sees emerging demand for larger LEO satellites, he said most mission needs are well served by Muon’s existing 200+ kg (M-class) and 500+ kg (XL-class) platforms.
“Over the past year, demand for the XL class has grown significantly, with increased interest coming from both commercial and government sectors,” he said.
Earlier this year, a Chinese startup called LinkZill raised seed funding to pursue a similar satellite-enabled Bluetooth network.
