Attendees gather around the Leaf Space booth at the 2026 SmallSat Europe conference. Credit: Leaf Space
MILAN – Italian ground segment operator Leaf Space unveiled a new space connectivity service May 27. The technology, named TreeNet, aims to make space communications more seamless by treating individual satellites as nodes in an interconnected communications network. The company also announced partnerships and launch timelines to bring the project to fruition.
“This launch reinforces Leaf Space’s long-term commitment to building the infrastructure that allows space to function as a network bridging the gap between orbital operations and the connectivity of Earth-based infrastructure,” Cristina Zanchi, CEO of Leaf Space, said during SmallSat Europe.To test the initial phase, named Alpha, the company also announced partnerships with D-Orbit, based in Italy, and EnduroSat, based in Bulgaria, which will launch four satellites provided with TreeNet nodes in the first half of 2027.
Giovanni Pandolfi Bortoletto, Leaf Space chief product officer and co-founder, explained to SpaceNews that the startup is planning for a “rapid industrial ramp in the commercial phase, with a target production and deployment capability of at least 100 nodes per year from the first year of operations,”.
