# Blockstream/satellite

Blockstream Satellite

Repository: https://github.com/Blockstream/satellite
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/satellite
Homepage: https://blockstream.github.io/satellite/
Language: Python
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-06-02T15:02:30+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 64/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 85, release rhythm 16, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3306, "days_push": 92, "days_rel": 482, "gap_med": 128, "n_releases_24m": 2}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1041, forks 161 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:20.707227+00:00)

## What it is
Blockstream Satellite is a Python-based software suite (GUI and CLI) for setting up a receiver node that downloads the Bitcoin blockchain via free 24/7 satellite broadcasts. It handles hardware configuration, antenna alignment guidance, and runs Bitcoin Satellite and the Satellite API for blockchain sync and encrypted message transmission.

## Use cases
- run a bitcoin full node without internet using satellite only
- sync the bitcoin blockchain from scratch over satellite
- add satellite redundancy to an existing bitcoin node
- send encrypted messages worldwide via satellite paying with lightning
- sync a lightning node faster with gossip snapshots
- bootstrap bitcoin source code without touching the internet
- use bitcoin in areas without reliable internet

## When to choose
- you want internet-independent bitcoin connectivity or censorship resistance
- you live where internet is unreliable but have satellite coverage
- you want to broadcast or receive data globally via satellite with lightning payments

## When to avoid
- you have no satellite coverage or no place to mount a dish
- you only need a normal bitcoin node with internet
- you want a software-only solution without buying hardware

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: networking, cli, gui, configuration-management, developer-tools
- domain: blockchain, networking, self-hosted, privacy
- platform: windows, python, cli, self-hosted
- tags: bitcoin, satellite, blockchain-broadcast, lightning-network, receiver-node, satellite-api, cryptocurrency, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- Blockstream/satellite (main) score 64

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:20.707227+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T07:02:49.564170+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/Blockstream/satellite (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:20.707227+00:00, sha b7f9809a570f)
  - homepage: https://blockstream.github.io/satellite/ (fetched 2026-08-29T13:04:07.674514+00:00, sha 993d42ed95f9)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.