Fast Path to Orbit

A new turnkey approach to satellite deployment is poised to redefine how companies, governments and other organizations collect valuable information about Earth from space. Using off-the-shelf satellite buses, the company customizes each one with the customer’s payload and configures the capabilities to meet their needs. The satellite is then launched via spacecraft and operated on a shared schedule by the client using an interface called Cockpit. An onboard processor receives and collects incoming data for download to a ground station at predetermined intervals.

The result is a true democratization of space. Customers pay for (and maintain control of) their specific payloads. They also pay for a portion of the launch fee, which is shared with other clients (each satellite can carry multiple payloads). After that, customers are charged for actual usage of onboard resources such as power processing time and data transfer. The platform transforms satellite missions from a capital expenditure to an operating expense by offering satellite missions as a service. It also reduces the time to implementation from years to months.

The company currently has two satellites in orbit, carrying twelve payloads. The next flight is already booked for next year, and talks are underway to fill the fourth. By 2023, they expect to launch a mission every quarter.