With the market for satellite platforms and buses undergoing so many changes in recent years, it is getting harder for mission teams to evaluate options efficiently.
In this article we share some ideas and insights on how to make this process more seamless, and link to a range of additional resources that can help.
Procuring a satellite platform vs. satellite-as-a-service
When we’re helping mission teams in the early stages, one of the key decisions is how much hardware will be built in-house and how much will be procured from the supply chain.
For example, we’ve seen many teams weigh up whether to use a pre-integrated, pre-qualified satellite platform (to which they’ll add a certain payload) or outsource most of the mission to a providers offering a “satellite-as-a-service” model.
Note that you will also see “space-as-a-service”, “data-as-a-service”, “mission-as-a-service”, and other similar labels on the market. There are slight differences in the service options and configurations for each, but the basic structure is the same: the supplier acquires, or builds, and launches the satellite – the customer gets the data it produces.
This choice of platform vs. service comes down to a few key factors:
1. Timeline – if you need to move fast, a satellite-as-a-service could be the better option. Some providers are often launching satellites regularly and offering capacity on them to customers, so mission launch may only be a matter of months away.
2. Budget – this isn’t clear cut; it really depends on the size, scope, and length of the mission, and the satellite form factor. You’ll want to nail down these criteria first before having a conversation with suppliers – but be open to suggestions as there may be other ways to achieve your goals.
3. Internal expertise – this is pretty simple, do you have the engineering capability to actually deliver the mission using a platform, or not?
4. Objective – if the most important goal is to get operational and start collecting data, then you should be agnostic about the best way to do this and evaluate your options accordingly. However, if actually gaining the engineering and mission preparation experience is more important to your organization, in the long run, than the output of the mission itself; a platform is probably what you need.
5. Confidentiality requirements – in either situation, how protected and private you need to ensure your data is will be a key determining factor. A high-level of encryption and data privacy is possible with either a purchased bus or an end-to-end service, but ensure you have that conversation early.
There are obviously many other considerations that go into selecting the best operating mode for your mission objectives, but these 5 choices will always be a factor.
And in addition, arguably the most important technical factor will be platform heritage, which is considered in the next section.
Assessing satellite bus heritage
If you’re in the market for a satellite platform or bus, then thoroughly assessing heritage will be an important part of the process.
And there’s plenty of nuance in this.
Small satellite platforms have been one of the most dynamic areas of the market in recent years. When a new bus gets heritage, it obviously includes the whole system, including the subsystems onboard.
Some manufacturers are then opting to offer those subsystems commercially, separate from the bus, if they are created in-house. And then they often get to work on new generations of these models to keep up with the state-of-the-art on the market.
Others will use third-party subsystems in their pre-integrated satellite platform, and the choices of these constituent components will get reviewed for each platform iteration.
This all results in a shifting supply chain in which manufacturers can change their offers and portfolios regularly and this makes it so important to have a clear and comprehensive discussion about heritage.
As usual, a simple “TRL = 9” statement isn’t enough. Here are a few other things to consider:
- Does the bus have heritage in the orbit/operating environment in which you want to use it? Things are very different in GEO compared to LEO – you need a bus that can handle it.
- Does the bus have heritage for the sort of applications and payload that you need to use it for?
- Does the bus have heritage with the comparable ground segment solution you plan to use?
- Does the bus have heritage in the form factor you need? While many suppliers offer a range of platforms that are scaled up, or down, from a flagship system that has flight heritage, other options in the portfolio may not have flown yet.
- If applicable, does the bus have heritage in the sort of funding or project program that you are using, and for comparable end-users? This will help you understand whether administrative issues such as export controls, regulatory regimes, and so on are a factor.
In addition, as always, ask for as much genuine operational data as you can get to assess suitability (respecting, of course, the supplier’s privacy requirements, and those of their other customers).
If you have a respectful and transparent conversation on these issues, you’ll be much better armed to make the best choice of bus for your needs.
Hope this helps your search!
And to help even further, in the next section you can see a variety of articles, podcasts, and webinars we’ve produced on the satellite bus supply chain.
Useful resources on satellite platforms
useful resources on the satellite bus supply chain, to help you navigate this highly dynamic area of the space industry:
An in-depth overview of microsatellite and CubeSat platforms on the global market – featuring satsearch Trusted Suppliers Dhruva Space EnduroSat the Ecuadorian Space Agency (EXA) Exobotics HEX20 Kongsberg NanoAvionics Space Inventor Akula Tech Alén Space Dragonfly Aerospace OHB LuxSpace and XDLINX Space Labs.
A guide to NewSpace microsatellites – exploring 100-400 kg class platforms. This is an extended satsearch webinar featuring guests from Berlin Space Technologies, Kongsberg NanoAvionics, ReOrbit and Space Inventor.
Extending CubeSat LEO platforms to GEO missions – a podcast with Space Inventor that discusses the technical challenges and opportunities with accessing the GEO orbit.
Satellite platform selection: choosing the right size for your CubeSat or small satellite mission – a very useful guide, originally developed by Kongsberg NanoAvionics.
The ongoing evolution of CubeSat technology – a podcast with Alén Space discussing various CubeSat subsystems and technologies including buses.
A deep dive into Remred Space Technologies – a podcast discussing the company’s heritage and future plans in the space sector, including the development of a proprietary satellite bus.
Rapid satellite development – with Apex – a podcast discussing a wide range of topics in satellite platform development including high volume production, build vs. buy decisions in satellite engineering, and how manufacturing unit economics affects supply chain development.
Hope this information helps to accelerate your mission development program!
And if you need any support finding and sourcing a satellite platform, or anything else from across the space supply chain, we can help any time. Just share your requirements with our expert procurement team in this fast, simple, and free form.
Ad astra!
