• Compact Earth observation payloads requiring VLEO flight heritage
• Propulsion systems that need validation under real drag and orbit-keeping conditions
• Communications payloads and direct-to-device related systems
• Sensors, instruments, and subsystems needing TRL progression through orbital validation
• Payload developers that have outgrown CubeSat-scale hosting and need a more capable mission environment
• Teams seeking a 400 km sun-synchronous mission with integrated operations and validation support

Mission integration, not just payload hosting
Satelyx designs the mission around what your payload actually needs. That includes power, thermal management, communications, data handling, operational planning, and mission success criteria. VLEO-1 is structured as a real validation mission, not just a shared ride to orbit.

VLEO-1 mission profile

• Orbit: Sun-synchronous VLEO, 400 km
• Status: In development
• Launch window: Q2/Q3 2027
• Integration deadline: Q3 2026
• Platform class: 100 kg-class microsatellite
• Mission duration: 2 years
• Propulsion: N2O chemical, for orbit maintenance and controlled deorbit

Payload accommodation

• Available payload mass: ~8 kg, up to 10 kg configurable
• Payload power budget: 50W+ available
• Bus voltage: 24.5-29.2V, 28V regulated
• Mechanical interface: standardized CubeSat rails + custom mounts
• Thermal interface: conductive and radiative, -40C to +60C

Communications and data

• X-Band downlink: up to 450 Mbps
• UHF/S-Band TT&C: up to 100 Mbps
• Telemetry standard: CCSDS
• Interfaces: CAN Bus, RS422, SPI, I2C, UART
• Payload SDK: Python / C++ / Rust
• APIs: RESTful + gRPC
• OTA updates: secure update pipeline

Attitude control

• Precision three-axis control
• Pointing accuracy: 0.1 degrees
• Pointing rate: 0.005 deg/s

Payload isolation and TRL management
Each payload is independently verified against its own success criteria. Satelyx designs for payload isolation so mixed-maturity technologies can be flown without contaminating one another’s readiness or certification path.

VLEO-specific validation value
VLEO-1 is meant for technologies that need a harder real-world operating environment. Satelyx’s internal VLEO framing highlights drag, lifetime, maneuverability, revisit flexibility, and higher-performance Earth observation as core reasons to validate there rather than on a simpler mission profile.

Path beyond first flight
Payloads validated on VLEO-1 can become part of Satelyx’s growing catalog of flight-proven components, creating a path toward re-flight, deployment into future systems, and follow-on commercial or government use.

Mission parameters are configured around payload requirements, including mass allocation, power budget, thermal conditions, mounting approach, data interface, communications planning, pointing profile, and validation objectives. Payload fit is assessed case by case during mission design.

Contact [email protected] to discuss payload requirements and technical fit.

Mission 0 — Completed Q4 2024
Satelyx validated Earth observation, AI Edge Compute, and Communications in orbit, establishing the technical baseline for future validation missions. Mission 0 was a capability demonstration mission, not a multi-customer commercial payload mission.

VLEO-1 — In development, launching Q2/Q3 2027
VLEO-1 is Satelyx’s first production mission with commercial payloads. It is currently being developed as a 400 km sun-synchronous VLEO mission with approximately 8 kg payload capacity, and is actively accepting payloads ahead of the Q3 2026 integration deadline.

Satelyx is a mission integrator, not a hardware manufacturer. VLEO-1 is assembled from a combination of in-house developed systems and qualified partner subsystems on a 100 kg-class microsatellite platform. Integration, testing, mission planning, and mission operations are managed by Satelyx and its engineering partners. Platform configuration is matched to payload and mission requirements on a per-mission basis.

Satelyx manages VLEO-1 with ECSS-aligned engineering and verification processes and treats each payload as an independent validation program within the wider mission. Payloads undergo interface review, integration planning, and pre-flight verification before final mission integration. Payload isolation is maintained to protect each technology’s own validation path and success criteria.

VLEO-1 is designed for TRL progression from relevant-environment demonstration toward orbital demonstration and validation. The mission is especially suitable for payloads at roughly TRL 4-6 that need flight heritage to unlock procurement readiness, follow-on funding, or operational deployment. Satelyx’s hardware IOD framework emphasizes on-orbit performance data, power and thermal behavior, operational reliability, flight heritage documentation, and re-flight readiness as the core outputs of the mission.

Payload developers retain ownership of their technology and receive a defined validation outcome, while Satelyx handles mission integration, operations, and delivery. For payload-specific qualification requirements, contact [email protected].

Satelyx is UK-headquartered and operates under UK export control regulations, including review of payloads on a case-by-case basis depending on technology type, customer jurisdiction, and applicable dual-use classification. Payloads involving ITAR- or EAR-controlled technologies must be disclosed during the mission design phase. Prospective partners should contact [email protected] to discuss export control requirements relevant to their payload.