PAYLOAD HOSTING

Put your payload in orbit, nothing more

Learn how to deploy and operate your hardware in orbit, and discover how we can support your vision with accessible, responsive, and sustainable space missions.

THE SPACE USB PORT

The Universal Space Port

SpaceLocker has developped a universal satellite port enabling mechanical, electrical, data and power coupling between nearly any experiment on any spacecraft. Let us show you how it works…

Container

Your space sandbox
This is your new playground, where your space equipment will be placed. It is compatible with CubeSat equipment and is scaled to your hardware size covering up to 100kg payloads. The structure is more a guide than a restriction and most host vehicles allow side margins or deployables. Your container is your first step to orbit!

Key

Your payload's C3PO
Located at the bottom of your Container, the Key is the electrical and electronic interface with your host. Designed to support nearly any protocol and power configurations, connect your payload nearly as it is already developed : no need for space-adapted equipment.

Lock

The Space USB port

Integrated onboard each of our host vehicles, the Lock accommodates the Containers securely. Serving as a 4-in-1 interface, it holds a launch and covers electrical, data, and thermal transfers. The Lock stands out with its minimal overlay (power, volume, mass), its modularity, and the redundancy & isolation it offers.

The Universal Space Port
Because you need more than Cubesats

INFINITE MODULARITY

Because you need more than Cubesats

Payload hosting is the process of hosting experiments onboard shared satellites. Historically, it has been used by government agencies to deploy orbital capabilities for simpler, quicker and cost-effective missions.

SpaceLocker has developed and modernized this approach, opening it to all users in order to democratize access to orbit. We provide hosting onboard dedicated shared satellites owned by SpaceLocker or partner vehicles such as transfer vehicles (OTVs), constellations, space stations or geostationary satellites where we secure secondary hosting opportunities.

MISSION CHRONOLOGY

Your path to the stars

Launch procurement, operations, communications, ground network, assembly rooms, testing,… it is not just about sending a satellite to space, our turnkey missions takes you from the lab to orbit !

Book your flight

Go to Book your flightand fill our Payload Form.

Receive your Space Container

Order your Space Container and start assembling your payload. We work with framework contracts, so pass gates toward your flight when you're ready.

Payload integration

When your payload is ready and tested inside its container, we receive it, control it and integrate it on the host vehicle, taking care of the integration's tests.

Launch

The D-day has arrived ! The host vehicle is mounted on the launcher and rises through the clouds, your mission is about to begin...

Operate your payload

Once in orbit, the host vehicle takes contact with the ground and your mission starts! Connect directly to your payload thanks to our software and network stack and push platform requests to our Spacecraft Control Center.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Learn more about our missions

How long should my payload be ready before the launch?

As space missions are often more complex than expected and to be able to find the perfect host for your payload, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. Our current average lead time between first discussions and launch is around 9 months, for payload delivery a minimum delay of 5 months is to expect. This delay can we reduced for SpaceLocker’s dedicated missions.

I am not sure if my experiment is ready for space environment, can you provide support in the design of my mission?

Yes, we can provide support services in the design of your mission. This can cover payload design or integration, mission planning, testing… please contact us as early as possible if you need such services.

My payload is bigger than a CubeSat payload, is that a problem?

Absolutely not, our containers are retro-compatible with the CubeSat standard but not limited to it ! We can cover payloads up to 100kg with large footprints. Pushing further space missions than CubeSats while keeping the simplicity and the flexibility of an open standard is actually at the core of our mission!

Is SpaceLocker manufacturing spacecrafts?

No, we procure spacecrafts from a large pool of trusted partners enabling us to find the best flight opportunities for our users.
Still, note that we are working with 2 types of missions here : dedicated SpaceLocker missions where we dedicate a full satellite bus to payload hosting and secondary hosting where we work with existing operators to host our users as secondary payloads aboard existing missions.

I am not certain of my development timeline, what happens if I’m late or if my payload is ready earlier?

We work on a review-based logic meaning that you’ll have to pass a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and a Critical Design Review (CDR) before locking a slot on a host vehicle. Before the CDR, you can always change the schedule of your mission, the interchangeability of our interface enables us to board you on any spacecraft of our catalog.

How does your pricing work?

We are working hard to make mission pricing as transparent as possible although it is not yet perfectly the case as it is not a common approach in the space industry.
Our fares are first based on the footprint of your experiment. Then your need in electrical power, data link or pointing is also taken into account. It is therefore hard to give standard fares yet but a first estimation of 250.000€/10x10cm slot including launch and 1 year of operations is a good start. This fare per slot decreases with the size of the payload.
We propose 2 formulas : a payment in 4 installments before launch or a monthly subscription starting at launch with a retainer at signature.