Satellite Bus and Platforms serve as the backbone of space missions, providing the structural framework and essential systems that enable the functionality of various payloads and instruments in orbit. It serves as the infrastructure that facilitates the spacecraft's operation, maneuverability, and communication with ground control. Satellite Platforms support a diverse array of scientific, communication, Earth observation, and exploration missions that satellites undertake in the vast expanse of space. The demand for satellite buses and platforms is expected to grow across various sectors as space activities continue to evolve. In this article, SatNow has listed some interesting Satellite Bus and Platforms trending on the website in 2023.

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3U CubeSat for LEO Missions

The XB3 from Blue Canyon Technologies is a Satellite Bus and Platform with an energy storage capability of 6.8 Ah and a solar array power range of 27 W. It has a pointing accuracy of +/- 0.003 degrees (1-sigma), 2 axes, and ±0.007 deg (1-sigma) for 3rd axis. The platform has an uplink signal rate of 100 Kbps and a downlink signal rate of 2 Mbps (S-band). It requires a payload power of 3.3V or 5.0 V. The platform has an available payload volume of 8U and a design life of 5 years for LEO missions and 2 years for GEO missions. Read more.

12U CubeSat Platform for Earth Observation Applications

The 12U CubeSat from C3S Electronics Development is a Satellite Platform with a design life of 5 years in LEO orbit. It has an average power consumption of 7.9 W and a peak power consumption of 25 W. This 12U platform uses an onboard computer with a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M7 CPU core and has a clock frequency of up to 300 MHz. It has a Tx/Rx frequency range of 399 - 401 MHz and a maximum transmit power of 30 dBm. This satellite platform supports redundant CAN and M-LVDS command and data bus interfaces. It has a mass of 18 Kg and measures 226.3 x 226.3 x 366 mm. The 12U platform can support payloads up to 12.3-13.1 U. It is suitable for earth observation, IOD, IoT, and space weather monitoring applications. Read more.

Satellite Bus for Earth Imaging Applications

The Dragonfly Bus from Dragonfly Aerospace is a Satellite Bus with an energy storage capacity of up to 2400 Wh and a lifetime of 8 years. This satellite bus has a pointing control accuracy of less than 0.02 degrees (3-sigma) and a slew rate of up to 2.5 degrees/sec. It has a solar array peak power of 1500 W and an orbit average power of 800 W. The Dragonfly bus has an available payload mass of up to 250 Kg and a payload volume of 1000 x 1000 x 1000 mm. It is designed for precise spatial resolution earth imaging and mapping for a wide range of scientific applications. Read more.

6U CubeSat Platform

The Hawk Platform 6U from Argotec is a Satellite Platform with a payload capacity of up to 3 Kg and a payload volume of up to 3.5 U. This CubeSat platform has a payload peak power of 40 W and a solar array peak power of up to 80W. It is equipped with sun sensors, a star tracker, and accelerometers for attitude determination and features a 3-axis stabilized attitude control. The platform has telemetry transmitter data rates of up to 100 Mbps (LEO) and command radio receiver data rates of up to 30 Mbps (LEO). It supports RS422, LVDS, SpaceWire, SPI, I2C, and CAN data bus interfaces and has a bus data storage of 64 GB. Read more.

Nano-Satellite Bus for Commercial Satellite Missions

The M16P from NanoAvionics is a Satellite Bus with a payload volume of up to 15U. This platform is equipped with a space-proven Inter-satellite Data Relay System (IDRS) enabling data link service via GEO satellites and has payload downlink data speeds of up to 100 Mb/s on the X-Band. It has a payload controller that uses dual ARM A9 CPU running Linux and GaAs solar panels that incorporate triple-junction GaInP/GaInAs/Ge epitaxial structure solar cells with an efficiency of up to 30 %. It is ideal for IoT, M2M, AIS, and ADS-B applications, and supports EO payloads. Read more.

LEO Small Satellite Platform

The LEOS-50 HR from Berlin Space Technologies is a Satellite Platform with a design life of 5 years in low-earth orbit and can support payloads of up to 1.5m GSD. This platform has a payload capacity of 15-30kg and a payload volume of 540 x 540 x 400 cubic mm. It has a fast target-pointing accuracy of 5 degrees/sec and an S-band TT&C subsystem with a data rate of up to 100Mbit/sec. The platform features a 3-axis stabilized ADCS and has an average payload power consumption of 25 W. It has a mass of 75 kg and a volume of 570 x 570 x 600 cubic mm. Read more.

1U CubeSat Structure

The 1U Structure from AAC Clyde Space is a Satellite Platform that is compatible with all rail deployers. This lightweight and robust CubeSat structure complies with NASA’s General Environmental Verification Standard (GEVS) (14.1gRMS) requirements and is fitted with anodized rails and deployment switches, all proven in orbit. It has a mass of 155 g and measures 100 x 100 x 113.5 mm (length x width x height). The platform uses aluminium 7075 and 6082 for primary structures with all other materials complying with typical outgassing requirements. Read more.

12U Nano Satellite Platform for Remote Sensing

The SXC12 from SPUTNIX is a Satellite Platform with a mass of 30 Kg and outer dimensions of 226.3 x 226.3 x 340.5 mm. This CubeSat platform has a battery capacity of 120 Wh and requires an onboard bus voltage of 6.0-8.4 V. It has a service radio frequency range of 435-438 MHz and a transmission rate of up to 500 Mbits over a high-speed data link. The platform consists of an ADCS system with a reaction wheels module and sensors such as a Star tracker, Sun sensors, GPS, Angular velocity sensor, and Magnetometer. The SXC12 platform has a circular working orbit range of LEO to 600 km and an active period of 3 years. It is designed for Earth remote sensing applications. Read more.

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Note: This list has been compiled based on user activity on SatNow. To ensure that we cover the whole range of Satellite Bus and Platforms we limited the number of products from each category and company. The listed products are shown in random order and are grouped by category.