Nano
Satellites
Standardised, batch-produced, flight-proven constellation-grade nanosatellites that provide high payload mass fraction, low integration burden, low managerial overhead, and a rapid route to orbit.
Satellite Classes & Mission Envelope
ORB-16
£350,000
£5,000/month
~6 months
16U
≤ 16U
≤ 27.1kg
60W (continuous), 2kW (peak)
upgradeable to 154W (continuous)
1GB/day
upgradeable to 100GB/day
S-band, Ka-band, & 3rd-party
ORB-8
£350,000
£5,000/month
~6 months
8U
≤ 6.5U
≤ 9.8kg
60W (continuous), 2kW (peak)
upgradeable to 154W (continuous)
1GB/day
upgradeable to 100GB/day
S-band, Ka-band, & 3rd-party
¹ Lead-time is highly dependent on the Customer. Once the configuration of the Payload within the Satellite Platform is frozen, lead-time for delivery of the Flight Unit is typically 2-3 months. Of the dozen+ nanosatellite flight missions executed by OrbAstro, the average lead-time between contract signature and successful completion of in-orbit commissioning has been ~12 months for Pilot missions, and ~8 months for follow-on missions.
² The 8U-class and 16U-class Platforms can be modified to 6U-class and 12U-class respectively for a flat fee of £1,000. Power, mass, and volume available will reduce accordingly. No change to respective launch fees.
Baseline Service Price:
Baseline Ops Package Price:
Lead-Time¹:
Form Factor:
Payload Volume:
Payload Mass:
Payload Power:
Baseline Data Return:
Ground Segment:
Includes:
Baseline Satellite Specifications
ORB-16
7.9kg
Critical subsystems dual redundant or better
upgradable
Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC (5EG) with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM
144Wh
expandable to 288Wh
0.1º (3σ)
upgradeable to 0.01º
<0.01º
upgradeable to <0.001º
5º/s
500m/s
72W
expandable to 168W
1Mbps, S-Band (omni-directional)
500Mbps, Ka-band
expandable to 2Gbps
0.1Mbps, Ka-band
expandable to 0.5Mbps
AES-256 encryption, RSA-4096 auth.
12+ years LEO, 4-5 years MEO, 10+ years GEO
ORB-8
5.2kg
Critical subsystems dual redundant or better
upgradable
Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC (5EG) with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM
144Wh
expandable to 288Wh
0.1º (3σ)
upgradeable to 0.01º
<0.01º
upgradeable to <0.001º
5º/s
500m/s
72W
expandable to 168W
1Mbps, S-Band (omni-directional)
500Mbps, Ka-band
expandable to 2Gbps
0.1Mbps, Ka-band
expandable to 0.5Mbps
AES-256 encryption, RSA-4096 auth.
12+ years LEO, 4-5 years MEO, 10+ years GEO
Platform Mass (Wet):
Redundancy¹:
Compute:
Battery Storage:
Pointing Accuracy²:
Pointing Knowledge:
Slew Rate (max.):
Delta-V³:
Power Generation:
TT&C:
Data Downlink⁴:
Inter-Sat Link⁵:
Encryption & Security:
Mission Lifetime⁶:
¹ Redundant subsystems include: EPS, S-band TT&C, magnetorquers, ADCS sensors (except star-tracker & 3-axis optical gyro). Additional redundancy available through High Performance Satellite Upgrade option.
² Achieved with 3x large reaction wheels, 3x small reaction wheels, 6x magnetorquers, 2x star-trackers, 3-axis optical gyros, and standard ADCS sensors.
³ Electric propulsion system utilising water-based propellant.
⁴ Ground link data rates quoted for typical LEO ranges using standard OrbAstro ground terminals; interoperable with third-party ground networks (including AWS, KSAT, LeafSpace, etc.).
⁵ Assumes 2,000km range between two OrbAstro nanosatellites.
⁶ EDAC-protected memory (1-bit correction per 4-32 bits, depending on subsystem) and hardware/software SEU mitigation throughout, including clock and current monitoring. Memory and power switching devices are the primary radiation life-limiting components, followed by solar cells and reaction wheels depending on orbital and mission parameters. Developed in collaboration with ESA and aligned with ESA mission assurance practices. Estimated mission lifetime: 12+ years in LEO (500km), 4-5 years in MEO, and 10+ years in GEO.
Payload Specifications
ORB-16
≤ 16U
≤ 27.1kg
14W (cont.), 2kW (peak)
upgradeable to 156kW (continuous)
Unregulated VBAT, 28V, 12V, 5V, 3.3V
1TB (NVMe SSD)
expandable to 16TB
4× RS422, 4× CAN, 4× I2C,
8× LVDS (1.2Gbps each), 4× Gigabit transceivers (32Gbps each).
ORB-8
≤ 6.5U
≤ 9.8kg
14W (cont.), 2kW (peak)
upgradeable to 156W (continuous)
Unregulated VBAT, 28V, 12V, 5V, 3.3V
1TB (NVMe SSD)
expandable to 16TB
4× RS422, 4× CAN, 4× I2C,
8× LVDS (1.2Gbps each), 4× Gigabit transceivers (32Gbps each).
Payload Volume:
Payload Mass:
Payload Power:
Regulated Payload Power Bus:
Data Storage:
Data Interfaces:
High-Speed Data Interfaces:
Baseline Service
In-Orbit Commissioning: we lead Satellite Platform commissioning and support the Customer with Payload commissioning.
Constellation-Grade Nanosatellite Platform.
Flat-Sat for Payload electrical interfacing & software testing.
Mission Control System for mission rehearsal and pre-build day-in-the-life simulations.
Payload Integration Support: standardised payload electrical, mechanical, & software interfaces minimise NRE & integration risk.
Satellite Flight Acceptance Testing in accordance with the requirements of the Launch Provider.
Launch Permit: LEO, along with debris assessment support.
Spectrum Filing: S-band uplink, downlink. Ka-band downlink & ISL.
Secure on-site Satellite storage & maintenance prior to shipment for launch.
Day-in-the-life testing of Satellite flight unit.
Telemetry monitoring, command interfaces, and ground-segment access support day-to-day operations.
Access to platform software for automated pointing, power, communications, and attitude control.
Mission Operations reporting tracks health, activity, remaining life, and disposal confidence.
Anomaly-response support covers safe mode, loss of contact, cyber, and regulatory issues.
OrbAstro managed conjunction response, collision avoidance, and regulatory compliance.
Decommissioning support includes disposal planning and controlled end-of-life execution where feasible.
Optional Extras
High Performance Satellite Upgrade
ORB-16
+£150,000
0.01º (3σ)
<0.001º (3σ)
2Gbps downlink & 0.5Mbps ISL
(Ka-band transceiver upgrade)
288Wh
8TB (NVMe SSD)
All subsystem dual-redundant or better
(except Ka-band system)
ORB-8
+£150,000
0.01º (3σ)
<0.001º (3σ)
2Gbps downlink & 0.5Mbps ISL
(Ka-band transceiver upgrade)
288Wh
8TB (NVMe SSD)
All subsystem dual-redundant or better
(except Ka-band system)
Price:
Pointing Accuracy:
Pointing Knowledge:
Comms:
EPS:
Payload Data Storage:
Redundancy:
+15% Total Service Price (ex. launch)
Replacement of the Satellite Platform and, unless otherwise stated, all related services under this service agreement (except launch fees), shall apply only in the event of a Constructive Total Loss (CTL) of the Satellite Platform occurring at any time between confirmed dispensing of the Satellite from the Launch Vehicle within the expected orbital parameters envelope and one (1) year thereafter, irrespective of the duration of commissioning or in-orbit testing. This warranty is strictly limited to the Satellite Platform and applies only to failures attributable to defects in its design, manufacture, integration, or performance. For the avoidance of doubt, this warranty excludes the Customer Payload, any Payload- or Customer Furnished Equipment related performance or failures, ground segment systems (including ground stations, networks, and operations), terrestrial shipping or export failures, regulatory blockers, dispenser failure, and launch vehicle failure. This warranty further excludes any failure or loss arising from collision with space debris or other objects, space environment effects (including radiation or solar activity), or other risks customarily covered by in-orbit insurance, which shall remain the responsibility of the Customer. The warranty fee (as a percentage of the total contract price excluding launch) may be revised at Customer CDR and once more at TRB, after which it shall be fixed, as any Satellite configuration or test campaign changes may materially affect the mission risk profile.
Satellite Platform In-Orbit Performance Warranty
Launch Procurement & Management
OrbAstro procurement and management of launch services, and associated documentation through a 3rd-party rideshare aggregator and/or launch provider. Price includes separation ring and is dependent on provider/orbit selected.
Fee:
ORB-8
+£200,000
ORB-16
+£375,000
Dual-Winged Deployable Solar Panels
(Power shown = total satellite solar generation)
ORB-16
Baseline
120W
+£50,000
168W
+£75,000
ORB-8
Baseline
120W
+£50,000
168W
+£75,000
Each wing has:
1 Panel:
2 Panels:
3 Panels:
EPS Battery
(Capacity shown = total satellite battery capacity)
Upgrade 1:
Upgrade 2:
ORB-8
288Wh
+£20,000
N/A
ORB-16
288Wh
+£20,000
576Wh
+£35,000
Satellite EQM Chassis
(For Payload fit-check, harness check, etc.)
Bare Chassis:
Chassis & Shear Panels:
ORB-8
+£12,000
+£14,000
ORB-16
+£15,000
+£18,000
Additional Onboard Data Storage
+£20,000 (NVMe SSD)
+£35,000 (NVMe SSD)
8TB:
16TB:
Additional Onboard Computer for Payload
+£12,000 (Xilinx Ultrascale+ MPSoC (5EG) with 4GB LPDDR and 1TB storage)
+£45,000 (Xilinx Ultrascale+ MPSoC (9EG) with 8GB LPDDR and 1TB storage)
Telos-40:
Telos-60:
Mission Control & Operations Service
Baseline Operations Package (mandatory)
£5,000/month
S-band Ground-Link (up to 1GB/day, up to 4 links/day, 95%+ availability)
Mission Control System: Satellite, Mission, & Constellation Operations
OrbAstro-managed Space Traffic Management
4 hours technical support per month
Data consumed for Satellite Platform operations is up to 20MB/day, and up to 200MB/day for commissioning. Note: constraints are for uplink + downlink.
Tier 1: Up to 1GB/day, up to 8 contacts/day
Tier 2: Up to 1.5GB/day, up to 12 contacts/day
Tier 3: Up to 2GB/day, up to 16 contacts/day
1: +£4,000/month
2: +£6,000/month
3: +£8,000/month
1: +£5,000/month
2: +£9,000/month
3: +£12,000/month
4: +£20,000/month
5: +£35,000/month
Tier 1: Up to 1GB/day, up to 2 contacts/day
Tier 2: Up to 10GB/day, up to 4 contacts/day
Tier 3: Up to 25GB/day, up to 6 contacts/day
Tier 4: Up to 50GB/day, up to 8 contacts/day
Tier 5: Up to 100GB/day, up to 12 contacts/day
OrbAstro-managed Mission Operations
+£4,000/month
OrbAstro-managed Constellation Operations
Exploration-class Mission Operations (required beyond GEO)
+£3,000/month (per satellite)
+£12,000/month
Additional 3rd-party Ground Stations
+£25,000 setup
+£2,000/month
In addition to utilisation OrbAstro's Ground Station Network, integration of customer-arranged ground-link providers such as AWS, KSAT, or LeafSpace, including OrbAstro SDR setup, ongoing hardware/software support, and 4 hours of technical support per month.
Up to 30 person-hours per month of OrbAstro-managed mission planning, command support, telemetry monitoring, anomaly triage, and routine reporting. Mission Control System access, baseline ground links, and space traffic management remain included in the baseline package.
OrbAstro-managed fleet operations for multi-satellite missions utilising Mission Control System. Intended for coordinated planning, commanding, and repeatable operational workflows as you scale from one spacecraft to many.
A higher-intensity mission operations framework for exploration-class missions, covering the same core operations stack with elevated operational management and protective authority for more demanding mission environments.
Command & Control Capacity Upgrade (S-band)
High-Rate Downlink Capacity Upgrade (Ka-band)
Discuss your mission
HQ ADDRESS
Thames Court, Goring, Oxfordshire, RG8 9AQ, United Kingdom
CONTACT US
hello@orbastro.com