ON-ORBIT AI
Hosted Payloads
Fly your instrument on a host spacecraft. You bring the payload; the provider delivers orbit, operations, and data—with clear interfaces, integration, and responsibility boundaries.
Faster time to orbit
Standard buses + repeatable integration reduce schedule risk.
Interface-driven procurement
Mechanical, power, data, and software interfaces define compatibility.
Managed ops + data delivery
Tiered ops models plus direct-to-cloud delivery and APIs.
Answer a few specs and get a quote-grade procurement brief you can send to vendors. You will even be able to save it as a PDF to share with others.
EO sensor / RF payload / SSA / tech demo / other
LEO (SSO) / MEO / GEO / custom
kg + average/peak W
Ethernet / SpaceWire / custom + rate
Provider-operated / shared / customer-operated
Direct-to-cloud / secure endpoint / on-prem
What is a hosted payload?
A hosted payload is a third-party instrument or communications payload that is integrated onto another operator’s spacecraft and uses the host satellite’s available capacity and shared resources (e.g., power, pointing, thermal, compute, storage, TT&C/ground links), allowing the payload owner to achieve an on-orbit capability without procuring and operating a full standalone satellite.
Hosted payload slot
Standard interfaces
Managed integration + test
Launch access + cadence
Managed ops
Downlink + delivery pipeline
Portal/API + audit
SLAs + responsibility boundaries
HOW IT WORKS
Hosted payload procurement workflow.
To get comparable quotes, define the payload interface + delivery outcomes first. Then vendors can propose schedule, ops model, and pricing in a way procurement can evaluate.
1
Define payload interface
Mass/power/thermal + data protocol + software/control boundaries.
Hosted Payload Requirements →
2
Set delivery outcomes
Latency, destination, retention, security, availability semantics.
Hosted Payload Data Delivery (API/Portal) →
3
Integration & qualification
AIT scope, test plan, acceptance criteria, required artifacts.
Payload Integration & Testing (I&T) →
4
Lock schedule assumptions
Integration slot timing, launch access/cadence, slip handling.
Time to Orbit for Hosted Payloads →
5
Operate & deliver
Ops tier, contact planning, downlink, API/portal delivery, monitoring.
Hosted Payload Operations & Command →
Get the eBook
Vendor types for hosted payloads.
Hosted payload offerings vary by standardization, control model, and how integrated the ground/data pipeline is.
Turnkey hosted payload programs
Best for
One-contract delivery: integration + launch access + ops + delivery
Typical pricing
Program fee + usage tiers + optional SLA add-ons
What you'll need to provide
Interface + outcomes + timeline + gov/commercial posture
Turnkey Hosted Payload Programs →
Shared "payload hub" platforms
Best for
Standard interfaces, repeatable cadence, portal/API control
Typical pricing
Subscription/usage + committed packages
What you'll need to provide
Compatibility + duty cycle + data volumes
Hosted Payloads →
Dedicated/single-tenant hosted missions
Best for
Sensitive payloads, strict control, isolation, bespoke constraints
Typical pricing
Higher fixed cost + managed ops options
What you'll need to provide
Traceable requirements + security/compliance needs
Hosted Payloads →
Data-first payload hosting
Best for
Buying delivered data products and pipelines
Typical pricing
Platform fee + data subscription
What you'll need to provide
Delivery SLAs + governance + endpoints
Hosted Payload Data Delivery (API/Portal) →
Integration-led primes/brokers
Best for
Complex payloads with heavy AIT and compliance coordination
Typical pricing
Project fees + pass-through vendor costs
What you'll need to provide
Clear SOW boundaries across parties
Payload Integration & Test as a Service →
Hosted payload providers (directory)
Best for
Comparing vendor archetypes and qualification questions
Typical pricing
Varies by provider type
What you'll need to provide
Mini-SOW to route to the right vendors
Hosted Payload Providers →
THE CHECKLIST
Hosted payload procurement checklist.
Make quotes comparable by forcing the same interface, schedule, ops, and delivery questions across vendors.
Interface
• Mass + CG + volume constraints
• Power (avg/peak) + duty cycle
• Thermal dissipation + temperature limits
• Data protocol + required throughput
Hosted Payload Requirements →
Control + operations
• Ops model (provider/shared/customer)
• Command authority boundaries
• Encryption + key management model
• On-call + anomaly response
Hosted Payload Operations & Command →
Schedule + cadence
• Time-to-orbit estimate
• Integration slot availability
• Launch access assumptions + slip posture
Time to Orbit for Hosted Payloads →
Delivery + pipeline
• Downlink path + latency expectations
• Direct-to-cloud endpoint requirements
• Retention + audit logging
• API/portal requirements
Hosted Payload Data Delivery (API/Portal) →
Commercials
• Program fee vs usage pricing split
• Reserved/committed packages + overages
• SLA tiers and credits/penalties
Hosted Payload Pricing →
Compliance
• Gov/commercial classification
• Export/data residency constraints
• Access controls and approvals workflow
Hosted Payload Compliance & Security →
Governance & Priority
• Who can act during faults and anomalies
• How conflicts are resolved when power/downlink/compute are contested
• Default authority model and safemode rules
• Evidence and incident timelines after conflicts
Governance & Priority: anomaly authority, conflict resolution, risk controls →
Common hosted payload use cases.
Rapid instrument demo
Validate on-orbit performance without building a full spacecraft program.
Hosted Payloads →
On-orbit technology demonstration
Get flight heritage via hosted experiments on commercial platforms.
On-Orbit Technology Demonstration →
TRL maturation flight
Raise readiness with a repeatable integration + ops pathway.
Payload Integration & Testing (I&T) →
Commercial pilot data product
Get data into a pipeline quickly to prove demand and unit economics.
Hosted Payload Data Delivery (API/Portal) →
SSA / space domain awareness
Host optical, radar, or RF sensors for space situational awareness.
Hosted Payloads for SSA →
RF sensing payload
Spectrum monitoring, emitter characterization, geolocation workflows.
Hosted Payloads for RF Sensing →
On-orbit edge compute / AI
Host compute payloads for low-latency processing and AI workloads.
On-Orbit Edge Compute Hosting →
Sensitive payload hosting
Controlled access boundaries with security and compliance requirements.
Hosted Payload Compliance & Security →
Constellation seed
Start with hosted payloads before committing to custom spacecraft.
Turnkey Hosted Payload Programs →
Rideshare vs hosted payload?
Decision guide: when to buy a spacecraft program vs hosted payload outcomes.
Rideshare vs Hosted Payload →
DEEP DIVES
Explore hosted payload topics
How hosted payloads are priced.
Program fee + usage (common)
Upfront integration/program fee
Ongoing ops/downlink/delivery usage tiers
MOST POPULAR
Committed package
Reserve resources/capacity
Lower unit costs + priority handling
Subscription tiers
Defined capabilities per tier
Predictable spend + bundled services
Dedicated/single-tenant
Highest isolation
Highest fixed costs, clearer boundaries
The biggest cost drivers are interface complexity, ops tier, delivery SLAs, and schedule urgency. Want comparable numbers? Request 2–3 quote-grade offers.
Hosted Payload FAQs
What is a hosted payload?
A hosted payload is an instrument integrated onto a host spacecraft. Providers offer standardized interfaces, managed integration/test, launch access, ops, and data delivery—often via portal/API with SLAs. "Payload as a Service" (PaaS) is this model packaged as a managed offering.
Hosted Payloads →
What's the #1 input to get quote-grade offers?
Define interface + outcomes: mass/power/data requirements and what "delivered data" means (latency, destination, availability, security).
Payload Interface Standards →
Who operates the payload?
It depends. Offers range from provider-operated (most turnkey) to shared ops or customer-in-the-loop command under defined authority boundaries.
Hosted Payload Operations & Command →
Do I get an API/portal?
Many hosted payload offers include an API/portal for tasking, status, delivery, and audit logs. If it's required, specify it explicitly in procurement.
Hosted Payload Data Delivery (API/Portal) →
How do I compare vendors fairly?
Normalize assumptions: integration scope, ops tier, delivery SLA, schedule posture, and compliance model. Otherwise prices won't be comparable.
Hosted Payload Pricing →
What drives cost most?
Interface complexity, schedule urgency, ops tier (24/7 vs standard), delivery requirements, and compliance/security posture.
Hosted Payload Pricing →
What's the biggest procurement mistake?
Treating it like "renting a slot" instead of buying a managed service outcome. Make interface + acceptance + delivery explicit.
Turnkey Hosted Payload Programs →
How does Full Orbit help?
We convert your needs into a mini-SOW and route it to the right vendor archetypes, returning 2–3 quote-grade options procurement can evaluate.
Hosted Payload Providers →