Reduced Timeline

Hosted Payloads take advantage of a commercial satellite’s design, development and launch cycle. The Hosted Payload approach leverages Intelsat’s substantial technical infrastructure in the design/build/launch cycle, resulting in significant cost savings relative to typical government satellite programs.

Shared Operations

Hosted Payloads take advantage of Intelsat’s satellite operations capability. Since the Hosted Payloads share the satellite bus with the commercial payload, the satellite is flown and monitored by Intelsat throughout its life. 

Access to Space

Hosted Payloads take advantage of Intelsat’s orbital slot locations. Over the last 40 years, Intelsat has been granted the authority to operate at dozens of geosynchronous orbital locations around the earth. Matched with Intelsat’s fleet replacement program, the large number of allocations offer customers numerous options for geographic coverage and diversity. In addition, Intelsat’s customers gain the benefit of over 40 years of regulatory experience.

Risk Reduction / Demonstration

Hosted Payloads offer the government a powerful method to reduce or mitigate risks associated with program funding, launch delays and operational issues. 

Shared Development and Launch

Hosted Payloads take advantage of an existing commercial satellite’s design, development and launch cycle. The Hosted Payload customer leverages Intelsat’s substantial technical infrastructure in the design/build/launch cycle, resulting in significant cost and time savings.

Control Options

Hosted Payloads offer government customers various levels of payload command and control either through the Intelsat TT&C ground facilities or directly from a government facility using an encrypted link.

Enhanced Security

Examples of standard commercial security include :

• NSA-approved command encryption


• RF security carriers


• High-power command transmissions


• Dedicated antenna on every satellite for commanding and telemetry monitoring


• Redundant antennas and systems within each ground facility


• Redundancy between ground sites to allow for a complete site outage


• Perimeter security, camera surveillance, guards, and ‘US-citizen only’ access


• Redundant operations centers in Washington, DC, and Long Beach, CA, offer geographic diversity.


• TT&C sites are connected to the prime and backup Control Centers via redundant, diversely-routed communication links, for accommodation of FIPS-140 traffic, and segregation of customer equipment and technical data.


• Payload Command & Control


• There are numerous structures for hosting dedicated customer payloads ranging from ‘pure’ Hosted Payloads where the entire payload is turned over to the customer for remote commanding from a customer facility (with Intelsat focused on ‘flying’ the spacecraft), to options for Intelsat to provide ongoing command and control of the payload for the customer via a contact protocol with Intelsat’s Satellite Operations Center (SOC), the Intelsat government dedicated Secure Operations Center (ISOC), or through an established terrestrial Virtual Private Network (VPN).