Capability Augmentation

Hosted Payload designs can distribute the government's mission risk by sharing a spacecraft platform and “ride” into geostationary orbit. Hosted Payload Solutions allow Intelsat General to be a more effective provider of space capabilities to the government by reducing the gap between available systems and unmet requirements. 

Technology Test-Bed

Hosted Payloads are an efficient way to test new technologies by offering regular, reliable, and rapid access to space. For example, the IRIS – or Internet Routing in Space – program will evaluate the utility of throughput enhancement via layer 3 routing onboard a spacecraft. The government will have the ability to assess how IRIS can improve the distribution of information to warfighters and provide critical CONOPs for ground systems such as TMOS.

Space Situational Awareness (SSA)

Hosted Payloads can be utilized to observe the Earth orbit environment with a payload containing “look and listen” capabilities. Payloads provide various types of SSA:

• Collision Avoidance


• Debris Monitoring


• Nuclear Detection


• Radiation Assessment


• Streaming or still imagery

Sensor Packages and Instruments

Scientific applications are another great fit with Intelsat General’s Hosted Payloads. Sensors and instruments can be attached to the satellite bus to perform a variety of information and data collection tasks, such as:

• Hyper-spectral sounding


• Ocean Color Analysis


• Ozone Mapping


• Earth Staring


• Weather Tracking