Dragonfly Aerospace

Updated 31 Aug 2026

Manufacturer SOUTH AFRICA Company-managed

16 Products

7 Years Active

Website ↗ Profile PDF ⬇

About Dragonfly Aerospace

Dragonfly Aerospace is a South African aerospace company founded in 2019 by Bryan Dean and a small team of former Space Advisory Company engineers, initially operating as Southern Space before rebranding to Dragonfly Aerospace. Headquartered in Stellenbosch's Techno Park, the company grew rapidly to over 100 employees, developing and launching a class-leading 180 kg optical imaging satellite within three years of founding.

The company designs and manufactures a full range of best-in-class electro-optical imagers, from compact CubeSat cameras (Gecko, Mantis, Chameleon, Chameleon Swir, Caiman) to high-resolution microsatellite payloads (DRAGONEYE, Raptor), covering RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral and SWIR imaging. Dragonfly also builds its own satellite platforms — the μDragonfly, Dragonfly and ηDragonfly buses — to deliver turnkey, vertically integrated Earth observation missions with minimum time, cost and risk.

Dragonfly's flagship achievement is EOSSAT-1, launched on 3 January 2023 as the world's first commercial agri-focused satellite and the first of a planned seven-satellite constellation supporting sustainable agriculture and forestland monitoring. The company operates a 3,000 m² design and manufacturing facility with 1,000 m² of cleanroom space, targeting production of up to 48 satellites (200 kg class) per year, and counts NanoAvionics, Spire, EnduroSat, Loft Orbital and Pixxel among its customers.

Company Info

Headquarters 16 Elektron Road, Techno Park, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa, SOUTH AFRICA

Founded 2019 (7 years)

Website dragonflyaerospace.com ↗

LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/dragonfly-aerospace ↗

Email info@dragonflyaerospace.com

Photos 3

Products

Flight-proven

Dragonfly's flight-proven 28V LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) high-power, modular spacecraft energy storage solution, designed with ITAR-free, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components.

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Topology	9s4p
Chemistry	LFP
Nominal voltage	29,7 V
Capacity	297 Wh
Discharge - continuous	20 A (600 W, 2C)
Discharge - peak	40 A (1200 W, 4C for 60sec)
Charge rate recommended	≤ 12 A (1.2C)
Eoc voltage	32 V
Internal resistance	50 mΩ
Operating temperature	-10 °C to 40 °C
Mass	4.8 kg (±20 g)
Dimensions	350 (L) × 108 (W) × 115 mm (H)

TRL 9 · Flight-proven

The Caiman is a high-resolution multispectral imager for 6U CubeSats, offering maximum achievable resolution within its form factor and unmatched image detail for small satellite platforms.

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Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (RGB)	3.25 m
Swath at 500 km (RGB)	13 km
Mass (incl. electronics) (RGB)	1.4 kg
Spectral bands (RGB)	Standard RGB
Imager type (RGB)	Snap shot
Physical size (RGB)	3U (100 mm x 100 mm x 250 mm with rear-mounted nCCM)
Data format (RGB)	8-bit or 10-bit
Integrated mass data storage (RGB)	128 Gigabytes
Compression (RGB)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface (RGB)	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface (RGB)	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485
Power usage (imaging mode) (RGB)	< 10 W
Power usage (readout mode) (RGB)	< 4 W
Power supply (RGB)	5 V DC
Operating temperature (RGB)	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature (RGB)	-20°C to +55°C
TRL (RGB)	9
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (MULTISPECTRAL)	PAN 3.25 m; MS 6.5 m
Swath at 500 km (MULTISPECTRAL)	13 km
Mass (incl. electronics) (MULTISPECTRAL)	1.4 kg
Spectral bands (MULTISPECTRAL)	11 x MS
Imager type (MULTISPECTRAL)	Push broom
Physical size (MULTISPECTRAL)	3U (100 mm x 100 mm x 250 mm with rear-mounted nCCM)
Data format (MULTISPECTRAL)	10-bit or 12-bit
Integrated mass data storage (MULTISPECTRAL)	128 Gigabytes
Compression (MULTISPECTRAL)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface (MULTISPECTRAL)	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface (MULTISPECTRAL)	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485
Power usage (imaging mode) (MULTISPECTRAL)	< 10 W
Power usage (readout mode) (MULTISPECTRAL)	< 4 W
Power supply (MULTISPECTRAL)	5 V DC
Operating temperature (MULTISPECTRAL)	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature (MULTISPECTRAL)	-20°C to +55°C
TRL (MULTISPECTRAL)	9

Flight-proven TRL 9 · Flight-proven

The Chameleon is a high-performance hyperspectral imager with space-qualified control electronics and specialized optics, designed for CubeSats.

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Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km	10 m (RGB)
Swath at 500 km	39 km (RGB)
Mass (incl. electronics)	1.6 kg (RGB)
Spectral bands	Standard RGB
Imager type	Snap shot (RGB)
Physical size	2.5U (100 mm x 100 mm x 215 mm) (RGB)
Data format	8-bit or 10-bit (RGB)
Integrated mass data storage	128 Gigabytes (RGB)
Compression	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy (RGB)
Data interface	LVDS, SpaceWire (RGB)
Tmtc interface	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485 (RGB)
Power usage imaging mode	< 10 W (RGB)
Power usage readout mode	< 5 W (RGB)
Power supply	5 V DC (RGB)
Operating temperature	+10°C to +30°C (RGB)
Survival temperature	-20°C to +55°C (RGB)
TRL	9 (RGB)
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (multispectral)	PAN 10 m MS 20 m / Binned to 20 m or 40 m (MULTISPECTRAL)
Swath at 500 km (multispectral)	39 km (MULTISPECTRAL)
Mass (incl. electronics) (multispectral)	1.6 kg (MULTISPECTRAL)
Spectral bands (multispectral)	11 x MS (MULTISPECTRAL)
Imager type (multispectral)	Push broom (MULTISPECTRAL)
Physical size (multispectral)	2.5U (100 mm x 100 mm x 215 mm) (MULTISPECTRAL)
Data format (multispectral)	10-bit or 12-bit (MULTISPECTRAL)
Integrated mass data storage (multispectral)	128 Gigabytes (MULTISPECTRAL)
Compression (multispectral)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy (MULTISPECTRAL)
Data interface (multispectral)	LVDS, SpaceWire (MULTISPECTRAL)
Tmtc interface (multispectral)	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485 (MULTISPECTRAL)
Power usage imaging mode (multispectral)	< 10 W (MULTISPECTRAL)
Power usage readout mode (multispectral)	< 5 W (MULTISPECTRAL)
Power supply (multispectral)	5 V DC (MULTISPECTRAL)
Operating temperature (multispectral)	+10°C to +30°C (MULTISPECTRAL)
Survival temperature (multispectral)	-20°C to +55°C (MULTISPECTRAL)
TRL (multispectral)	9 (MULTISPECTRAL)
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (3)	PAN 10 m MS 20 m / Binned to 20 m or 40 m (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Swath at 500 km (3)	20 km (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Mass (incl. electronics) (3)	1.6 kg (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Spectral bands (3)	96 x HS (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Imager type (3)	Push broom (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Physical size (3)	2.5U (100 mm x 100 mm x 215 mm) (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Data format (3)	8-bit or 10-bit (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Integrated mass data storage (3)	128 Gigabytes (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Compression (3)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Data interface (3)	LVDS, SpaceWire (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Tmtc interface (3)	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485 (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Power usage imaging mode (3)	< 10 W (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Power usage readout mode (3)	< 5 W (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Power supply (3)	5 V DC (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Operating temperature (3)	+10°C to +30°C (HYPERSPECTRAL)
Survival temperature (3)	-20°C to +55°C (HYPERSPECTRAL)
TRL (3)	9 (HYPERSPECTRAL)

TRL 8 · Qualified

The Chameleon SWIR is a specialized short-wave infrared camera designed for Earth and space exploration, capturing high-contrast images in the 1000–1750 mm spectral range.

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Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km	RAW 8.7 m
Swath at 500 km	11.2 km
Mass (Including electronics)	1.6 kg
Spectral bands	4 x SWIR Bands (1000–1750 mm)
Satellite bus size	Compatible with 6U
Physical size	2.5 U (100 x 100 x 215 mm with rear-mounted nCCM)
Data format	8-bit or 10-bit
Mass storage	128 Gigabytes
Compression	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface	SPI, I²C, CAN, RS422, RS485
Power usage	Imaging mode < 7 W (est), Readout mode < 5 W
Power supply	5 V DC
Operating temperature	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature	-20°C to +55°C
TRL	8

Flight-proven

DragonEye is a high-resolution imager for microsatellites, offering detailed Earth imagery in panchromatic mode with radiation-resistant optics and a wide field of view.

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Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km pan	1.4 m
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km ms binned	2.8 m
Swath at 500 km	22.2 km
Mass (Including electronics)	18 kg
Spectral bands	10x MS plus 1x PAN
Satellite bus size	50−100 kg
Physical size	320 mm x 930 mm plus electronics
Data format	10-bit or 12-bit
Integrated mass data storage	Optional
Compression	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface	Multi gigabit transceiver, LVDS
Tmtc interface	RS422
Power usage imaging mode	< 45 W
Power usage readout mode	< 25 W
Power supply	28 V DC
Operating temperature	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature	-20°C to +55°C
Flight heritage	2 DragonEye imagers launched in 2023

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Class	150 kg (up to 400 kg combined bus and payload)
Design life	8 years
Energy storage	up to 2400 Wh
Pointing control stability	< 0.002°/sec (3-sigma)
Pointing control accuracy	< 0.02° (3-sigma)
Slew rate	up to 2.5°/sec
Control frequency	10 Hz
AOCS	Fully automated, through target tracking
Propulsion	Xenon Electric Propulsion System, 28 mN thrust, up to 1850s Isp
S-band tmtc	400 kbps down, 150 kbps up
X-band data downlink	up to 2.6 Gbps
Solar array peak power	up to 1500 W
Orbit average power (OAP)	up to 800 W
Peak power	4.2 kW
Supply voltage	28 V / 48 V (ready)
Available payload mass	up to 250 kg
Available payload peak power	up to 4.0 kW
Electrical interfaces (TMTC)	CANbus, RS422/RS485, GigE
Electrical interfaces (Data)	LVDS / SpaceWire / SerDes / GigE, Optional HSDR 8 TB (Scalable)

Flight-proven

Dragonfly’s advanced 28V Electrical Power System designed for spacecraft power control and distribution, now in its 8th generation with heritage design for exceptional reliability and performance.

Total input, output & battery power	1500 W
Supply voltage	29.7 V (22 - 32 V)
Communication interfaces	CAN Telemetry & Telecommands, DCL (Direct Command Line) Telecommands
Operating temperature	-10 °C to +50 °C
Dimensions	211 x 153 x 175 mm
Mass	3.3 kg
Design life	Up to 8 years LEO (20 kRad screening)
Srm total input power	535 W at 29.7 V (18 A max)
Pdm-lp-752 total output power	600 W
Pdm-lp-752 no. of output channels	8
Pdm-hp-50 total output power	1500 W
Pdm-hp-50 no. of output channels	2

Flight-proven TRL 9 · Flight-proven

The Gecko imager is a compact, easily integrated imaging solution for CubeSat missions, offering large data storage and high image quality in a small form factor.

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Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km	39 m
Swath at 500 km	80 km
Mass (incl. electronics)	<0.5 kg
Spectral bands	Standard RGB
Physical size	1U (65 mm x 90 mm x 105 mm)
Data format	8-bit or 10-bit
Integrated mass data storage	128 Gigabytes
Compression	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc	SPI, I²C, CAN, RS422, RS485
Power usage (Imaging mode)	<6 W
Power usage (Readout mode)	<4 W
Power supply	5 V DC
Operating temperature	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature	-20°C to +55°C
TRL	9
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (2)	39 m
Swath at 500 km (2)	160 km
Mass (incl. electronics) (2)	~ 0.5 kg
Spectral bands (2)	Standard RGB
Physical size (2)	1U (65 mm x 90 mm x 105 mm)
Data format (2)	8-bit or 10-bit
Integrated mass data storage (2)	128 Gigabytes
Compression (2)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface (2)	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc (2)	SPI, I²C, CAN, RS422, RS485
Power usage (Imaging mode) (2)	<7 W
Power usage (Readout mode) (2)	<4 W
Power supply (2)	5 V DC
Operating temperature (2)	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature (2)	-20°C to +55°C
TRL (2)	9

TRL 5 · Development

Komodo is a compact 12U high-performance Earth observation camera offering multispectral data for diverse uses, supporting both push-broom and RGB snapshot modes.

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Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km	1.5 m
Swath at 500 km	6.1 km
Mass (incl. electronics)	12 kg
Spectral bands	Standard RGB
Physical size	200 mm x 200 mm x 340 mm
Data format	8-bit or 10-bit
Integrated mass data storage	128 Gigabytes
Compression	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface	RS422
Power usage imaging mode	<10 W
Power usage readout mode	<5 W
Power supply	5 V DC
Operating temperature	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature	-20°C to +55°C
TRL	5
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (2)	PAN 1.5 / MS 3 m (binned 2x2)
Swath at 500 km (2)	15 km
Mass (incl. electronics) (2)	12 kg
Spectral bands (2)	11 x MS
Physical size (2)	200 mm x 200 mm x 340 mm
Data format (2)	10-bit or 12-bit
Integrated mass data storage (2)	512 Gigabytes
Compression (2)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface (2)	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface (2)	RS422
Power usage imaging mode (2)	<45 W (est)
Power usage readout mode (2)	<25 W (est)
Power supply (2)	28 V DC
Operating temperature (2)	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature (2)	-20°C to +55°C
TRL (2)	5

TRL 9 · Flight-proven

The Mantis imager provides advanced multispectral or hyperspectral imaging capabilities for CubeSats, featuring integrated high-speed data storage.

5 51

Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km	16 m
Swath at 500 km	32 km
Mass (incl. electronics)	<0.5 kg
Spectral bands	Standard RGB
Imager type	Snap shot
Physical size	1U (65 mm x 90 mm x 107 mm)
Data format	8-bit or 10-bit
Integrated mass data storage	128 Gigabytes
Compression	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485
Power usage imaging mode	<6 W
Power usage readout mode	<4 W
Power supply	5 V DC
Operating temperature	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature	-20°C to +55°C
TRL	9
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (2)	PAN 16 m; MS 32 m
Swath at 500 km (2)	32 km
Mass (incl. electronics) (2)	<0.5 kg
Spectral bands (2)	6 x MS
Imager type (2)	Push broom
Physical size (2)	1U (65 mm x 90 mm x 107 mm)
Data format (2)	10-bit or 12-bit
Integrated mass data storage (2)	128 Gigabytes
Compression (2)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface (2)	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface (2)	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485
Power usage imaging mode (2)	<6 W
Power usage readout mode (2)	<4 W
Power supply (2)	5 V DC
Operating temperature (2)	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature (2)	-20°C to +55°C
TRL (2)	9
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km (3)	PAN 16 m; MS 32 m
Swath at 500 km (3)	32 km
Mass (incl. electronics) (3)	<0.5 kg
Spectral bands (3)	96 x HS available
Imager type (3)	Push broom
Physical size (3)	1U (65 mm x 90 mm x 107 mm)
Data format (3)	8-bit or 10-bit
Integrated mass data storage (3)	128 Gigabytes
Compression (3)	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface (3)	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface (3)	SPI, I2C, CAN, RS422/ RS485
Power usage imaging mode (3)	<6 W
Power usage readout mode (3)	<4 W
Power supply (3)	5 V DC
Operating temperature (3)	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature (3)	-20°C to +55°C
TRL (3)	9

Flight-proven

High reliability, low-power flight computer with integrated AOCS interface and controller for low Earth orbit spacecraft, available exclusively as part of Dragonfly Aerospace spacecraft system solutions.

Operating temperature	-10 °C to +50 °C
Form factor	EuroCard 3U
Dimensions	160 x 117 x 30.5 mm
Mass	0.35 kg
Design life	Up to 8 years LEO
Supply voltage	Single input 24–32 V
Power consumption	5 W
Processor	Dual Core ARM-A9 (766 MHz)
Memory (SDRAM)	Dual 256 MB
Non-volatile memory (Flash)	Dual 32 GB (SD Card)

TRL 5 · Development

The Raptor is an advanced satellite camera system offering industry-leading panchromatic image resolution and targeted spectral data for mapping, analysis, and surveillance applications.

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Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km pan	0.5m
Spatial resolution (GSD) at 500 km ms	2m
Swath at 500 km	8 km
Mass (Including electronics)	≈ 60 kg
Spectral bands	6x MS plus 2x PAN
Satellite bus size	100−150 kg
Physical size	635 mm × 1633 mm (est.) plus electronics
Data format	10-bit or 12-bit
Integrated mass data storage	Optional
Compression	RAW or J2K lossless or lossy
Data interface	LVDS, SpaceWire
Tmtc interface	RS422
Power usage imaging mode	< 45 W
Power usage readout mode	< 25 W
Power supply	28 V DC
Operating temperature	+10°C to +30°C
Survival temperature	-20°C to +55°C
TRL	5

Flight-proven

A high-fidelity reaction wheel designed for imaging satellites, offering exceptional platform stability and precise control with minimal disturbance torques.

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Angular momentum	1.0 Nms @28.5 V
Torque	±39 mNm (±74 mNm)*
Control modes	Current, Speed and Torque Control
Rate (Speed, Torque)	10 Hz
Speed range	±10 000 RPM
Interface	CAN / RS485
Supply voltage	12–36 V
Power @ 0.1 nms	~ 1.2 W
Peak power	108 W
Operating temperature	-20 °C to +60 °C
Dimensions	102.8 × 100 × 50 mm*
Mass	1.0 kg

Flight-proven

Dragonfly's SSMM is a flight-proven, high-reliability, high-speed solid-state mass memory designed for low Earth orbit spacecraft, featuring a Eurocard 3U form factor and 512 GB storage capacity.

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Operating temperature	-10 °C to +50 °C
Form factor	EuroCard 3U
Dimensions	160 x 107 x 29 mm
Mass	0.35 kg
Design life	Up to 8 years LEO
Supply voltage	+5 V regulated
Power consumption	6 W nominal
Capacity	512 GB
Maximum read speed	26 Gbps
Maximum write speed	26 Gbps
Ecc	Reed-Solomon (128, 120)
In-flight reprogrammable	Yes, 2 Boot areas

A 50 kg nano-class satellite bus combining microsatellite-grade performance and reliability in a compact cubesat-class form factor, designed for sensitive imaging payloads with a 5+ year operational life.

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Pointing control stability	<0.005°/sec (3-sigma)
Pointing control accuracy	<0.01° (3-sigma)
Slew rate	Up to 12°/sec
Geolocation knowledge accuracy	120 m (3-sigma)
Control frequency	10 Hz
Fully automated AOCS	Through target tracking
Xenon electric propulsion system	11 mN thrust, up to 1400s lsp
S-band tmtc	400 kbps down, 150 kbps up
X-band data downlink	2.6 Gbps (Peak)
Solar array peak power	113-197 W
Orbit average power (OAP)	71-125 W
Peak power	1.2 kW
Supply voltage	24.3-32.4 V (unregulated)
Available mass	Up to 50 kg
Available volume	450 × 450 × 400 mm
Available oap	20-70 W
Tmtc	CANBus, RS422/RS485, GigE
Data	LVDS / SpaceWire / SerDes
Optional high speed data recorder (HSDR)	1 TB

Flight-proven

100 kg-class microsatellite platform optimised for very-high-resolution Earth observation, flight-proven on EOSSAT-1.

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Class	100 kg bus
Design life	5 years
Energy storage	up to 600 Wh
Pointing control stability	< 0.0015°/sec (3-sigma)
Pointing control accuracy	< 0.01° (3-sigma)
Slew rate	up to 4°/sec
Geolocation knowledge accuracy	120 m (3-sigma)
Control frequency	10 Hz
AOCS	Fully automated, through target tracking
Propulsion	Xenon Electric Propulsion System, 11 mN thrust, 1400s Isp
S-band tmtc	400 kbps down, 150 kbps up
X-band data downlink	2.5 Gbps
Solar array peak power	220 W
Orbit average power (OAP)	140 W
Peak power	1.2 kW
Supply voltage	24.3-32.4 V (unregulated)
Available payload mass	up to 70 kg
Available payload volume	⌀ 500 mm x 1000+ mm
Available payload oap	up to 210 W
Electrical interfaces (TMTC)	CANbus, RS422/RS485
Electrical interfaces (Data)	LVDS / SpaceWire / SerDes, Optional HSDR 8 TB (Scalable)
High-speed data recorder (HSDR)	32 GB (EDAC Protected)

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Dragonfly Aerospace

About Dragonfly Aerospace

Photos 3

Products

28-300 Battery Module

28-300 Battery Module

Description

Specifications

Caiman

Caiman

Description

Specifications

Chameleon

Chameleon

Description

Specifications

Chameleon SWIR

Chameleon SWIR

Description

Specifications

DragonEye

DragonEye

Description

Specifications

Dragonfly Bus

Dragonfly Bus

Description

Specifications

Electrical Power System

Electrical Power System

Description

Specifications

Gecko imager

Gecko imager

Description

Specifications

Komodo

Komodo

Description

Specifications

Mantis

Mantis

Description

Specifications

Onboard Computer (OBC)

Onboard Computer (OBC)

Description

Specifications

Raptor

Raptor

Description

Specifications

RW-1Nms

RW-1Nms

Description

Specifications

SSMM

SSMM

Description

Specifications

ηDragonfly

ηDragonfly

Description

Specifications

μDragonfly Bus

μDragonfly Bus

Description

Specifications

Reviews