SpaceOS is a secure payload operating system that enables the deployment, management, and updating of satellite applications on-board, turning idle compute capacity into new revenue streams.
SpaceOS
SpaceOS is a secure payload operating system that enables the deployment, management, and updating of satellite applications on-board, turning idle compute capacity into new revenue streams.
Description
SpaceOS is a software platform designed for space, specifically a secure payload operating system that runs in its own partition on a satellite's payload computer. It allows operators to build, deploy, and update satellite applications similar to how cloud engineers ship to production, without replacing existing flight software. The system is hardware-agnostic, validated across multiple on-board computers and hypervisor substrates, and does not require new flight-qualified avionics. SpaceOS aims to monetize idle on-board compute capacity, which is often underutilized (NASA JPL data suggests near 10% utilization). It addresses the challenge of updating payload software post-launch and mitigates cyber risks by providing strong isolation for third-party workloads.
Key features include:
- **Payload-only, non-real-time operation**: Boots in its own partition, leaving bus management, attitude control, thermal, and power control to the existing flight OS. Real-time loops are uninterrupted.
- **Hardware-backed isolation**: Applications run as single-address-space VMs under Type-1 hypervisors (KVM, Xen, or Muen), with hardware enforcing separation between apps and between payload and bus. This prevents issues like radiation-induced memory upsets or crashing apps from affecting the entire system.
- **CI/CD lifecycle for orbit**: Supports building, signing, pushing, deploying, monitoring, and rolling back applications, even over low-bandwidth links (e.g., 4 kbit/s), using an A/B partition scheme and content-addressable updates.
- **20x smaller footprint**: Application images are 10 MB instead of 250 MB, leading to faster uplinks, cheaper hardware requirements, and a smaller attack surface.
- **On-board AI processing**: Validated with Thales Alenia Space, enabling inference on-board and downlinking insights instead of raw images, reducing downlink costs.
- **Cyber-resilient payloads**: Features hardware-backed isolation, memory-safe code, and post-quantum cryptography, demonstrated by zero sandbox escapes in HACKSAT'25.
- **Satellite app store**: Facilitates hosting third-party applications safely, creating new revenue streams from unused compute capacity, supported by ESA and launching with OHB Hellas.
SpaceOS is built to run alongside existing flight software, with a clear separation between the 'Bus partition' (for flight software) and the 'Payload partition' (for SpaceOS and mission applications). It offers a familiar CLI for developers and a marketplace for operators. The business model involves no upfront cost, with Parsimoni participating in 10-15% of the new revenue or cost savings generated. Flight heritage includes launches in March 2025 (Clustergate-1 on SpaceX Transporter-13) and March 2026 (Clustergate-2), demonstrating CCSDS protocol stack with OTA rekeying. It is developed with aerospace partners across Europe, the U.S., and Australia, and has received funding from ORCHIDE (Horizon Europe), CEOS (BPI France 2030), and OSIP (ESA). Parsimoni is partnering with Innoflight for their CFC-400XS flight computers and OHB Hellas for a joint satellite app store project.
Specifications
| Average in-orbit compute utilisation (NASA JPL data) | near 10% |
|---|---|
| Application image size | 10 MB |
| Container stack size (K3S) | 250 MB |
| Hypervisor compatibility | KVM, Xen, or Muen (Type-1 hypervisor) |
| Validated on | 8 on-board computers (ARM and x86) |
| Flight heritage | March 2025 on Clustergate-1 (SpaceX Transporter-13), March 2026 on Clustergate-2 |
| TRL | 6 |
