A satellite platform (bus) is the spacecraft without its payload: structure, power, computer, attitude control and radio, delivered as one integrated product. In 2026 a flight-ready 3U CubeSat platform starts around $150,000, a capable 6U-12U runs $300,000-$900,000, and ESPA-class microsat buses begin near $2M. This guide breaks the market into classes, shows what actually drives the price, and lists the manufacturers.
Platform Cost by Class (2026)
| Class | Payload Mass | Platform Price | Typical Mission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1U-2U CubeSat | up to ~1 kg | $50,000 – $150,000 | Education, tech demo |
| 3U CubeSat | 1-3 kg | $150,000 – $400,000 | IoT, AIS/ADS-B, small imagers |
| 6U CubeSat | 3-8 kg | $300,000 – $700,000 | EO cameras, science, comms demos |
| 12U-16U | 8-15 kg | $500,000 – $1.2M | Hyperspectral, SAR-lite, optical comms |
| Microsat (50-150 kg, ESPA) | 20-80 kg | $2M – $6M | Commercial EO, radar, comms constellations |
| Smallsat (150-500 kg) | 80-250 kg | $5M – $15M+ | High-performance EO, institutional science |
Prices are for the platform with standard avionics, delivered and acceptance-tested, without payload, launch or operations. Published catalogue prices are rare in this market — most platforms are configured to order, which is why the ranges are wide.
What Drives the Price
- Pointing accuracy. The single biggest lever. Magnetorquer-only control is nearly free; reaction wheels with star trackers for sub-0.1 deg pointing add $100,000+ and drive structure stiffness requirements.
- Power. Body-mounted cells cover 10-30 W missions; deployable arrays with SADA (drive mechanisms) multiply both watts and cost.
- Downlink. UHF is cheap; S-band standard; X-band with its licensing and ground segment raises platform and operations budgets together.
- Propulsion. Adding orbit control (cold gas, electric) brings tanks, valves, safety reviews — typically +$150,000 and up.
- Radiation tolerance and redundancy. COTS single-string is the CubeSat default; dual-string with rad-tolerant parts belongs to the microsat class and above.
- Heritage. A bus that has flown your mission profile is a product; a first-of-kind configuration is an engineering project with your name on the risk register.
Manufacturers in the Catalogue
| Manufacturer | Country | Classes |
|---|---|---|
| NanoAvionics | Lithuania | 3U-16U CubeSat and microsat buses, strong flight heritage |
| Blue Canyon Technologies | United States | CubeSat to ESPA microsat, high-precision pointing |
| GomSpace | Denmark | 1U-16U platforms and subsystems |
| Space Inventor | Denmark | Modular 3U-100 kg platforms |
| Spacemanic | Slovakia | CubeSat buses and mission service |
| Rapid Cubes | Germany | CubeSat platforms and kits |
| Artemis Space | Australia | CubeSat platforms |
| Apex | United States | Productized ESPA-class buses (Aries) |
| SITAEL | Italy | Smallsat platforms up to several hundred kg |
Full listings with specifications: CubeSat platforms, SmallSat platforms and all satellite platforms; the sector is also published as a PDF catalogue.
Buy a Platform or Build Your Own?
| Scenario | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| First mission, payload is the point | Buy the bus. Your schedule risk lives in the payload; do not add a spacecraft development to it. |
| University program building skills | Build from subsystem kits — the learning is the mission. |
| Constellation of 10+ | Buy the first 1-2, then negotiate a production license or co-development; unit economics change at volume. |
| Exotic requirements (cryo, formation flying) | Co-develop with a manufacturer that has adjacent heritage. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a platform lead time?
Catalogue CubeSat buses ship in 6-12 months; configured 12U-16U typically 9-15 months; ESPA-class 18-30 months. Add your payload integration and the launch campaign on top — which is why platform selection and launch booking start in the same quarter.
Does the platform price include operations?
No. Mission operations, ground segment access and licensing are separate budgets. Some manufacturers offer turnkey mission service (platform + operations) — worth pricing both ways, especially for a first mission.
Related Guides
- Satellite Thermal Control Guide — the subsystem most often underestimated in platform selection.
- Ground Station Services Guide — the operations budget that follows the platform.
- CubeSat Launch Cost Guide — the other half of the mission bill.
Compare platforms in the catalogue and send one request for quotation to several manufacturers at once.