From Concept to Constellation: Meet MicroCore
Plan-S transforms mission requirements into fully integrated MicroCore microsatellites, delivered and operated as a complete service. Design, manufacturing, launch coordination, on-orbit operations, and data delivery are managed by a single, unified team, ensuring a streamlined lifecycle and eliminating the need to assemble separate engineering, launch, and ground-segment providers.
Built on flight-proven architectures, vertically integrated production and AIT capabilities, and a ground segment supported by advanced data and analytics services, MicroCore offers a seamless, dependable path from concept to orbit in the 30–200 kg class. The result is a micro-satellite solution that moves from vision to operational reality with unmatched cohesion and reliability.
THE ATTENTION
Every Step from Paper Sketch to Operational Orbit
MicroCore is not an abstract bus design on a slide. It is shaped by the practical lessons of building, launching, and operating satellites for paying customers.
That experience shows up in the way MicroCore is engineered and delivered
Operator mindset from day one
Power, storage, pointing, and comms sized for real duty cycles, not lab conditions.
High in-house content
Avionics, software, and AIT under Plan-S control for faster iteration and tighter quality.
Space and ground as a single system
MicroCore is conceived together with ground segment, data routing, and analytics, so operations are not an afterthought.
One accountable team
The same organisation that builds the satellite also flies it and delivers the data.
Rather than stitching systems together from scratch, missions tap into an ecosystem that is already integrated and operational.
THE CAPABILITIES
Structured Missions, Custom Outcomes
No two missions are identical, but the path to orbit can follow a clear and repeatable structure. MicroCore embeds each project within a service framework that preserves that structure while still allowing mission-specific customizations.
Mission framing
Translating business or research goals into clear performance, coverage, and lifetime targets.
Architecture and platform selection
Choosing the most suitable MicroCore variant and orbit concept for those targets.
System and AIT
Detailed design, integration, and test of the spacecraft, payload, and key ground interfaces.
Launch and regulatory track
Launch slot selection, compatibility work, and support on licensing and spectrum.
Operations and service roll-out
Commissioning, routine operations, and integration of MicroCore outputs into your tools and workflows.
The result is not just a launched satellite, but a mission that can be handed over to business owners and end users with confidence
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Maximum Spacecraft Volume
32.3 × 43.6 × 57.5 cm
Maximum Payload Mass
Up to 30 kg
Maximum Payload Volume
40 × 14 × 29.8 cm
A compact workhorse when you need to move quickly. MicroCore 8 is well suited to technology demonstrators, hosted payloads, focused EO or RF missions, and regional services where agility and cost matter more than sheer size.
Across the range, the physical and electrical interfaces are always defined, and reinforced by a production and operations model that has already been proven in practice.
THE SERVICES
From Shared Flights to Fully Owned MicroCore Missions
Ownership of the stack can vary; MicroCore allows different levels of spacecraft involvement on top of the same underlying platform.
Hosted on a MicroCore Flight
Flight heritage or early data with minimal overhead. Payloads share a MicroCore satellite on a hosted configuration, while the mission is operated end-to-end and data is returned as defined products.
Dedicated MicroCore Spacecraft
The bus, payload suite, and operations concept are engineered around a single mission profile—well suited to commercial services, institutional missions, and long-term programmes.
Pathfinder Plus Scale-Up
A small number of MicroCore satellites validate the concept, followed by stepwise expansion into a constellation using the same platform line, ground segment, and operating model.
THE MISSION
Integration, Launch Operations: All Under MicroCore
Once a MicroCore platform is chosen, the real work is making your payload feel as if it was designed for that spacecraft from the beginning – and then making sure the rest of the ecosystem is ready to support it.
Integration on MicroCore
Payload mechanics, thermal behaviour, power budgets, data paths, and onboard software are aligned so the hardware operates comfortably within defined MicroCore envelopes. Interface work is carried out in close collaboration with the payload team, keeping design changes transparent and controlled.
Launch and Regulatory Path
Launcher selection, deployment strategy, environmental preparation, and support for spectrum and licensing activities are handled as a coordinated track—simplifying the process of placing a transmitting spacecraft in orbit.
Ground, Operations and Data
Once in space, MicroCore is flown from Plan-S operations centres using Plan-S and partner ground stations. Health monitoring, tasking, and downlink are managed there, with mission data delivered via APIs, object storage, or direct integration into existing tools and workflows.
In practice, a payload concept and a set of service requirements are translated into a live data feed backed by an operational microsatellite.
GET IN TOUCH
Ready for Space?
Let’s Build Your MicroCore Mission.
MicroCore is designed for organisations that see space as part of their core infrastructure. Mission outcomes, what must be monitored, where, and over which time horizon, set the parameters. From there, the appropriate MicroCore variant is selected, the mission is architected around it, and a roadmap is established from initial launch through scalable expansion.
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