Multifunctional spacecraft – a future area of development

Modern Earth observation satellites are increasingly driving the development of multifunctional platforms. Instead of launching separate spacecraft for different purposes, engineers are integrating optical sensors, radars, lidars, telecommunications equipment, and specialized payloads either on a single platform or within a distributed system. This makes it possible to obtain more complete and timely information.

Analysis of currently available data shows two main approaches to such integration: the development of single satellites carrying several types of payloads, and the creation of distributed constellations (“virtual constellations”), in which satellites equipped with different sensors operate in coordination. Synchronized imaging creates a new level of data quality and improves the depth of analytical conclusions, while direct data transmission from the spacecraft to the customer can reduce response time by a factor of 100.

There is nothing unusual about military agencies being the first to pursue this direction. Civilian applications also gain significant advantages, particularly in emergency response to technological and natural disasters.

Real Projects and Concepts

Today, several examples of this concept are already being implemented:

GalaxEye (India). This startup announced the successful testing of the GLX-SQ payload, which, for the first time in the world, combined a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and an optical camera on a single platform. This makes it possible to obtain imagery that combines the detail of optical data with the all-weather capabilities of radar. As part of the “Drishti” mission, the GalaxEye spacecraft was successfully launched into orbit on May 3, 2026.

Cooperation between leading global companies is helping advance this concept. Antaris, a provider of software platforms for the space industry, and GalaxEye, a satellite imaging operator, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the world’s first satellite of this kind. The memorandum covers cooperation between three leading Indian space companies — GalaxEye, Ananth Technologies, and XDLINX Labs — and U.S.-based satellite software provider Antaris.

According to the developers, ISRO, and the Indian military, the “Drishti” spacecraft will make it possible to use space-based and ground-based resources as efficiently as possible and stay ahead of emerging threats. The military is particularly interested because Full Mission Virtualization ™ technology (synchronized fusion of optical and radar imagery) allows users to obtain answers to critical questions in near real time, plan dynamic operations in complex security environments, and conduct training and war-gaming exercises in a fully digital environment.

In the development of the spacecraft, Antaris’ digital-first approach makes it possible to design, test, and “execute” the entire mission in a virtual environment, seamlessly integrating every payload and analytical component in order to stay within budget, meet schedules, and remain ahead of events. The result is an integrated hardware and software system designed to operate in “perfect” harmony.

The product used for this “virtual environment” is Antaris SatOS — an open cloud operating system for satellites of any purpose. Designed for interoperability, SatOS™ standardizes satellite operations across different platforms and constellations. Its modular architecture supports rapid integration of equipment from different manufacturers, significantly reducing complexity and cost while improving scalability.

The hardware is integrated on a single payload platform: a thermally stable optical bench carrying both an X-band SAR sensor and a 7-band multispectral imager. This physical arrangement is also an important engineering solution for eliminating parallax errors at the image source and during data fusion. Fusion algorithms also use artificial intelligence for subpixel co-registration and jitter correction. These algorithms ensure that every individual data point from both sensors is captured and processed as part of a single unified dataset.

The optical layer provides intuitive visual context, color, and texture, making image interpretation easier. Typical limitations of optical imaging — darkness, clouds, smoke, and similar conditions — are mitigated in the final product by adding the SAR layer. SAR naturally penetrates clouds, darkness, and smoke, while revealing structural information, surface texture, and elevation-related changes.

SyncFused™ software for DRISHTI spacecraft image fusion combines the clarity of optical imagery with the all-weather reliability of SAR. The result is a single dataset providing complete context and highly reliable information about ground conditions from a single spacecraft pass.

Azalea (BAE Systems, United Kingdom). This is not a single satellite, but a cluster of four spacecraft flying in formation and operating as one integrated system. Three satellites carry radio-frequency monitoring sensors (RF) for detecting and geolocating signals (SIGINT), while the fourth is equipped with a SAR system supplied by the Finnish company ICEYE for high-resolution imaging. This is an example of a distributed system in which each satellite performs a specialized function, while data over a designated area are concentrated into a common operational picture.

In more detail, Azalea™ is a program to deploy a multifunctional satellite system with radio-frequency capabilities in low Earth orbit. The system will collect a broad range of data and analyze them in orbit using onboard machine learning to deliver intelligence where it is needed.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the capabilities provided by Azalea will enable the deployment of advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) functionality, improving the ability to understand threats and hazards in space, from space, and through space.

Azalea™ spacecraft will simultaneously collect data from multiple sources, including broadband radio-frequency data and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery enabled by technology provided by Finnish company ICEYE, focused on selected targets. The system will provide imaging data day and night and through cloud cover, while cloud-based services will deliver enhanced information and analytics to military, civilian, and commercial users for decision-making. This monitoring capability will simplify the detection of physical changes, such as ship or aircraft movements, as well as locating people at risk during natural disasters such as floods and wildfires.

Compared with existing space-based sensors and traditional data-delivery processes, the Azalea™ system will save valuable time by combining and analyzing data in space. It will identify activities of interest and communicate directly with users on Earth, rapidly and securely delivering reliable information directly to decision-makers.

Unlike conventional narrow-purpose satellites, the cluster will be reconfigurable in orbit in a way similar to installing a new application on a smartphone. This will enable future customer missions and extend satellite service life. Thanks to its open architecture, future Azalea™ clusters will be compatible with different sensor types — including electro-optical, hyperspectral, and infrared systems — as well as allied national programs.

ISR Constellation (Netherlands). This Dutch defense-industry project is aimed at creating a constellation of small satellites for intelligence and surveillance. The concept involves the use of SAR radars, electronic support measures (ESM) sensors, and advanced optical communication links for rapid data transfer between satellites and to Earth.

The objective of the project is to develop an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission based on SmallSats, combining the advantages of multiple sensors with synthetic aperture radar as the primary all-weather sensor, electronic support measures (ESM), and advanced high-speed optical communication and image-processing technologies. Such a constellation would provide broad ISR capabilities exceeding those of existing space systems, with unprecedented delivery speed and responsiveness.

Advanced research is focused on linking ultra-fast inter-satellite communications with a new synchronization approach based on optical data links, enabling high responsiveness in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions and significantly advancing space-based observation and reconnaissance technologies.

The innovative field of image-processing technologies covers the entire image-processing chain. This core technology is critical for innovation in fields including healthcare, semiconductors, security, agriculture, industry, transport, and aerospace.

The project is being implemented by a Dutch consortium consisting of TNO, Nederlands Lucht- en Ruimtevaartcentrum (NLR), and FSO Instruments.

TNO is a major Dutch research organization developing advanced optical and radar instruments for satellites, with expertise in laser communications, Earth observation, and space astronomy.

More broadly, the consortium is participating in the European REACTS project (Responsive European Architecture for Space). Multifunctional spacecraft form part of this initiative.

The REACTS project is intended to lay the foundation for European member states to develop a new, shared, and advanced space-based defense system: a robust network of responsive space systems (RSS) offering full flexibility and scalability. This network is intended to support the launch of multifunctional satellites and the delivery of geospatial data within 72 hours. The project will define the architecture, develop a concept of operations (CONOPS), and establish a roadmap covering both technical and management aspects. In addition, the project will analyze and define RSS interface standards and develop software to model system responsiveness.

The key issue is interoperability among all spacecraft in orbit: “a single shutter click of a coordinated image.”

ArabiaEye (Saudi Arabia). A planned constellation of 16 small satellites operating in pairs: one satellite in each pair carries an optical camera, while the other carries a SAR radar. This makes it possible to achieve daily data refresh rates and efficiently combine the resulting datasets through data fusion, for example for civilian applications such as oil-spill detection.

Developed by Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space, the spacecraft are also expected to be used for military applications by Saudi Arabia and its partners in the Middle East, as well as for mapping and environmental monitoring.

One SAR spacecraft option within this project, SARsatX, provides, according to officials of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology — a leading organization within Saudi Arabia’s national space program — reliable radar-based Earth observation solutions supporting monitoring, risk management, and informed decision-making in key sectors in coordination with optical spacecraft.

“These initiatives are intended to support the development of a sustainable, high-technology, and self-sufficient space sector under the national VISION 2030 program, covering all regional spacecraft currently in orbit as well as the industry’s future development priorities.”

The telecommunications component of the hybrid network is being developed by Thales Alenia Space and will become part of the
global Omnispace network.

Combined Spacecraft in Very Low Earth Orbit

DARPA, the European Space Agency, and a number of countries have focused on the design and development of spacecraft operating in very low Earth orbit (VLEO), based on the assumption that such orbits can provide both high technical performance and economic advantages.

In particular, the U.S. company REDWIRE is already offering an entire family of combined spacecraft designed for VLEO operations.

These include the DeepSat, SabreSat, Phantom, and Skimsat spacecraft. Based on currently available information, they are generally expected to have the following characteristics: orbital altitude of 150–300 km; mass from 250 to 400 kg; and an on-orbit service life of approximately 5 to 7 years.

Technical specifications are also available for the Stingray spacecraft: 15 cm spatial resolution and an orbital altitude of 250 km. The first spacecraft is planned to carry only an optical payload (PAN+RGB+NIR), followed by a multifunctional version. A constellation of up to 60 such spacecraft is planned.

The primary purpose is to perform a broad range of intelligence, geological, communications, SIGNAL, and scientific missions using a single spacecraft.

How Does It Work and Why Is It Needed?

Although the concept of combining all three functions — optical imaging, radar, and communications — on a single satellite is still relatively rare, the relevant technologies are developing rapidly. Depending on how the term “payload” is interpreted, two main approaches can be distinguished: integration of heterogeneous systems to support the spacecraft’s own mission needs and the creation of universal Earth observation platforms, where functions are separated but complement one another.

Option 1: Onboard Self-Protection System (Optical + Radar)

This option represents a complete system in which optical and radar sensors operate together to perform a specific task — ensuring the safety of the spacecraft itself.

In particular, Russian specialists from JSC ISS and Siberian Federal University proposed and developed an onboard optical-radar system. However, it is intended for installation on geostationary communications satellites.

The main purpose of such a system is to protect an expensive spacecraft from collisions with space debris or uncontrolled spacecraft. It detects hazardous objects, determines their coordinates, and tracks them.

The system operates on the principle of complementarity:

• Optical sensors are used on sunlit portions of the orbit to determine the angular coordinates of an object with high accuracy.
• Radar is activated in shadowed conditions or when optical sensors are affected by glare, and is also used for precise range measurement.

In this case, both systems are used for “internal” spacecraft purposes, while communications remain the primary mission of the satellite on which such a system is installed.

Option 2: Earth Observation Satellites (Optical + Radar) + Telecommunications

In the field of Earth observation (EO), optical and radar imaging are two key but fundamentally different methods. They are usually implemented on separate satellites because of the technical complexity of combining them. However, at the constellation level, these data types complement each other very effectively.

• Ideally, effective Earth monitoring uses both radar and optical satellites simultaneously. Optical systems provide the familiar high-resolution “image,” while radar provides all-weather capability and the ability to detect features that are invisible to the human eye, such as certain structural characteristics beneath forest canopy or shallow subsurface features.

Adding a telecommunications function to the same spacecraft can help provide global communications coverage for ground users while reducing the overall cost of the space system, particularly the cost of data transmission. Inter-satellite optical communication terminals can also create a “network” in space, where satellites exchange data with each other at high speeds — up to 100 Gbit/s — before transmitting the information to Earth. This is an important step toward integrating all three functions.

Option 3: Multifunctional Platforms Ready for Launch.

At present, there are still no mass-produced civilian satellites that simultaneously perform detailed optical Earth imaging, radar imaging, and serve as communications relays for other users. This is due to major constraints in power consumption, mass, and heat dissipation aboard a single spacecraft. Nevertheless, development is ongoing, and military systems are already approaching deployment. A military variant is expected to be ready for launch in the near future.

Its name and declared purpose are already known. Yes, Starshield fully fits the concept of a satellite with a multifunctional payload. This is precisely the case in which a platform is designed to simultaneously support communications, Earth observation, and the hosting of various types of equipment, including SIGINT systems.

The key difference between Starshield and conventional Starlink is that this is not simply commercial internet service, but a specialized government platform designed from the outset as a multifunctional system. SpaceX itself identifies three primary areas for Starshield:

1. Earth observation.
2. Global communications for military users.
3. Payload hosting for a wide variety of missions.

Moreover, the program has already moved beyond the conceptual stage. Since 2021, a classified contract worth USD 1.8 billion has reportedly been in effect with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for the creation of hundreds of reconnaissance satellites based on the Starshield platform. These spacecraft combine telecommunications and intelligence functions.

How it works: technological integration. Starshield achieves multifunctionality through a distinctive architecture:

• One platform, different missions: Starshield satellites are based on the proven Starlink platform, but use a modular design. This allows a wide variety of equipment to be installed — from Earth observation sensors to systems for detecting missile launches.
• Communications as the foundation: the satellites use Starlink-derived technology for global high-speed communications with enhanced military encryption. Laser terminals enable them to exchange data with one another in space and even integrate with satellites operated by other agencies, creating a unified network.
• Real-time intelligence: this is where the synergy lies. Data collected by sensors — optical, radar, or infrared — on one satellite can be transmitted almost instantly across the entire Starshield network to another satellite and relayed to Earth or directly to a military unit. This transforms the space constellation into a unified intelligence-and-communications system.

Thus, Starshield is more than simply a “military Starlink.” It is an ambitious attempt to create a universal space infrastructure in which communications and observation do not merely coexist on the same spacecraft, but operate together to support national security missions.

Unfortunately, the exact technical and tactical specifications of Starshield satellites that combine intelligence and communications functions are highly classified, as these spacecraft are designed for U.S. national security missions.

However, through analysis of open sources, data from the official NASA website, military statements, and research reports — for example, from the Institute of Software at the Chinese Academy of Sciences — it is possible to assemble a sufficiently reliable overall picture from known characteristics and well-founded estimates.

“Space Segment”.

Because Starshield satellites are built on the proven Starlink platform, their technical “lineage” can be inferred with a relatively high degree of confidence. The following parameters have been identified:

• Platform and design: The baseline is the Starlink platform, most likely versions v1.5 or v2.0, adapted for government requirements. The key feature is modularity, which makes it possible to install different types of mission equipment.
• Orbital characteristics: this is not a single homogeneous constellation. Satellites are placed into different orbits depending on mission requirements:
  • NRO reconnaissance satellites: Operate in low Earth orbit, primarily at 70° inclination, and are stabilized at altitudes no higher than 577 km, although in recent years lower-than-standard LEO altitudes of approximately 275–330 km have increasingly been considered.
  • Satellites for the Pentagon (SDA Tracking Layer): Operate at an inclination of 81° and at two main altitudes — 947 km and 966 km.
  • There are also spacecraft on 43° inclination orbits and experimental spacecraft in sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 97.6°.
• Mass and dimensions: exact data are unavailable, but considering the Starlink v2.0 baseline, with a mass of around 800 kg, and the need to install additional mission equipment, the mass of reconnaissance satellites may range from approximately 500 kg to more than 1 tonne.

Capabilities: available information suggests that the system as a whole is intended for persistent global observation so that “no one can hide.” Given the low orbital altitude, image resolution could theoretically be extremely high — perhaps on the order of 10–25 cm in panchromatic and SAR modes, comparable to the best commercial and military satellites. Near-infrared (NIR) resolution may be around 50 cm, while thermal infrared (TIR) resolution may be around 1.5–2.0 meters.

• Communications System (Telecommunications Component):
  • Laser communications: the satellites are equipped with advanced laser terminals, enabling inter-satellite data exchange and creating a high-speed “network in the sky.”
  • Integration with Starlink: studies suggest that Starshield satellites may connect with commercial Starlink satellites, providing up to 11.5 hours of communications per day and sufficient bandwidth for transmitting intelligence data.

“Ground Segment”

• Hardware: The UAT-222 terminal is essentially a hardened military version of a standard Starlink terminal.
• Speed and latency: it reportedly provides upload speeds of 300 to 500 Mbit/s with signal latency of only ~25 milliseconds. This makes it possible to control drones and transmit real-time video.
• Mobility and deployment: The main advantage is compactness. The terminal is approximately 60 cm (2 feet) square. It can fit into a backpack and be deployed within minutes, unlike older military communications stations the size of a small truck.
• Security: enhanced encryption protocols are used for transmitting classified data, including Link 16 and Link 27.

Option 4: Adding LIDAR to the Systems Described Above.

There are not yet dedicated orbital systems equivalent in scope to Starshield that fully integrate this type of multifunctionality with LIDAR, although the idea of adding LIDAR is actively being explored by research institutions, including groups at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

NASA is also moving rapidly in this direction, especially given its extensive experience with LIDAR for airborne and atmospheric measurements.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has plans for the VeggieH LIDAR satellite with additional payloads: a hyperspectral instrument and a panchromatic imager operating synchronously.

Commercial LIDAR spacecraft for terrestrial imaging are expected to be launched in the near future. Detailed technical specifications have not yet been disclosed, but NASA’s planned mission is better known.

LIDAR for land topography — NASA’s nearest realistic mission:

• Mission name: Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer (EDGE).
• Organization: NASA, with participation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the University of Tasmania, and others.
• Instrument type: LIDAR (laser altimeter) with 40 laser beams. This represents a major upgrade compared with the current ICESat-2 mission, which uses 6 beams.
• Mission objective: 3D mapping of the Earth’s surface — measurement of glacier elevation, forest structure and terrestrial ecosystems, and sea ice.
• Accuracy: capable of measuring elevation differences with precision better than 3 centimeters from orbit.
• Orbit: approximately 390 km.
• Status: selected for continued development of automated 3D surface modeling.
• Planned launch date: no earlier than 2030.

GEO Innoter LLC will continue monitoring the development of multifunctional spacecraft capabilities among leading global companies so that our scientists can analyze emerging technological directions and our engineers can rapidly introduce comparable — or potentially superior — solutions into practical use at domestic enterprises, helping to reduce the accumulated technological gap.