Payload-first satellite design aims to speed mini-constellation deployment
European thermal-imaging company constellr worked with Denmark’s Space Inventor to develop next-generation satellites while payload specifications were still changing. Space Inventor modified its BIG CAT 600 platform around constellr’s sensor needs rather than requiring the payload to fit a fixed bus. The approach is aimed at mini-constellations, which typically use a few to a few dozen satellites and often need design updates between batches.
Constellr, based in Munich, planned its HiVE constellation to capture thermal data precise enough for farming and city planning. At the start, key payload details—mass, dimensions and power needs—were not fixed, so Space Inventor adjusted its BIG CAT 600 platform as those requirements changed.
Space Inventor targets mini-constellations of a few to several dozen satellites, not megaconstellations. Its BIG CAT 100, 300 and 600 buses are configurable, allowing module swaps for added power, pointing or communications. The company builds nearly everything except propulsion in Aalborg, Denmark, enabling faster internal changes.
Faster, payload-led satellite design may let smaller operators deploy thermal-monitoring constellations sooner, potentially improving agricultural water management, crop stress detection, and urban heat mapping. It could also lower redesign costs and barriers for niche Earth-observation firms. Benefits may depend on data access, affordability, and regulatory approval.