Roughly eight months after launching a quartet of novel DiskSat satellites on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, The Aerospace Corporation is driving commercial adoption for the wafer-like architecture. Designed to slash atmospheric drag in very low Earth orbit, the flat satellites are gaining traction among commercial operators and startups alike.
Flattening the Standard Satellite Form
For years, the satellite industry relied primarily on standard cubic configurations. The Aerospace Corporation, operating as a federally funded research and development center, decided to look outside the box. The result is a saucer-shaped spacecraft measuring just 1 m in diameter by 2.5cm tall.
That thin profile is built to solve multiple launch and orbital challenges simultaneously. By flattening the architecture, manufacturers can stack multiple units on top of one another inside a rocket fairing. This stackable design maximizes the number of spacecraft sharing a single ride, boosting launch economics as availability grows tighter across the industry.
“We’re in a phase where stackable, highly capable small satellites are being launched dozens at a time on a single rocket.”
Mike Fox, systems director at Aerospace
Fox added that flat stacks are becoming the new normal for modern operators. The hardware was engineered from the start to fit that production paradigm, optimizing high-rate manufacturing and integration.
“Flat stacks are becoming the new normal. DiskSat was designed from day one to fit into that paradigm: stackable, containerized, optimized for high-rate production and launch integration.”
Mike Fox, systems director at Aerospace
Demonstration Mission Milestones and Next Phase
The technology is proving itself in orbit following a December launch from an Electron rocket carrying four DiskSats. Company officials shared mission updates on the sidelines of the Small Satellite Conference in Utah, confirming that the spacecraft have already demonstrated the ability to produce 100W of peak power.
Furthermore, the satellites successfully transmitted S-band signals back to Earth. Those transmissions traveled through the Naval Postgraduate School’s Mobile CubeSat Command and Control Ground Network.
The demonstration remains active. In the next phase of the mission, the satellites will activate electric thrusters supplied by European propulsion company Enpulsion. The spacecraft will lower their altitude to begin testing edge-on flight characteristics in very low Earth orbit, operating at altitudes below 350 km where the thin side profile minimizes atmospheric drag.
Commercial Traction and Licensing Agreements
The successful space demonstration is already translating into commercial momentum. At least three customers have signed agreements to license the DiskSat architecture, including Satlyt, Orbotic Systems, and Australian propulsion startup Neumann Space.
Neumann Space is leveraging the license to expand its business model. The company plans to incorporate its Flatypus propulsion system into the DiskSat design. While utilizing the core technology of the existing Neumann Drive, the Flatypus configuration is tailored specifically for the pancake-like form factor to deliver greater thrust without increasing orbital drag.
By securing the license, Neumann Space is evolving from a propulsion system provider into offering buses as well. The strategy aims to capture market share among constellation operators seeking robust options for very low Earth orbit missions.
Industry Context and Broader VLEO Ambitions
The push for alternative satellite architectures arrives as the broader space industry confronts capacity constraints. The Aerospace Corporation is actively working to reshape the small satellite market by encouraging wider industry adoption of the wafer design, capitalizing on the shift toward high-density launches.
For operators eyeing long-duration missions in challenging orbital bands, the combination of stackable manufacturing and low-drag geometry offers a compelling alternative to traditional cubesats. The design allows payloads to maintain orbits in very low Earth orbit for extended periods before atmospheric decay pulls them down.
Timeline and Upcoming Launches
Commercial deployment of the licensed designs is already on the horizon. Neumann Space anticipates launching its first Flatypus-powered DiskSats as early as 2028, with the exact timeline dependent on customer demand.
