Janus-1 Satellite

The satellite features five payloads from a range of global providers.

Antaris, creator of the most advanced software platform for space, announced that the world’s first satellite fully conceived, designed and manufactured using the company’s end-to-end cloud platform has successfully reached orbit.

The satellite features five payloads from a range of global providers, which will be commissioned and begin nominal operations in the coming days.

JANUS-1 is a 6U satellite featuring payload and subsystem technologies that will perform internet of things (IoT) communications, advanced experimental laser communications, radio communications and machine learning (ML) during orbit from

• AICRAFT
• Morpheus Space,
• Netra
• SayariLabs Kenya,
• SpeQtral
• Transcelestial
• Zero-Error Systems (ZES)

Antaris SatOS software manages core bus responsibilities while orchestrating multitenant payloads and onboard computing—in addition to showcasing secure TT&C protocols with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and ATLAS Space Operations, who are providing ground communications services. 

The project was completed in just 10 months from concept to launch readiness with a cost savings of 75% over comparable satellite missions. Based on data captured during the build, Antaris anticipates that future spacecraft missions can be ready for launch in as few as six months. While the launch marks the start of JANUS-1's on-orbit mission, the satellite has been ‘in flight’ for months via the company’s unique TrueTwin™ digital twinning technology which creates a digital version of the satellite at the start of the project and then integrates with hardware-in-the-loop as hardware becomes available.

XDLINX Labs and Ananth Technologies served as the primary manufacturing partners for the JANUS-1 satellite with ATLAS Space Operations providing ground station services.

JANUS-1 is a software-defined 6U small satellite created entirely on the Antaris software platform. It was designed and built with mission participants from seven countries together with our partners in India. Antaris Inc partnered with XDLINX Labs for satellite hardware bus and Ananth Technologies for AIT and launch integration, AWS and ATLAS Space Operations providing ground station services.

Key Features:

• Modular Bus, hardware abstraction that removes vendor lock-in or hardware dependency
• Modular Payloads – capable of hosting multiple payloads with security and isolation
• Onboard Edge computing capability for AI/ML, on-board decision making
• Software Defined Radio – supporting S and X band for TT&S and data downlinking
• Full functional TT&C software for satellite and payload operation
• Onboard scheduler, and algorithms for orbit determination and control

Key Specification:

• 6U Small Satellite
• Distributed compute for bus, payload edge and SDR
• 5 payloads: IoT communications, laser communications, machine learning GPU, coarse imager, FPGA
• 3- Axis ADCS for pointing and stability
• Onboard GPS
• Electric Thruster
• S band radio for TT&C
• X band radio for data downlink – 200Mbps
• Smart EPS: 68Wpeak generation, 126Wh capacity
• Deployable Solar Panel
• Onboard Edge Computing for AI/ML operation

Payload Use Cases:

• Laser Communication with direct optical links, with a coarse imager
• IOT payload for VMS, security surveillance
• High efficiency Edge Computer
• High Efficiency OBC with integrated RF
• COTS programmable FPGA
• Quantum Computing- POC
• Object Detection/ML-Ops for VHR Imagery

• AzaadiSAT-2
• Janus-1