📘 Definition
The satellite bus (or platform) is the core structural and support framework of a satellite, providing all the infrastructure needed for the payload to operate: structural support, electrical power (solar arrays + batteries), thermal control, attitude determination and control, propulsion, command and data handling, and telemetry/communications. Standardised bus designs allow manufacturers to reuse proven hardware across multiple missions, reducing cost and risk. Major bus families include Airbus Eurostar, Boeing 702, Lockheed Martin A2100, and Northrop Grumman GEOStar.
7 (power, thermal, ADCS, ...)
Key Subsystems
Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed
Major Manufacturers
Bus = support; Payload = mission
vs Payload
1U = 10×10×10 cm
CubeSat Standard