Software Missions

Orbital Software
Rideshare Mission

Gain flight heritage and on-orbit validation for software and compute technologies

Blackwing Space is preparing an orbital software demonstration mission for startups, commercial technology companies, research organizations, and other teams developing software, AI, autonomy, edge compute, and related space applications.

The mission will host multiple independent software payloads aboard a Blackwing Sparrow nanosatellite equipped with the Blackwing Space CM5 Payload Module, powered by the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5). Parsimoni SpaceOS will provide the primary payload application environment for software integration, deployment, management, and execution in orbit. Targeted for launch to low Earth orbit in Q3 2027, the mission is intended to provide a low-cost, structured path to flight heritage without requiring each participant to develop and operate a complete satellite mission.

Reserve a Slot Discuss the Mission FAQ
Blackwing Space CM5 Payload Module
Blackwing Space
Sparrow 2U
Host Platform
Raspberry Pi
CM5
Compute Hardware
NET
Q3 2027
Target Launch Period

Mission Overview

A Practical Path to Software Flight Heritage

Software and compute technologies can be developed and extensively tested on the ground, but many applications ultimately require validation in the operational space environment. Obtaining that flight heritage remains expensive and operationally complex, particularly for early-stage companies and technology teams that do not require an entire satellite.

Blackwing Space's orbital software rideshare mission addresses this gap by hosting multiple independent software workloads on a single mission. Participants receive a defined pathway from ground development and technical qualification through flight integration, scheduled on-orbit execution, and delivery of agreed mission data and evidence of execution.

Intended Technologies

Edge AI and machine-learning inference:
Model execution and validation on flight compute.

Autonomous satellite applications:
Onboard autonomy operating against live satellite systems.

Earth-observation and sensor-data processing:
Onboard processing of mission data streams.

Data compression and reduction:
Reducing downlink demand ahead of transmission.

Cybersecurity and cryptographic applications:
Encryption, signing, and security experiments in orbit.

Middleware and orchestration:
Scheduling and application-management technologies.

Fault detection and management:
Onboard health monitoring and fault-response software.

Software-defined sensor processing:
Data fusion and analytics using approved mission sensors.

Application frameworks and developer infrastructure:
Tooling, observability, and remote configuration technologies.

Mission Architecture

Satellite, Compute, and Software Environment

Customer software executes in a familiar ARM-based commercial computing environment, hosted on a Blackwing Space nanosatellite and managed through a purpose-built orbital application environment provided by Parsimoni.

Blackwing Space Sparrow

Host Platform

The Sparrow nanosatellite platform provides power, communications, command and telemetry, and hosting for the onboard CM5 compute payload. Blackwing Space manages satellite integration, regulatory licensing, launch integration, and on-orbit operations.

CM5 Payload Module

Onboard Compute Hardware

Customer software executes on the Blackwing Space CM5 Payload Module, an onboard compute payload based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5. The CM5 operates as a scheduled, duty-cycled compute resource within the nanosatellite's available power, thermal, communications, and operational constraints.

Parsimoni SpaceOS

Application Environment

SpaceOS serves as the primary payload software deployment and application-management environment, providing secure isolation and management of multiple independent customer workloads. Alternative deployment approaches may be considered where required and approved during qualification. Read the partnership press release.

On-Orbit Environment

Execution Against Real Satellite Systems

The objective is to provide participants with an operational environment in which software can be executed against satellite systems data generated during actual on-orbit conditions. Approved workloads may receive access to mission data including:

  • Satellite platform power, thermal, and system health telemetry data
  • Onboard sensor data from an Earth imaging system (to be confirmed)
  • GNSS-derived satellite position and velocity vectors
  • Filtered attitude quaternions and body rates

Final compute allocations, execution windows, storage, communications capacity, API permissions, and available sensor data will be established during technical qualification and mission integration.

Participation

What Participation Includes

Each accepted software payload receives a defined mission allocation and integration pathway that includes:

  • Technical qualification and compatibility review
  • Access to the SpaceOS development workflow
  • Defined compute, memory, storage, runtime, and data allocations
  • Flight acceptance review
  • Scheduled on-orbit deployment and execution
  • Access to approved satellite telemetry and mission data
  • Delivery of agreed workload logs, outputs, and evidence of execution
  • Mission operations support
  • Agreed rights to reference participation and resulting flight heritage

Mission Schedule

Program Milestones

  • Q3–Q4 2026
    Reservations and Technical Qualification

    Application review, confirmation of technical fit, and reservation of mission slots.

  • Q4 2026 – Q1 2027
    Customer Development and Onboarding

    Development workflow, defined allocations, software packaging and testing.

  • Q1–Q2 2027
    Software Integration and Flight Acceptance

    Compatibility, security, and mission-readiness reviews; flight software versions frozen.

  • NET Q3 2027
    Target Launch Period

    Satellite integration, launch processing, and launch campaign activities.

  • Q3–Q4 2027
    Commissioning and On-Orbit Software Operations

    Workload deployment, execution of run plans, downlink of results, and mission closeout with agreed data and reports.

Schedule subject to change. Mission schedule remains subject to launch provider readiness, satellite integration, regulatory requirements, and mission readiness.

Reservation and Qualification

Securing a Mission Slot

Reservation

Participation begins with a $5,000 refundable reservation, which initiates technical qualification. The reservation remains refundable until technical acceptance and execution of the definitive payload agreement, at which point it is applied toward the mission price.

Technical Qualification

Blackwing Space and Parsimoni review the proposed workload, resource requirements, software architecture, data requirements, security considerations, and mission objectives to determine compatibility with the mission.

Integration and Flight

Accepted payloads proceed through onboarding, integration, and flight acceptance to scheduled on-orbit execution, with delivery of agreed mission data and evidence of execution.

The mission will accommodate a limited number of software payloads.

Reserve a Slot Discuss Your Workload

Mission Partners

Partners and Responsibilities

Blackwing Space: Satellite Provider and Mission Operator

Blackwing Space provides the Sparrow nanosatellite platform, CM5 compute payload, satellite integration, launch services, mission licensing, ground systems, and mission operations services.

Parsimoni: Mission Software Integrator

Parsimoni is the provider of SpaceOS and supports the customer software development workflow, workload onboarding, integration, deployment, and application management.

Build a CubeSat: Hardware Partner

The Blackwing Space CM5 Payload Module is developed in partnership with Build a CubeSat and released as open-source hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mission FAQ

Common questions from prospective mission participants.
For more detail, read the full Raspberry Pi CM5 mission FAQ or email the mission team.

It is a shared orbital software rideshare aboard a Blackwing Sparrow nanosatellite. Multiple independent software payloads run on Blackwing's Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5) payload, with Parsimoni SpaceOS as the primary deployment and application-management environment. Blackwing provides the spacecraft, launch integration, licensing, ground systems, and mission operations.

The mission is intended for startups, commercial technology companies, research organizations, and university teams seeking flight heritage or on-orbit validation for software, AI, autonomy, edge computing, data processing, cybersecurity, middleware, fault detection, or software-defined sensor applications.

The target is no earlier than Q3 2027 on a commercial rideshare mission. Commissioning and software operations are planned for Q3–Q4 2027. The schedule is subject to launch-provider readiness, satellite integration, regulatory requirements, and mission readiness.

The standard hosted-software slot is $20,000:

  • $5,000 refundable reservation to begin technical qualification
  • $5,000 at flight integration
  • $5,000 at launch
  • $5,000 at on-orbit execution

The milestone timing is subject to the definitive payload agreement and mission schedule.

Yes. The $5,000 reservation remains refundable until both technical acceptance and execution of the definitive payload agreement. Once accepted, it is applied to the mission price. If software cannot be made flight-ready for this mission, applying the reservation to a future mission may be considered under the mission terms.

To reserve a spot, complete the mission agreement and submit your initial deposit through our mission reservation page. Once both are received, your payload slot will be confirmed and the Blackwing Space team will begin the technical onboarding and integration process.

  • Technical qualification and compatibility review
  • Access to the SpaceOS development workflow
  • Defined compute, memory, storage, runtime, and data allocations
  • Flight acceptance review
  • Scheduled on-orbit deployment and execution
  • Access to approved telemetry and mission data
  • Agreed workload logs, outputs, and evidence of execution
  • Mission operations support
  • Agreed rights to reference participation and resulting flight heritage

The flight baseline is a Raspberry Pi CM5: a 2.4 GHz quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 system with configurations up to 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64 GB eMMC. It is a scheduled, duty-cycled compute resource operating within spacecraft power, thermal, communications, and operational limits. Wireless is disabled on orbit.

Read the Full CM5 Mission FAQ

Software Payload Reservations

Now Accepting Reservations

Blackwing Space is currently accepting applications and reservations for the Q3 2027 orbital software rideshare mission. Organizations developing software, AI, autonomy, edge compute, or other software-defined space technologies are invited to review technical requirements and determine mission compatibility with the mission team.

Reserve a Slot Discuss the Mission