York Space Systems has unveiled its largest satellite to date, the M-Class platform, designed to accommodate payloads weighing up to 1,000 kilograms. The Denver-based company introduced the new platform to meet growing customer demand for greater power and capabilities, particularly for Earth-observation and communications missions.
Michael Lajczok, Chief Technology Officer at York, explained, “The M-Class platform was developed in response to customer demand for more power and capability.” The platform is designed to handle payloads with peak power consumption of up to 8 kilowatts.
The first M-Class satellite will be used for an Earth-observation mission for an undisclosed customer. The new platform marks a significant step forward for York, which initially made its name as a small-satellite specialist. The company's S-Class platform, introduced in 2019, was designed for payloads of 85 kilograms, while the LX-Class, launched in 2021, supports payloads up to 300 kilograms.
The M-Class satellites share approximately 75 percent of the technology found in York's S-Class and LX-Class platforms. While the company has not disclosed the price of the M-Class satellite, it emphasized that the platform is designed to offer similar capabilities to competitors but at half the cost.
York Space Systems is a key player in the Space Development Agency's (SDA) efforts, with contracts from major defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris. York has already delivered satellites for the Space Force's Tranche 0 Transport Layer, demonstrated Link 16 communications from space, and successfully transmitted optical data in orbit through Tesat-Spacecom terminals.
Melanie Preisser, York's General Manager and Executive Vice President, highlighted the company's role in supporting government operations, stating, “York continues to demonstrate how leveraging commercial innovation can effectively support critical government operations. The M-Class is a direct result of this growing synergy, enabling all customers the ability to access powerful, flexible, and efficient solutions for a wide range of applications.