Stellar AerospaceJoin the Team

Chameleon and
Fly-Series Adapters

One rack on Lightning's second stage, rebuilt for each flight. A modular spine holds rideshare satellites around its sides, and a movable top deck, the Upper Stump, carries a larger primary. Every payload connects through the same click-on adapter, so the rack changes shape without new hardware for each customer.

How Your Satellite Flies

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Chameleon

Chameleon is the payload rack on Lightning's second stage. A spine of stacked modules carries satellites around its sides, and we rebuild it for every flight to fit that flight's customers.

Chameleon Payload Rack
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The Fly Adapter

Every rideshare satellite connects to Chameleon through a Fly Adapter: a machined ring with over-center latches, guide shoes that ride the rack's rails, and electrical contact pins. The latches carry the load; the pins carry power and data, so your satellite stays powered and in contact with you on the pad and through launch.

Fly Adapter
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Fitted by Your Team

We ship you the adapter with an integration checklist. Your team bolts it to the satellite, or to a CubeSat dispenser, and adds its published mass to your billed payload mass. The adapter is the only hardware you handle.

Customer Integration
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Dragonfly for Larger Payloads

A primary on the Upper Stump, or a single satellite on the whole vehicle, uses the Dragonfly Adapter: the same design as the Fly Adapter, larger and stronger.

Dragonfly Adapter
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The Cold Gas Layer

Spring ejection is standard. If you book the optional cold gas layer, we fit it to the rack port ourselves, between the rack and your adapter. It leaves the rack with your satellite and handles the first minutes after separation. It is not for station-keeping or changing orbit.

Optional Cold Gas Layer
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Click On

Ship us the satellite with its adapter mounted. At our integration site it slides along the port's rails, the contact pins mate with the port, and the latches swing over center to lock it in place. From then until separation the satellite runs on rack power. Every latch is checked before the fairing closes.

Over-Center Latches
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Logistics Mode

With the full spine, Chameleon carries up to 50 small satellites and/or CubeSat dispensers, up to 2,500 kg in total to Low Earth Orbit.

Logistics Mode
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Hybrid Mode

The Upper Stump deck caps a shorter spine. A primary rides on top on a Dragonfly Adapter, with rideshare satellites below it on Fly Adapters.

Hybrid Mode
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Heavy Mode

With the spine removed, one satellite of up to 2,750 kg rides on a Dragonfly Adapter. The customer buys the whole vehicle and picks the orbit.

Heavy Mode
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Under the Fairing

The hinged fairing closes around the rack for launch and opens in orbit. It stays attached to the stage and comes home with it.

Hinged Fairing
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Release in Order

Separation springs push each satellite off the rack, with no pyrotechnics. Satellites on the sides go first, and the primary on the Upper Stump follows about 60 seconds later. Each adapter leaves with its satellite.

Spring Separation
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Placed and Trimmed

With the cold gas layer, short pulses take over once the springs have done their work. They carry your satellite clear of the stage and the other payloads, settle it into its planned spot in the deployment, and make fine attitude adjustments so your own systems take over from a steady start.

Cold Gas Placement
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Dispensers Do the Rest

A CubeSat dispenser leaves the rack as one unit. Once it is in clear space, it opens and deploys its CubeSats on its own schedule. Flying CubeSats? We can also supply a CubeSat dispenser with the adapter already mounted, so you only ship us your CubeSats.

CubeSat Dispenser

Logistics

The full spine, with up to 50 small satellites and/or CubeSat dispensers mounted around it, each on a Fly Adapter. Up to 2,500 kg in total.

Hybrid

The Upper Stump sits partway up a shorter spine. A primary rides on top on a Dragonfly Adapter, with rideshare satellites below it on Fly Adapters.

Heavy

The spine comes off and one satellite of up to 2,750 kg rides on a Dragonfly Adapter. The customer buys the whole vehicle and picks the orbit.

Fly-Series Adapters

Fly Adapter
The smaller ring, for satellites and CubeSat dispensers mounted on the sides of the rack.
Dragonfly Adapter
A larger, stronger version of the same ring, for payloads on the Upper Stump or on the base in Heavy mode.
Cold Gas Layer
An optional add-on you choose when you book. We fit it ourselves between the rack and your adapter, so you never handle it. It gives the satellite a small push to clear the stage and make fine adjustments. It is not for station-keeping or changing orbit.

The adapter is the only hardware we ship to you. Adapters and the cold gas layer are priced and billed separately from launch, and each leaves with its satellite. Adapter mass counts toward your billed payload mass. Mass and prices are to be published.

From Your Satellite to the Rack

  1. 01

    Order

    Book your flight and order a Fly or Dragonfly Adapter. Add the cold gas layer at booking if you want it.

  2. 02

    Fit

    We ship the adapter with an integration checklist. Your team mounts it on the satellite or CubeSat dispenser.

  3. 03

    Weigh

    Add the published adapter mass to your payload mass. That total is what you are billed for.

  4. 04

    Ship

    Send the satellite, adapter mounted, to our integration site.

  5. 05

    Mount

    We click it onto Chameleon. If you booked the cold gas layer, we fit it between the rack and your adapter first.

A CubeSat dispenser is released as one unit into clear space and deploys its CubeSats on its own schedule. Flying CubeSats? We can also supply a CubeSat dispenser with the Fly Adapter already mounted, so you only ship us your CubeSats. Chameleon is in design and no hardware exists yet. A small-scale version flies on The Guinea Pig and Spark before the full-size rack flies on Lightning.

Price a
Mission

Shared flights are $5,000 per kilogram, from 50 kg up to 2,450 kg per customer. Heavier payloads, single satellites and custom orbits buy the whole vehicle at a flat $13.75 million. Include your adapter in the mass.

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