Common questions.
Procurement, security, integrations, pricing, and the technical questions we hear in every kickoff. If your question isn't here, talk to a specialist.
What does OKAPI:Orbits do?
We provide Space Situational Awareness including Space Traffic Coordination support across the full mission lifecycle, from pre-launch design to end-of-life. Not just for satellite operators but everyone who needs access to real-time insights and analytics.
Who is OKAPI:Orbits built for?
Satellite and constellation operators, mission designers, satellite integrators, manufacturers, defense and government institutions. We also work with insurers and brokers who need defensible, transparent analyses for high-stake decisions.
Does OKAPI:Orbits integrate with our existing systems?
Likely yes. With our API-first approach, our platform seamlessly integrates into your existing system and workflows, rather than requiring you to replace what you already use. Either web-based or on premises. And yes, we also offer a graphical user interface. If you are starting from scratch, we can also support you in building up in-house SSA capabilities from scratch.
Which CDM providers do you integrate with?
All major SSA and conjunction data providers including for example the 18th SDS and EU SST. We're provider-agnostic by design. If you have a contract with a tracking supplier we don't currently support, we'll integrate them within weeks.
What does the API look like?
REST for synchronous calls, screening passes, OD requests, and ephemeris generation, plus a streaming subscription endpoint for close-approach events, OD convergence, and maneuver execution windows. All endpoints are idempotent, paginated, and audit-stamped. Full OpenAPI spec on request.
Where is OKAPI:Orbits based?
In Braunschweig, Germany, globally serving commercial customers and governments.
What compliance frameworks do you support?
More than 20 global space debris regulations, including Zero Debris, NASA ODMSP, the French Space Operations Act and FCC requirements, alongside ESA, IADC, ISO 24113, JAXA and CNES. Available as a self-service SaaS platform or as a consultancy-backed report service, with experienced engineers working alongside your team.
What does collision avoidance cover day to day?
We analyse close approach events from multiple data sources, performs orbit determination, and generates maneuver plans, running continuously across your live missions. It does not monitor maneuver execution.
What data sources do you draw on?
SSA authorities, your own ephemerides, GNSS data, and ground- or space-based observations, combined for a fuller picture than any single source alone.
Can it integrate with our existing ground segment?
Yes, through our API, allowing full automation without disrupting your existing processes.
When in the mission lifecycle should we bring you in?
As early as possible, ideally at the design phase, before launch. The service is built to catch risk and compliance issues before they become expensive to fix, rather than after deployment.
What do you check compliance against?
Debris mitigation and regulatory frameworks including ESA, FCC, IADC, and national requirements, with audit-ready reports generated along the way.
Can you model a full constellation, not just one satellite?
Yes, we support constellation design and analysis, including coverage optimization and satellite failure impact across the fleet.
Can we coordinate with satellites we do not operate ourselves?
Yes. It is a shared environment you use to coordinate directly with the other operator, streamlining collision avoidance decisions between active satellites regardless of who operates them.
What happens if the other operator is not on the platform?
You can invite them. You can send an invitation to any other operator involved in an event, so coordination can start on the platform even if they were not using it before.
Does it make the maneuver decision for us, or support our own decision?
Both are possible. Conjunction analysis plots and dashboards let your team see the geometry, the risk evolution, and the coordination status, so a human can make the call with the full picture. Where you want it automated, the same analysis drives the workflow end to end. Either way, the decision authority is yours to set.
Is flight dynamics available standalone, or only alongside other services?
It is offered as its own service, delivered on retainer or by mission phase.
So what does LEOP support include?
Dedicated tasking of our partner sensor networks to obtain observations of your satellite, timely orbit determination analysis from an on-call team of experts, and around-the-clock specialist staffing from separation through commissioning, for both first-time and experienced operators.
Is LEOP support required if we already run operations with you?
No. LEOP support is a standalone service and works with or without our other services. If you already run operations with us, the benefit is the dedicated observation tasking in the window where public data providers do not yet publish data for a new satellite, and where you may not yet have stable communications, or any communications, with the spacecraft to produce your own ephemerides. LEOP support identifies the satellite by passive methods, so it works even when the spacecraft is not functioning nominally. It is the safety net against losing it.
Can we bring in LEOP support for a single launch, or is it a standing contract?
The service is tailored to the mission. Most engagements to date have covered a single satellite on a single launch, and the same support scales up for multiple spacecraft or a recurring launch programme.
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