Crossing the Threshold
Mission summary
Crossing the Threshold is the first flight of Nova, Apex's mid-sized platform built for proliferated constellations. Nova has been developed in just over 18 months and delivers 300+ kg of payload capacity, 1 kW of orbit average power, and built-in redundancy for the most demanding LEO missions.
In typical Apex fashion, Nova-1 is a self-funded platform testbed, proving out the Nova platform architecture and the vertically integrated tech stack (power, avionics, solar, flight software) that will underpin all future Apex platforms. By flying Nova on our own dime, Apex takes on the technical and financial risk of proving the platform in orbit — validating the product before going to market, like a true product company.
Nova-1 mission success has been divided into three discrete phases, each with a clearly defined set of objectives that will help prove Nova’s readiness as a true constellation workhorse.
MISSION OBJECTIVES
Phase 1: Minimum Viable Product
- Establish communications and confirm power-positivity. Platform is healthy in orbit.
Phase 2: Crossing the Threshold
- Continue platform commissioning. Power on payloads and downlink data.
Phase 3: Fully Operational Space Platform
- Complete platform commissioning. Begin Project Shadow commissioning and mission ops.
Pushing the Limit
- Following Project Shadow, Apex will continue testing the limits of Nova’s performance on orbit.
Keep an eye out for more deployment and commissioning updates on this page and Apex’s social channels soon:
