Frequent asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Ground Station Services
We’ve gathered the answers to our clients’ most common questions in one place. If you need further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Can a single ground station operate simultaneously on S-band and X-band?
Yes. Communications can be established simultaneously on S-band and X-band (or Ka-band) to enable concurrent TT&C and payload data exchanges.
How can we reserve satellite passes on your network?
Leaf Space offers multiple ways to schedule passes, depending on your operational needs:
- Scheduler – automatically assigns optimal contact windows across the network.
- On-Demand – browse real-time availability via the Leaf Portal or API, select your slot, and confirm in a few clicks.
- Ahead-of-Schedule – access pass candidates up to 10 days before the standard scheduling cycle and reserve contacts.
- Service Requests – Submit advanced scheduling requirements and the Leaf Line scheduler enforces them automatically.
- First Access – exclusive reservation of one or more ground stations for a customer’s dedicated use, running alongside standard Leaf Line network access.
What does the onboarding process with Leaf Space involve?
A dedicated Mission Manager guides you from contract signature to first pass. You’ll get access to the Leaf Portal, integrate with our APIs and MQTT broker (sandbox included), validate RF compatibility with your onboard radios, and complete licensing — which we handle entirely on your behalf. Once everything checks out, you’re live and fully operational.
The whole process is designed to be fast, guided, and low-effort on your side.
We have two onboarding types: Self-service Onboarding for customers ready to integrate with standard Leaf Line workflows and Assisted onboarding & mission support for customers that need structured coordination, technical alignment or a more customized path to service activation.
What kind of support does Leaf Space provide during LEOP and nominal mission operations?
Leaf Space provides dedicated support throughout the entire mission lifecycle via its online Support Platform.
During LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase), our Mission Management team coordinates a 48-hour, provides immediatecontinuous support window starting from deployment. During this critical phase, the team monitors every pass in real time, verifies signal acquisition and data interfaces feedback after each contact, and can rapidly add or adjust passes as needed. Our globally distributed network maximizes contact opportunities, while rapid TLE handling supports a smooth transition to nominal operations once the official NORAD ID is confirmed.
During nominal mission operations, Leaf Space provides daily on-call support from 08:00 to 20:00 UTC (09:00–21:00 CET), 365 days a year. Throughout this period, our Support Team manages and resolves operational issues, including pass-related incidents and configuration change requests. Each customer is also assigned a dedicated Mission Manager available for escalation of higher-priority matters.
What is the minimum achievable pass latency on your network?
pass latency = time between two passes
That will depend on many factors such as mission profile and geometry. As of Q4 2025 for an SSO mission at 550 km altitude, the average gap between two consecutive contacts is around 15 minutes.
For mid-inclination missions, that average is closer to 13 minutes.
Our network is constantly expanding and all these values are bound to evolve and improve in time.
Is customer documentation available, and where can we access it?
Yes, you can find more information in the reserved area. Once you receive access to Leaf Space’s Support Platform, you’ll also have access to a dedicated section containing all user documentation.
Which communication protocols and schemes are supported by your network?
Leaf Line supports the widest protocol compatibility on the market, with 30+ onboard radios already integrated from leading new space manufacturers. Standard protocols such as CCSDS, DVB-S2, and DVB-S2X are fully supported out of the box.
When your mission requires a custom or proprietary waveform, our in-house Software Defined Radio (SDR) suite allows us to integrate new protocols and modulation schemes within weeks — no hardware changes needed.
Do your ground stations support Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM)?
All our X-band and Ka-band ground stations support ACM.
How does Leaf Space determine the allocation of ground stations to customers?
Since Leaf Space handles both the costs and the administrative process of ground station licensing, it also manages the optimal ground station allocation on behalf of the customer. Our scheduling algorithm automatically assigns passes based on the customer’s required daily capacity (number of passes per day), orbital parameters, radio compatibility, licensing status of each station, and overall network resource availability — ensuring efficient, conflict-free coverage across the entire Leaf Line network.
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