The payload

Franklin-1

Franklin-1 is a dedicated microgravity payload for protein crystallization, designed to fly on commercial small satellites. Pathfinder is unbuilt and funding-gated. Sealed process work, crystallization, and optical process data. Higher-cadence runs: more conditions, more replicates. Results come home as prioritized science data.

Atom One is building Franklin-1 so teams can buy mission execution and scientific data. Partners fly the bus.

Franklin-1 is designed to fly on a partner smallsat. Packing depends on the host. Pathfinder is unbuilt and funding-gated.

Conceptual Image — Franklin 1 on partner CubeSats. 6U class 2–4 cartridges, 12U six, 16U eight.

Conceptual — Franklin-1 on a partner smallsat. Packing depends on the host. Not flight hardware.

Conceptual Image — closed Franklin 1 cartridge. Not flight hardware.

Conceptual Image

Controlled process environment

Isolated reservoirs, precision injection, ultrasonic mixing, and active thermal control so the run starts clean and stays in window.

On-orbit observation

Optical and sensor monitoring on a cadence you specify. The chamber is watched for the length of the experiment.

Edge AI, data-first

Radiation-tolerant edge AI sequences the experiment and prioritizes the most valuable science packets for downlink. You receive science data packages at a cadence that lets R&D move faster.

Data-only results

Crystallization runs complete on orbit. Results come home as data.

Parallel capacity

Multiple Franklin-1 units can fly on a partner CubeSat so independent crystallization conditions run side by side.

Franklin-1 is a data-only protein-crystallization payload: lower cost, higher cadence, dedicated capacity for process questions answered with on-orbit data.

Pathfinder targeted for 2027, partner- and funding-gated.