Pod

Pod is a pre-certified payload container, providing certification-less space access for customers performing microgravity research and manufacturing. Through fault-isolation, the pressurized containers isolate payloads from stringent regulatory and testing requirements, enabling our customers to ship 10x cheaper and 5x faster.

Pods range from 10x10x2.5 cm3 to 20x20x20 cm3 in volume, and come equipped with standardized interfaces, as well as temperature control. They are hosted aboard Tumbleweed’s Oasis platform, acting as the payloads’ home in space, as well as safely returning them back to Earth.

Objectives and Mission

Tumbleweed’s service makes microgravity radically accessible for anyone looking to conduct research or manufacturing in orbit, from academic institutions to corporate R&D teams and industrial players. All of our customers across advanced materials, biotech and pharma are first-time space users, the majority of which harness our service with their pre-existing supply chains.
By being certification-less, our service enables fast, repeatable, and scalable access to microgravity by removing the need for specialized aerospace expertise, complex certification processes, and long development timelines.
This is needed because, despite its transformative potential, microgravity remains largely inaccessible due to cost, bureaucracy, and technical barriers, preventing industries from leveraging it as a practical environment for innovation and production.

Significant Achievements

Sold-Out First Mission (Oasis Alpha) – Tumbleweed’s inaugural mission, Oasis Alpha, scheduled for launch in 2026, was fully booked within months of customer outreach. Going from first customer contact to integration in a matter of 3 months, the mission hosts four payloads across biotechnology, life sciences, digital twin computing, materials science, and in-space manufacturing. Notably, all customers are first-time space users, demonstrating that the service successfully lowers entry barriers.

Relevant documents

Gallery

Get in Touch

Johanna Sturm – fly@team-tumbleweed.com