Systems, methods, and apparatus for a virtual transponder utilizing inband commanding are disclosed. A disclosed method comprises transmitting, by a hosted payload (HoP) operation center (HOC), encrypted hosted commands to a hosted receiving antenna. The method further comprises transmitting, by the hosted receiving antenna, the encrypted hosted commands to a payload antenna on a vehicle. Also, the method comprises transmitting, by a host spacecraft operations center (SOC), encrypted host commands to the vehicle. Additionally, the method comprises reconfiguring a payload on the vehicle according to unencrypted host commands and/or unencrypted hosted commands. In addition, the method comprises transmitting, by the payload antenna, payload data to a host receiving antenna and/or hosted receiving antenna. Also, the method comprises transmitting encrypted host telemetry to the host SOC, and transmitting encrypted hosted telemetry to the host SOC. Further, the method comprises transmitting, by the host SOC, the encrypted hosted telemetry to the HOC.