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