Smallsats have gone from concept to reality in an extraordinarily short period of time, and companies racing to deploy constellations are competing on an unprecedented scale. The term “smallsat” can be broadly applied to satellites in the nano, micro, mini, and small satellite classes, broadly defined as satellites weighing less than 500 kg. The most common and talked about are CubeSats, which follow a standardized design of 10x10x10 cm units.
Not long ago, smallsats were primarily the domain of universities and government agencies. Now they are being embraced by the commercial sector as viable tools for Earth observation, communications, and IoT connectivity.
Explore the December 2015 Issue
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The New Satellite Economy
Companies like Planet, Spire, Skybox Imaging (now Terra Bella, owned by Google), and many others have demonstrated that a different kind of satellite company is possible — one that moves fast, builds hardware in-house, and iterates rapidly.
The launch market has responded to this demand with rideshare programs and dedicated smallsat launchers. SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Virgin Orbit are among the launch providers catering to smallsat customers.
Constellations: The New Normal
The biggest news in the smallsat world has been the emergence of massive LEO constellations. OneWeb has proposed a constellation of 648 satellites to provide global internet connectivity. SpaceX’s Starlink program envisions thousands of satellites.VS
