Satellite manufacturers at SATELLITE 2023 said the multi-orbit future represents an “age of opportunity.” Lockheed Martin’s Johnathon Caldwell highlighted how VC arm Lockheed Martin Ventures — investing in AI/ML and other technologies — strengthens their offering: “By investing in many partners, it gives us greater strength to meet the mission outcome for customers.”
Thales Alenia Space CEO Hervé Derrey pointed to the fully software-based Iridium NEXT constellation as a model: “Software is allowing the system to evolve the course of its lifetime.”
Explore the Show Daily 2023 Wrap Up Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.
Northrop Grumman’s Cyrus Dhalla said the shift to small satellites is established: “It is happening. It is now well established the move to small. It is now well-established in the product chain. We are not on the verge of it anymore.”
Airbus’ Jean Marc Nasr said standardization is the key to profitability with small satellites: “The profit is better in this market than GEO satellites for Airbus. Standardization enables this. Most of our profits are now coming from constellations.”
Nasr ended with a warning: by decade’s end there could be 50,000 satellites in orbit, and the industry must “keep the playground safe” for everyone. VS
