Increased affordability driving commercial applications
Over the past decade, the size and cost of satellites have decreased dramatically. Thanks to innovations in miniaturized technologies and lower launch costs, small sats under 500 kgs have become a commercially viable option for companies and organizations. Their small size allows them to be deployed in large numbers on a single rocket, opening up new opportunities in earth observation, communications and beyond.
Lowering the barriers to entry
Traditional large satellites cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to design, build and launch. However, smallsats in the range of 1-10 kg can now be built and launched for less than $500,000, making them significantly more affordable for businesses, universities and governments. The reduced size means several small satellites can rideshare on a single rocket, splitting the launch costs. This has lowered the barriers of entry into the space industry considerably.
The low costs have spurred rapid innovation and new ideas. Universities are using Small Satellite for hands-on education and research projects. Startups are developing constellations of smallsats to provide global imaging, communications and internet services. Established aerospace companies are turning to smallsats for agile testing of emerging technologies like material science experiments and propulsion systems. The commercial smallsat is projected to grow from $4 billion in 2020 to over $12 billion by 2027, driven by increasing demand and declining satellite costs.
Enabling new Earth observation applications
One of the most active areas for smallsats is Earth observation. Constellations of small imaging satellites working together provide daily global coverage, enabling applications like land and resource monitoring, disaster response and maritime surveillance. Planet, a San Francisco based company, operates the largest constellation of 150 imaging smallsats, collecting terabytes of aerial imagery daily. Others like BlackSky provide on-demand revisit capabilities using smallsats. The aggregated imagery and revisit rates from these constellations enable new commercial monitoring services for industries like agriculture, insurance and infrastructure.
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