Smallsats on the Rise, Space Quarterly Magazine
“In the last decade, and especially in just the last few years, the pendulum has started to swing back to smaller satellites, at least for some applications. Advances in electronics and the miniaturization of other spacecraft components now make it possible for smaller satellites–weighing from a few hundred kilograms down to as little as a few kilograms–to perform missions that previously required much heavier spacecraft. While there are many applications that will still require large spacecraft, smallsats are carving out a growing share of the market among users in universities, governments, and industry.”
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Marc Boucher is an entrepreneur, writer, editor, podcaster and publisher who has worked in space media for more than 25 years. In 1999 he co-founded SpaceRef with Keith Cowing. The new media company grew into a network that included NASA Watch and The Astrobiology Web. After selling SpaceRef, he joined Multiverse Media, which later merged with SpaceNews. There he helped steer the combined company toward more multimedia, a subscription paywall and intelligence products, and pushed for a mobile app. He is also the founder of SpaceQ Media, Canada’s space news and market intelligence publication.

Marc started his first Internet content business in 1992 and hasn’t looked back. When he’s not working, he loves exploring Canada and the world and expanding his photography skills.

5 replies on “Smallsats on the Rise”

  1. I’m a big fan of smallsats, but the cynic in my remembers EXACTLY the same article from the late 1980s.  Does anyone remember the smallsat conference at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1987?  The smallsat hype when Pegasus first flew in 1990?  Pardon my skepticism, but the market didn’t develop then, so what’s different now?

  2. Smallsats are great for education but limited in ability to do real commercial or scientific applications. 

    1. There are many people including commercial ventures and researchers who would completely disagree with you.

  3. It’s a bit disappointing this article didn’t mention that the big boys are starting to work on small sats too.  Why no mention of the various recent small sats for NASA and the DoD by companies like ATK, Orbital Science & Boeing?  What about the TacSat series?  What about Boeing’s 3U cubesats; the first of which were delivered _TODAY_?http://www.4-traders.com/TH…

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