Session
Technical Session VI: Small Satellites - Support Systems
Abstract
No analysis of small satellite programs is complete without thorough consideration of the operational concept that will support them. It is not uncommon today that a space system's lifecycle cost will show that operating costs exceeded development and production costs. This is particularly true for programs that hope to reduce spacecraft expense by transferring, to the ground, as much of the on-board processing requirements as operationally feasible. Facility, hardware, software, maintenance, manning, training, communications, on-orbit operations and launch costs all factor into the total operations spending and must be prudently considered.
Consolidated Space Test Center Capability to Support Small Satellites
No analysis of small satellite programs is complete without thorough consideration of the operational concept that will support them. It is not uncommon today that a space system's lifecycle cost will show that operating costs exceeded development and production costs. This is particularly true for programs that hope to reduce spacecraft expense by transferring, to the ground, as much of the on-board processing requirements as operationally feasible. Facility, hardware, software, maintenance, manning, training, communications, on-orbit operations and launch costs all factor into the total operations spending and must be prudently considered.
