Session
Technical Session VII: Spacecraft Systems and Standards
Abstract
In one form or another, small satellites have now been around for fifty years. Serious efforts to commercialize small satellite technology have commenced far more recently. Plans to commercialize small satellite systems started somewhat earlier, however such initiatives did not result in hardware being flown until the early 1990s. At this point, satellite entrepreneurs and engineers have had nearly 20 years to perfect their business plans and system designs. How have they done? Have the businesses that depended upon this technology been profitable? Have the satellite systems been successful in meeting their long and short term requirements? Have they done better than their large space system counterparts? These questions will be examined from the perspectives of 1) advances in technology unique to small space systems, 2) small vs. large system development methodologies, 3) business success in various market applications and 4) the ability of small commercial systems to deal with sometimes “unfair” universal constrains imposed upon all space systems by external sources; some business related. It is important, in prefacing this topic, to review the salient characteristics of “small” satellite systems as many who have not worked in this “subculture” of the space community may be surprised to learn that there is more than mass and power that separate big from small and it is these less obvious differences that are key elements in the ongoing debate between the true value of small vs. large satellite systems. Finally, enough trending has been done by now, and enough attempts have been made in the marketplace to reach some general conclusions in several areas covered by this paper and these observations may possibly be useful in guiding future entrepreneurs as they approach this apparently illusive market sector. Efforts will be made here to summarize those findings. This paper was originally presented at a workshop held at Stanford University, which addressed Emerging Commercial Applications for Small Satellite Technology. That conference was held March 24, 2009. The paper is being updated to add new information and changes in outlook since that time. This is the first official publication of the paper.
Presentation Slides
Can Small Do What Big Does – Only Better? (An Update)
In one form or another, small satellites have now been around for fifty years. Serious efforts to commercialize small satellite technology have commenced far more recently. Plans to commercialize small satellite systems started somewhat earlier, however such initiatives did not result in hardware being flown until the early 1990s. At this point, satellite entrepreneurs and engineers have had nearly 20 years to perfect their business plans and system designs. How have they done? Have the businesses that depended upon this technology been profitable? Have the satellite systems been successful in meeting their long and short term requirements? Have they done better than their large space system counterparts? These questions will be examined from the perspectives of 1) advances in technology unique to small space systems, 2) small vs. large system development methodologies, 3) business success in various market applications and 4) the ability of small commercial systems to deal with sometimes “unfair” universal constrains imposed upon all space systems by external sources; some business related. It is important, in prefacing this topic, to review the salient characteristics of “small” satellite systems as many who have not worked in this “subculture” of the space community may be surprised to learn that there is more than mass and power that separate big from small and it is these less obvious differences that are key elements in the ongoing debate between the true value of small vs. large satellite systems. Finally, enough trending has been done by now, and enough attempts have been made in the marketplace to reach some general conclusions in several areas covered by this paper and these observations may possibly be useful in guiding future entrepreneurs as they approach this apparently illusive market sector. Efforts will be made here to summarize those findings. This paper was originally presented at a workshop held at Stanford University, which addressed Emerging Commercial Applications for Small Satellite Technology. That conference was held March 24, 2009. The paper is being updated to add new information and changes in outlook since that time. This is the first official publication of the paper.
