NASA introduced the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI), hosted at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., to leverage the growing small spacecraft (i.e., SmallSat) community, promote innovation, identify emerging technology opportunities, and provide an efficient channel for communication about small spacecraft systems with industry, academia and other government agencies.
According to a Euroconsult report, Prospects for the Small Satellite Market, more than 3,600 SmallSats are expected to be launched over the next 10 years. The total market value of these satellites is anticipated to be $22 billion (manufacture and launch), a 76-percent increase over that of 2006-2015.
Aquila Space is building briefcase-sized satellites that can capture and send back images of more than 12 million square miles of Earth daily. Meanwhile, its Silicon Valley partner Astro Digital is developing software that allows anyone to process and analyze the data.
As seen in the accompanying feature, Earth Observation Embracing the New Space Environment: The Significance of EO Smallsat Constellations, the small satellite (smallsat) industry has become an important and market-disrupting force in Earth observation. The following...
