August 2016
High-resolution Earth observation data is changing the character of war
... urban planning. Now, with companies like Urthecast and BlackSky operating and launching hundreds of small satellites, high-resolution satellite images can be purchased for as little as US$100 an image (compared to the thousands of dollars per image...
August 2017
On-orbit assembly will deliver major benefits in coming decade
... in which spacecraft are deployed for a number of important space missions Self-assembly, which involves small satellites with specialised capabilities self-organising to fulfill the objectives of a larger mission, is enabled by advances in formation...
August 2017
Space invaders and the usual suspects - disruptive trends in Earth observation
... internet ‘bubble’, two considerations moderate the relevance of this analogy. First, technology has evolved and new small satellites have improved in terms of performance/cost and performance/size ratios. Some (although not all) technological...
November 2017
Japanese space industrial policy in transition
... the current Japanese space industry because there is too much risk in challenging the NewSpace economy with a small satellite constellation or recycling the first stage of a launch vehicle. Instead, the Vision targets niche technologies and services...
January 2019
Engineering six-hour solar eclipses with formation flying
... in the mid-1990s (within the Technology, Engineering and Quality Directorate) with the aim of developing small satellites dedicated to technology demonstrations. Up to now, three Proba missions have been successfully launched and operated, starting...
March 2021
iPhone moment for the Earth observation industry
... the price of EO data, geopolitical needs or new technological advancement leading to the availability of a new type of data. Small satellite constellations are on the rise, which will produce more data, but it is plausible that the focus will ...
