Since the launch of UoSat-1 of the University of Surrey (United Kingdom)
in 1981, small satellites proved regularly to be useful, beneficial, and
cost-effective tools. Typical tasks cover education and workforce
development, technology demonstration, verification and validation,
scientific and engineering research as well as commercial applications.
Today the launch masses range over almost three orders of magnitude
starting at less than a kilogram up to a few hundred kilograms, with
budgets of less than US$ 100.00 and up to millions within very short
timeframes of sometimes less than two years. Therefore each category of
small satellites provides specific challenges in design, development and
operations.
Small satellites offer great potentials to gain responsive, low-cost
access to space within a short timeframe for institutions, companies,
regions and countries beyond the traditional big players in the space
arena. For these reasons (particularly the low cost of construction,
launch and operation), small (micro, cube or nano) satellites are being
preferred by students and educational institutions, amateur radio
operators, small and developing countries, international aid agencies
and most recently by defense agencies and satellite operators who are
examining deployment of constellation clusters instead of conventional
application satellites. In some cases these new capabilities are being
deployed as hosted payloads on larger satellites. The advent of hosted
payloads as a significant part of the satellite industry represents a
key new topic that this book will address.
The number of small satellites-of various types--is increasing fast as
their benefits are being realized. This short and unique
interdisciplinary book, covering both technical and regulatory aspects,
examines all the different types of applications and reasons for small
as well as exploring technical and operational innovations that are
being introduced. It also examines the new technical standards, removal
techniques or other methods that might help to address current problems
and the regulatory issues and procedures to ameliorate problems
associated with small satellites, especially mounting levels of orbital
debris and noncompliance with radio frequency and national licensing
requirements, liabilities, export controls and so on.
