One rationale for miniaturizing satellites is to reduce the cost; heavier satellites require larger rockets with greater thrust that also have greater cost to finance. In contrast, smaller and lighter satellites require smaller and cheaper launch vehicles and can sometimes be launched in multiples. They can also be launched ‘piggyback’, using excess capacity on larger launch vehicles. Miniaturized satellites allow for cheaper designs and ease of mass production.
Another major reason for developing small satellites is the opportunity to enable missions that a larger satellite could not accomplish, such as:
Constellations for low data rate communications
Using formations to gather data from multiple points
In-orbit inspection of larger satellites
University-related research
Testing or qualifying new hardware before using it on a more expensive spacecraft
Small satellites
The term “small satellite”,[2] or sometimes “minisatellite”, often refers to an artificial satellite with a wet mass (including fuel) between 100 and 500 kg (220 and 1,100 lb),[9][10] but in other usage has come to mean any satellite under 500 kg (1,100 lb).[3]
Small satellite examples[according to whom?] include Demeter, Essaim, Parasol, Picard, MICROSCOPE, TARANIS, ELISA, SSOT, SMART-1, Spirale-A and -B, and Starlink satellites.[citation needed]
Small satellite launch vehicle
Although smallsats have traditionally been launched as secondary payloads on larger launch vehicles, a number of companies began development of launch vehicles specifically targeted at the smallsat market. In particular, with larger numbers of smallsats flying, the secondary payload paradigm does not provide the specificity required for many small satellites that have unique orbital and launch-timing requirements.[11]
Some USA-based private companies that at some point in time have launched smallsat launch vehicles commercially:
Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Pegasus (rocket)[12]
Rocket Lab’s Electron (300 kg)[13]
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne (500 kg)[14]
Astra’s Rocket 3.3 (100 kg)[15]
Firefly Aerospace’s Firefly Alpha[16]
