New Space – Professor Dr. Fuat Ince
Six decades after the launch of the first satellite Sputnik in 1957, there has been a paradigm shift in space technologies and space industry. Called “New Space”, the new paradigm is characterized primarily by the emergence of many new space players, mostly startups fueled by venture capital and led by visionaries from universities or those quitting large space companies to pursue their dreams in their own way. New innovative ideas and applications are no longer coming out of big established space companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Aerospatiale, but from startups leading the sector not only in providing for traditional products and services in new improved ways, but also bringing into the market, a range of new niche applications,
The emergence of New Space can be attributed to two major developments. On the political side the collapse of the Soviet Union contributed to the relaxation of restrictions on technological know-how and availability of commercial parts and systems which were previously subject to bans or special permissions. On the technological side, continuing chip integration, miniaturization of electronics and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), leading to the emergence and easy availability of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) products, as well as lean design and development techniques including software for design and operation, all provided the necessary infrastructure for the establishment of numerous new startups, to serve existing and newly created needs in space. This trend was actually foretold in the 1990s by a then visionary Rick Fleeter, through the motte “smaller, cheaper, better”. But it took a decade or two for his predictions to materialize in the market place.
The proliferation of the startups accelerated especially in the second decade of the millennium, closely followed by the positive feedback effect of the supply sector comprised of electronics, software and subsystems, all as COTS, such as in communications and materials, available at short notice and very reasonable prices. Satellite design and production times came down from years to months, costs were reduced by factors of five or ten, and sizes reduced by similar factors, prompting a new size classification as shown below.
Classification of Satellites by size
1000 Kg < Large Satellite
1000 Kg > Small Satellite > 500 Kg
500 Kg > Mini Satellite > 100 Kg
100 Kg > Micro Satellite > 10 Kg
10 Kg > Nano Satellite > 1 Kg
1 Kg > Pico Satellite > 0.1 Kg
0,1 Kg > Fempto Satellite
The most significant and concrete development in the downsizing trend was the “cubesat” idea, proposed and defined as a size standard in 1999 by Bob Twiggs of Stanford University and Jorgi Puig-Suari from Cal Poly. A standard cubesat was defined as a cube with 10 cm on each side and a maximum mass of 1 Kg. This so called 1U could be doubled to 2U (20 cm X 10 cm X 10 cm) or tripled to 3U (30 cm X 10 cm X 10 cm), which has now grown to 12U and more. The purpose behind the Cubesat standard was to promote education and learning in a university environment with quick design and production turn around, not possible with large satellites. The standard was quickly and favorably received and applied by a number of universities in their satellite projects in US, Japan and later many other countries including Turkey and even two high schools in the US. Furthermore, the cubesat idea quickly caught on within the larger space community leading to the production and availability of many standard cubesat components and subsystems, such as for communication, navigation, image acquisition etc. The current number of cubesats can easily said to be in the hundreds.
Micro and nano satellites have brought about new uses of satellites in Earth observation and communication which were previously hard to imagine. Image resolution around one meter or so, used to require satellites in the several hundred Kg range. Whereas now 6U to 12U cubesats have been delivering 2-3 meter resolutions, in addition to providing revisit times in hours instead of days, thanks to constellations of hundred or more satellites in LEO (Low Earth Orbit). Global internet service is being provided by SpaceX with its thousands of starlink satellites again in LEO. Other companies are eagerly working to join the bandwagon, including direct phone to satellite connection.
The awareness of the need to provide affordable and timely launch services to the multitude of mini, micro and nano satellites prompted the emergence of two new developments. Many (at least 30 or so) small satellite launch companies were established. However the fierce race to be early in the market, resulted in only a handful of rocket startups to remain, a notable success being Rocket Lab, established by young entrepreneurs from New Zeeland. The other development is the concept of “ride share”, with many (tens) of satellites going to orbit in one rocket sharing the cost. Ride share is now widely practiced across the industry.
New Space has presented new and unprecedented opportunities for universities, small companies and countries alike, to step into the space age and develop their indigenous capability in space technologies. A few universities and companies have shown an understanding of this fact in Turkey striving to create technology progress, unfortunately not so on the part of the government.
Recommended Reading: One web site, A journal and an article are given below.
https://www.spacedaily.com
New Space | Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers
İNCE F., “Nano and Micro Satellites as the Pillar of the “New Space” Paradigm”, Journal of
Aeronautics and Space Technologies, Vol 13, No 2, pp 207-221, July 2020.
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