Finding the right access to space for a diversified small satellite demand

摘要

The smallsat market has enjoyed advancement on the manufacturing side of the satellites but access to space remain an issue for customers which experience a launch bottleneck: i.e., the relatively much larger number of smallsats waiting for launch than the number of launches available, largely because they are not a priority next to high-mass, high-value payloads. Currently, smallsat operators are able to deploy with medium to heavy launchers or via piggyback missions where there is a prime customer, frequently arranged by a growing community of launch brokers. Additionally, a new class of small, dedicated smallsat launchers is also emerging, although these solutions are a costlier alternative.