Is space-as-a-service a viable option for the DoD?

摘要

Does it make sense for the Pentagon to spend billions of dollars buying and maintaining satellites when there are now private companies that can provide space-based capabilities as a service? That's the question at the heart of an ongoing debate about the role of private space enterprise in national security. Lower launch costs and advances in small satellites have fueled growth in space-as-a-service, a business model where customers can buy access to data or broadband from satellites without having to invest in spacecraft or launch vehicles.