Small Satellites 2021 (Virtual Conference)

Small Satellites Conference 2021
26 – 27 April 2021
Virtual Event: Online Access Only
http://www.small-satellites.com/

SMi Group are …

Hanwha Systems to launch 2,000 LEO communications satellites by 2030

South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Systems is planning to build and deploy a constellation of 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit by 2030 to provide connectivity to urban cargo-delivery drones and passenger airplanes.  

Amazon unveils flat-panel customer terminal for Kuiper constellation

Amazon has tested what it describes as a low-cost flat-panel antenna for use with its Project Kuiper constellation, an innovation that could be essential to the long-term success of satellite broadband.

News Analysis | For SpaceX, Starlink’s big broadband subsidy more symbolic than material 

SpaceX’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase 1 award is big, but the impact on its overall Starlink broadband business will be modest.

Op-ed | The FCC’s space safety order: we all need to mitigate collision risk

What a tragic irony if continued access to space is lost as a consequence of lower launch and spacecraft costs. The U.S. is the global space leader and has more to lose than any other nation from diminished access. That’s why the FCC on April 23 is about to adopt new space safety rules for non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellites that minimize that possibility. The Commission should be applauded for their thorough work and conclusions. 

Can satellite megaconstellations be responsible users of space?

The prospect of thousands — potentially more than 10,000, depending on what systems actually get launched — of satellites in low Earth orbit raises concerns about collisions and the creation of orbital debris that could render such orbits all but useless for any satellite.

Telesat outlines spending plan for Canadian government’s LEO constellation investment 

Telesat plans to use an 85 million Canadian dollar ($64.7 million) investment by the government of Canada on the first dozen satellites of its low Earth orbit broadband constellation. 

OneWeb founder Wyler calls for responsible smallsat operations

The founder of broadband megaconstellation company OneWeb urged the smallsat industry to operate responsibly in orbit, warning that failed satellites and collisions could result in stifling government regulation.

Op-ed | Two more rules for building a megaconstellation

While the concept of constellation is not new, the challenges connected to operating hundreds of spacecraft at the same time are yet to be fully understood.