Weighing around 200 pounds , a LizzieSat can take up to 44 pounds of third-party equipment , like sensors , imaging or IoT ( Internet of Things ) devices . With a production cycle of around 12 months , Sidus founder and CEO Carol Craig says , “ Our tagline , Bringing space down to Earth , isn ’ t just a catchphrase . Our goal is to make space accessible and open to everyone . Just like the internet is ubiquitous , we want to see the same ubiquity in a few years with satellites , satellite data and access to space .”
PHOTO ( LEFT ) BY BILL INGALLS / GETTY IMAGES ; PHOTO ( RIGHT ) REUTERS
A crowded space Earth ’ s airspace is getting busier . Some 5,465 operable satellites orbit the globe , 3,000 of which are operated by U . S . companies . And there ’ s a downside to the proliferation of these little orbiters : space junk . The International Space Station has been threatened by debris several times . In November 2021 , astronauts were ordered to suit up and huddle inside the space station when wreckage from a 26-year-old satellite blasted by .
Meanwhile , more and more satellites crowd the skies . In January 2023 , SpaceX sent 114 satellites into orbit with a single launch .
Space has been something of a free-for-all , with little regulation or oversight on what gets put into orbit and how long it stays there . In the U . S ., the Federal Communications Commission regulates satellites . Until late 2022 , it had only issued a guideline that an orbit must decay within 25 years , at which point the satellite would fall to Earth — wherever . Now , there ’ s a firm rule : Newly launched satellites must be decommissioned or fall to Earth in five years . But where they fall is still unregulated , and the rule doesn ’ t apply to the thousands of devices already hurtling around up there at speeds of 17,000 mph or more .
Satellites are already causing light pollution and interfering with readings from some orbiting sensors . When satellites crash back to Earth , they can release hazardous amounts of alumina into the atmosphere . And chunks falling in populated areas could crush houses or even kill someone . In January , NASA said the possibility of injury from the wreckage of its 5,400-pound ERBS satellite was “ very low ”— but not zero .
This is one of the advantages of nanosats : Because they ’ re so small , they will burn up in the atmosphere before reaching Earth . Also , smaller satellites
Above / Debris from SpaceX Crew-1 was found in a farmer ’ s field near Dalgety , Australia , in 2022 .
equal less mass in space overall , so they ’ re less likely to collide , according to Spark .
In one scenario , space as a service could reduce the total number of satellites needed , because multiple entities could take advantage of a single nanosat . Some Spire customers have logged onto existing satellites already in space through simple software upgrades , eliminating the need to launch a new satellite .
On the other hand , as the value of space becomes more relevant to more organizations , the demand for satellites could outpace the capacities of existing space-as-a-service devices , resulting in more and more little satellites buzzing around the Earth like a swarm of bees .
They say no one knew they needed email until they got it . You can say the same about space . By sharing the capabilities of the satellites already in space , organizations can save money , enable greater innovation and protect our environment both on and above Earth .
Space may not be , as Captain Kirk said , the final frontier . But it ’ s the new frontier — and it ’ s open for business . ■
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