In 2013, just 210 satellites were launched into space. Fast-forward to 2022 and that number rocketed to 2,470, and with private companies leading the NewSpace revolution, use cases for satellites have grown exponentially too. But as we hurtle head-long into a new era of space exploration, there are voices calling for a unified regime for space sustainability, to protect all our interests and the blue planet below.
So how can technology help? The answer might just lie in the nanosatellite, the tiny giant that we believe has the ability to bring space sustainability down to earth – and here’s why.
Shrinking the solution
One of the biggest concerns around space sustainability is our ability to address the number of man-made materials in earth’s orbit with effective legislation. However, recent innovations have made it possible to miniaturise technology to such an extent that the issue can be cut down to size, literally.
For many years, space has been the preserve of the few, but new technology has led to a ‘great democratisation of space’. With the nanosatellite’s reduced size and complexity making it an easy-to-access launch solution and with reduced timelines from idea to operation – this technology is helping to open up Space to all.
In addition to its compact proportions, nanosatellites’ standards, especially Cubesats, provide common grounds that allow us to build satellites tailored to the exact needs of their mission requirements, reducing overall mass and their environmental impact throughout the lifecycle.
But it doesn’t stop there – the benefits of these tiny giants go beyond sustainability, making them as commercially attractive as they are environmentally. Nanosatellite technology means we can send a greater variety of payloads, on industrialised platforms into space reducing the need for customisation, which in turn helps drive down costs and cuts delays. And with technology like the Expleo Nanosatellite for Solar-irradiance Observation (ENSO) CubeSat, we are opening opportunities for new entrants to take their first step into the market. With a dramatic reduction in cost to launch and a wider range of applications, CubeSats can be used for Space Situational Awareness services (the tracking of objects in orbit and predicting their future positions and associated threats), for climate change monitoring or communication.
We also see evidence of nanosatellites taking us to new heights of interoperability, consider the ExpleoLissa™ for example – an intelligent, adaptable software-defined nanosatellite payload that is capable of in-orbit reconfiguration. It’s designed to be compatible with a 3U CubeSat, which is small enough to be held in the palm of your hand. It has the power to foster greater interoperability thanks to its ability to change mission and application post-launch, which also extends its lifecycle.
Powering up innovation and inviting the world in
To us, at its heart, the NewSpace revolution is about putting the power of space exploration and monitoring in the hands of more people – connecting the possibilities of space with life on Earth.
And we’re set to learn invaluable lessons with the on-going development of the ExpleoLissa™ programme which will help inform new use cases in aerospace, defence, automotive, marine and Smart Cities. For example, a nanosatellite launched into space with the purpose of monitoring wind farms can have its application securely changed while in orbit, be used for pollution monitoring with drones or supporting connected mobility technology.
The technology in the ExpleoLissa™ nanosatellite makes it highly adaptable and capable of managing a wide range of environmental, safety and humanitarian applications – and we’re excited to show the world what ExpleoLissa™ can do. Its ability to change on-board process for complex applications makes it a highly versatile and accessible solution, that can be applied in many contexts.
We’re still learning
This technology is already driving significant interest, but there’s much yet to learn and explore. Just imagine how nanosatellites might benefit marine, for example, to monitor changes in ocean colour or to determine water quality and sediment dynamics. In aerospace, the industry might use the technology to carry out risk assessments around storms and hurricanes, helping to reduce weather-related impacts on customer experience and the bottom line. And in defence, nanosatellites have a range of benefits when paired with drone technology.
It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be part of the NewSpace revolution, to work with customers and partners to explore all the possibilities of this technology – bringing together highly skilled experts, disruptive technologies, and enhanced processes.
Alongside this, we are also excited by the power of nanosatellites to contribute towards space sustainability – both in terms of its own impact on the environment and the missions it’s used on. The nanosatellite might be tiny, but it has giant benefits to offer the world.
Expleo NewSpace engineers are working on delivering an engineering model of ExpleoLissa™, unlock the full potential of this technology here
