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510 Small Satellites Set for Launch Over Next Five Years

Government civil and defense agencies to make up the bulk of the need

NASA's Nanosatellite Launch Adapter System was developed to increase access to space while simplifying the integration process of miniature satellites, called nanosats or cubesats, onto launch vehicles.

Nations plan to launch more than 500 small satellites over the next five years, an increase of two-thirds in the number of space-bound platforms when compared with launches over the past decade, according to an international space firm report.

With a decrease in satellite needs by the commercial sector, Euroconsult reports it predicts 75 percent of the 510 small satellites scheduled for launch, which includes nanosats, cubesats, microsats and minisats, will serve government civil and defense agencies, meaning the demand for satellites by governments is expected to outpace the needs of private companies, according to a summary of the report.

Experts estimate the market value of the future 510 small satellites will be $7.4 billion, with includes an anticipated 17 percent market growth, reports Euroconsult, an independent, privately owned space market firm headquartered in France.

The United States is by far the most active country in small satellite deployment, researchers reported, accounting for roughly half of the 620 satellites launched in the past 10 years. Experts forecast the United States will retain the lion’s share of use over the next five years, with Europe coming in second. Russia, China and Japan each launched a similar number of small satellites during the past 10 years, fewer than the United States and Europe. Experts predict those nations will launch fewer in the near future than they had over the past decade.