Industrialization of satellites

The use of space by satellites has so far focused on scientific, communicative and military aspects. This will change massively in the future. Whole swarms of small satellites are to orbit the globe and supply mankind with Internet from orbit.

The use of space by satellites has so far focused on scientific, communicative and military aspects. This will change massively in the future. Whole swarms of small satellites are to orbit the globe and supply mankind with Internet from orbit.

On 4 October 1957, the Soviets launched the first artificial earth satellite from the Baikonur spaceport with a modified R-7 intercontinental rocket: the Sputnik 1. The space pioneer was just 83.6 kg light. His transmitter had a power of 1 watt. And yet this Sputnik 1 led to a veritable Sputnik shock. His unforgettable beeping panicked the West. Khrushchev had won the race into space.

With this first satellite, the communication, weather and spy satellites we are now familiar with have little in common. These are mostly high-tech monsters weighing tons, the production of which costs a fortune. And that's not all. The satellite wants to be brought into orbit. For this it needs a launcher. And they are (still) really expensive! The prices of the established model families Ariane, Atlas or Soyuz vary between 60 and 170 million US dollars for the payload versions. Converted this results in a kilo price of between 4000 and 8000 US dollars. The costs depend enormously on the mass of the satellite, the desired orbital height and the choice of launch vehicle.