Nanosatellites

30 III-3aEconomy of Small Satellites

Richard Joye

KCHK—Key Capital Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong

30.1 Introduction

The increasing role played by small satellites¹ is fueling the growth of the overall economy of the space industry. Small satellites are at the center of major themes attracting interest and funding: affordable access to space, low-cost broadband communication, asteroid mining, mission to Mars, life in space, and other future trends.² Small satellites enable the emergence of new players in the space value chain, allowing private, usually small companies to play a greater role alongside traditional industrial conglomerates.

The different segments of the space value chain are however not equally being disrupted by the economy of small satellites, and the economic impact significantly differs among actors of the space industry.

In this chapter, a closer look at the space industry framework will be taken to understand how the different segments benefit from the growing importance of small satellites and what the real, tangible economic impact is.

30.2 Rethinking the Value Chain

Nanosatellites, microsatellites, and small satellites unarguably altogether represent a central element of the NewSpace value chain. They are the trigger for change, enabling existing actors to evolve and new entrants to propose innovative products and services to play a role in this growing market, representing a multibillion-dollar opportunity.

The space industry value chain has been and ...