Analysis of the Earth-to-Orbit Launch Market for Nano and Microsatellites

Global interest in nano and microsatellites (< 100kg) is increasing. Many nanosatellites (<10 kg) are used for educational purposes, and within the past few years nanosatellite applications have expanded to on-orbit technology demonstration/experimentation, telecommunications, and earth observation. This paper discusses results from a preliminary market assessment of small satellite launch demand, specifically for 1-50 kg orbital payloads, and suborbital payloads. The authors have developed an international small satellite launch database that provides a comprehensive compilation of satellites less than 500 kilograms (kg) mass launched since 2000. The current database consists of over 270 attempted and successful small satellites launches. The database is broken down by year into various payload categories, and includes detailed development, launch, and orbit information on each satellite. Over the past decade, there has been a general upward growth in small satellites. This trend is particularly evident over the past five years. Further insight is obtained from stratification of this data in terms of market segment (civil, military, etc.) and various other parameters (orbit inclination, country of origin, etc.).