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1 1 (December 9, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/goveasq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: lCongressional Research Service December 9, 2019 Small Satellite Boom Threatens Congestion in Space Regulators and policymakers are struggling to keep pace with small satellites, spacecraft the size of shoe boxes that are displacing school bus-sized satellites for many purposes. Smallsats, as they are known, occupy low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of between about 310 and 1,200 miles above Earth's surface. Many currently in orbit are about 10 centimeters wide and weigh less than 3 pounds. They have been used in government operations, but commercial companies are increasingly building and deploying them for communications, broadband internet, remote sensing, and Earth observation missions. Smallsats are launched in clusters called constellations that provide coverage and connectivity to greater areas of Earth than a single satellite can. The 328 smallsats launched in 2018-twice the average number launched annually from 2013 to 2017-accounted for 69% of all satellites launched that year. Some market forecasts project that by 2030, the number of smallsats in orbit will multiply exponentially. This trend is largely attributable to advances in microelectronics, shorter development and manufacturing cycles, and lower launch costs. Federal and international regulators have received applications to launch commercial smallsats to LEO by the thousands over the next five years. With more than 1,300 satellites already orbiting there, including the International Space Station (ISS) with humans onboard, congestion is growing, creating potential problems with orbital debris, collision avoidance, and allocation of limited radio frequencies needed for command and control. Market for Miniaturization The first satellite launched in 1957 by the Soviet Union- Sputnik-weighed less than 200 pounds, which would qualify it as a smallsat as defined by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Its functions, however, were limited to rudimentary radio transmissions. Most satellites launched in recent decades provide communications transmissions and are far larger. For example, many communications satellites operated by Intelsat weigh almost 14,000 pounds and are more than 100 feet long. These satellites typically cost several million dollars each to build and even more to launch, both because of their size and the need to put them into higher orbits. Many smallsats cost a few thousand dollars and can rideshare on a rocket with other satellites. During the past 10 years, miniaturization of electronics, optics, and sensors has made much smaller satellites technically feasible, stimulating venture capital and defense industry investments in smallsat companies to meet growing demand for data processing, global connectivity, and remote sensing services used for imagery and weather analysis. In 2018, Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin all invested in U.S. startups focused on smallsat development. National security applications have helped secure U.S. government funding for many smallsat design and manufacturing companies, which has enabled them to establish themselves financially and demonstrate their products while seeking to develop business with potential commercial customers. The ISS has been an important test bed for development of smallsats, especially cubesats. Cubesats measure a standard 4 inches on each side and are modular for easy scalability depending on mission. Companies began sending prototype commercial cubesat constellations to the ISS in 2012. Test cubesats can rideshare to the ISS aboard resupply missions for a fraction of the cost of an individual rocket launch. From there, robotic arms and special equipment aboard the ISS can eject the satellites into orbit. Between 2013 and 2017, the ISS deployed 725 cubesats, allowing many smallsat manufacturers to demonstrate their on-orbit capabilities to investors. Figure I. Cubesat Constructed from Smartphone Parts Source: NASA Ames Research Center. Crowded Space Greater use of smallsats promises to add to communications problems and to increase the risk of collisions in space. In October 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requested the International Telecommunications Union, the international organization that coordinates global radio frequency use, to approve spectrum for 30,000 satellites on behalf of Starlink, a program of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). SpaceX has already received a license to operate a constellation of 12,000 Starlink satellites in LEO to provide internet services. Amazon is also planning a constellation in LEO with more than 3,000 small satellites for high-speed internet service. OneWeb, a company founded in Virginia but headquartered in the United Kingdom, is planning a constellation of at least 650 smallsats that are expected to provide high-speed internet to remote areas like the Arctic. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is planning a 320- satellite constellation in LEO, also for internet coverage, by https://crsreports.cong ress.go'

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