Big Boeing Targets Small Satellite Market; Not ORS, But Much Faster Than Usual

[unhappycamper]

http://defense.aol.com/2013/04/08/big-boeing-targets-small-satellite-market-not-ors-but-much-fas/

Big Boeing Targets Small Satellite Market; Not ORS, But Much Faster Than Usual
By Colin Clark
Published: April 8, 2013

COLORADO SPRINGS, NATIONAL SPACE SYMPOSIUM: The Boeing Company, better known for building big satellites in clean rooms and charging big prices for them, has spotted what it thinks may be a sweet spot in the satellite market and plans to build prototypes of three small satellites to show the market what it can do.

The "key" reason for building smaller satellites very quickly is to avoid being left behind by Moore's Law, which says that computer processing power doubles every 18 months, Bruce Chesley, director for advanced space and intelligence systems at Boeing said. "It's taking advantage of smaller cheaper components and taking advantage of Boeing's quality control and procedures."

The new satellites will share "a common architecture, flight software and simplified payload integration options" (also known as plug and play). The likeliest types of sensors, said Boeing officials: weather.

Why weather? The Air Force, the Department of Commerce (NOAA), and the rest of the federal government (not to mention Northrop Grumman) completely botched the requirements and design of what were supposed to be the nation's bedrock weather satellites, known as NPOESS. Thus the hunger for smaller, simpler, faster and cheaper weather satellites. Alex Lopez, vice president for advanced network and space systems, said the market over 10 years would be in the billions, but he declined to be more specific. (Eds. note: Corrected Alex's last name. 5:18 pm)

[BlueStreak]

1. FWIW, Moore's law hasn't been in effect for 15 years

The actual rate of technological improvement is much slower than doubling every 18 months. Moore's Law is only true in the early days of a new technology. So maybe it will apply for the first couple of generations of small satellites.