Technology

Has the small satellite wave crested? Despite many predictions of industry trending to smaller, lighter, cheaper, more standardized, off-the-shelf space segment components, both fixed satellite service (FSS) and mobile satellite service (MSS) operators continue to opt for large, at least partially custom-built, geostationary (GEO) space stations at roughly the same rates as in recent history....

The newly established Florida Space Institute–a partnership between the Spaceport Florida Authority (SFA), several local universities and the NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium–announced this month it won a $500,000 grant from the Defense Department to design a small satellite to test laser communications technologies. Florida universities will build the "Photon" payload with assistance from SFA...