Small Satellites
At a consistent $12,000 to $22,000 per kilogram, it’s not getting any cheaper to send satellites into space, so researchers are trying to figure out how to make them lighter. One extreme solution: hockey-puck-sized satellites. At defense research center Aerospace in El Segundo, CA, engineers are creating early prototypes in which propellant tanks, thruster nozzles, and other key components are laser-carved from a special type of glass. Other necessities such as metal valves, tiny microelectromechanical gyroscopes, guidance electronics, cameras, and other sensors are bonded to the structure. Led by aerospace scientists Siegfried Janson and Henry Halvajian, the team is testing the devices’ maneuverability on a platform similar to an air-hockey table; if the tests go well, the small satellites could ride into space on the sides of other, larger satellites within four years. Once in space, they would be deployed as needed to send back pictures of their host satellites’ condition. Eventually, Janson says, fleets of these satellites could replace some of today’s hefty sensing and communications satellites.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.