White House Initiative Aims To Boost Private Innovation Of Small Space Satellites

The White House is reportedly planning to promote the use of tiny space satellites with an aim to strengthen the expanding commercial space industry in the US. "Harnessing the Small Satellite Revolution" project will encourage collaboration between government agencies such as NASA and the private sector to look for practical applications for small satellites (smallsats).

As per reports, the smallsats which can weight anything between a few hundred pounds to a few ounces will be a helpful tool for not only planetary scientists, but for monitoring space traffic and providing internet access too. Therefore, the White House is figuring out ways to boost the production of smallsats, apart from finding out how these private spacecraft can be beneficial for the government too.

Consequently, NASA will spend an amount to the tune of $25 million to buy data collected by smallsats belonging to private companies. At present the American Space Agency is in need of data, such as detailed images of the planet's surface, which can facilitate its study of Earth science. Furthermore, the space agency will also shell out an additional $5 to make the smallsats technology even more resilient.

NASA will also create a new institute called Small Spacecraft Virtual Institute (S3VI) within its Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. The establishment will act as the face for the commercial space industry to help private companies, as well as NASA, to comprehend the best ways to create and use smallsats. Additionally, the institute will also plan how to incorporate commercial smallsats in NASA missions.

"This is a strong signal from the administration that it recognizes small satellites are driving a renaissance of commercial space," said Tom Kalil, from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The initiative also goes with the approach of Obama's administration to space, which wants to focus on the use of government resources to propel the growth of the private space industry.