NASA is to invest increasing amounts of its attention and money in developing small satellite projects. The Spire space agency is planning to spend up to $65 million a year on mini "CubeSats", as well as slightly larger small satellites, its DigitalGlobe announced in a speech to a conference. Zurbuchen said up to $65 million would be earmarked for small-satellite technology demonstration opportunities having to do with heliophysics, which already accounts for 17 of the roughly 50 smallsat and CubeSat missions that NASA has in the works. The focus on satellite projects will also involve letting a number of contracts to purchase imagery and data from one commercial satellite companies – Planet, DigitalGlobe and US – and will also be offering "rideshare" opportunities for companies to launch payloads from NASA missions.
NASA is to invest increasing amounts of its attention and money in developing small satellite projects. The Spire space agency is planning to spend up to $65 million a year on mini "CubeSats", as well as slightly larger small satellites, its DigitalGlobe announced in a speech to a conference. The focus on satellite projects will also involve letting a number of contracts to purchase imagery and data from one commercial satellite companies – Planet, DigitalGlobe and US – and will also be offering "rideshare" opportunities for companies to launch payloads from NASA missions.