As we learned from our podcasts at the Small Satellite Conference in Utah this August, the growth of small satellites has been fueled by the promise of shorter development cycles, lower cost, new technology, and more frequent access to space. Who better to take us through the evolution of small satellites than Dr. Pat Patterson, Director of Advanced Concepts at Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory and Chairman of the annual AIAA/USU Conference, or the Small Sat Conference.

After referring to the 84 kg Sputnik, launched in 1957 as a “small satellite,” Dr. Patterson discusses the three keys to the growth of the small sat industry: affordability, responsiveness and shorter development cycles. And because the barrier to entry is so much lower for small satellites, more and more small companies begin to come online bringing a lot more competition, which brings a lot more good ideas to the table.