Market Trends of leo satellite Industry
The trend of for better fuel and operational efficiency is expected to positively impact the market
- The success of a satellite mission is highly dependent on the accuracy of measuring its mass properties before the flight and the proper ballasting of the satellite to bring the mass properties within tight limits. Failure to properly control mass properties can result in the satellite tumbling end over end after launch or quickly using up its thruster capacity in an attempt to point in the correct direction. Solar panels must continue to point toward the sun as the satellite orbits the Earth.
- Low earth orbit satellites orbit from 160 to 2000 km above the Earth, take approximately 1.5 hours for a full orbit, and only cover a portion of the Earth’s surface. The mass of a satellite has a significant impact on the launch of the satellite. This is because the heavier the satellite, the more fuel and energy are required to launch it into space. Launching a satellite involves accelerating it to a very high speed, typically around 28,000 km per hour, to place it in orbit around the Earth. The amount of energy required to achieve this speed is proportional to the mass of the satellite.
- As a result, a heavier satellite requires a larger rocket and more fuel to launch it into space. This, in turn, increases the cost of the launch and can also limit the types of launch vehicles that can be used. The major classification types according to mass are large satellites that are more than 1,000 kg. During 2017-2022, 65+ large satellites were launched in the LEO orbit. A medium-sized satellite has a mass of 500 and 1000 kg, and 250+ medium-sized satellites were launched. Satellites with a launch mass of less than 500 kg are small satellites. There are 4000+ small satellites in the LEO orbit.
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Growing demand for earth observation, imaging, and connectivity services is expected to surge the research and development expenditure in LEO satellites category
- Low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit relatively closer to the surface of the Earth. LEO is usually below 1000 km altitude but can be as high as 160 km above Earth. LEO satellites are widely used for communications, military reconnaissance, and other imaging applications. Communications satellites have the advantage of short signal runtimes to LEO. This reduction in propagation delay results in lower latency.
- Most satellites sent into space are in the LEO constellation. One of the major LEO satellite constellations is owned by satellite communications provider Iridium. The competitive rivalry in the LEO orbit globally is high as companies such as Amazon-owned Kuiper Systems want to compete with companies like OneWeb's Starlink to provide broadband connectivity from space. After Federal Communications Commission approval, the company plans to launch its first satellite to be launched in 2023.
- Considering the increase in space-related activities in the Asia-Pacific region, satellite manufacturers are enhancing their satellite production capabilities. The prominent Asia-Pacific countries with robust space infrastructure are China, India, Japan, and South Korea. China National Space Administration announced space exploration priorities for 2021–2025, including enhancing national civil space infrastructure facilities. As a part of this plan, the Chinese government established China Satellite Network Group Co. Ltd to develop a 13,000-satellite constellation for satellite internet. Overall, the trend in R&D expenditure on LEO satellites is an increase, driven by the need for innovation and government funding. This investment is expected to lead to the development of new technologies that will improve the performance and capabilities of LEO satellites.
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