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Rocket Lab
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=== Small satellites driving growth === In conjunction with this growth, there has been a major shift occurring as the industry moves from having a small number of large satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO; 35,800km altitude) to a large number of small satellites in low-earth orbit (LEO, <1,000km altitude). For context, a large satellite typically weighs thousands of kilograms whereas a small satellite could weigh tens to hundreds of kilograms. Bryce Space pegs the average mass of a satellite at 109kg as result of nearly 80% of satellites launched now being small size, defined as being <600kg. Deutsche Bank expects this trend to continue and +90% of new satellites launched will be of the smaller form factor (note: the FCC has filings for >50k LEO small satellites). Why small satellites? The primary motives for using small satellites in LEO are speed, cost and efficiency. * Speed: by being so much lower in orbit, it is faster to transmit data back to Earth (20-30 millisecond latency vs. 600 milliseconds for GEO), and more generally, signals transfer faster through open space than cables, allowing LEO satellites to rival ground-based network speed. * Cost: smaller satellites are cheaper and easier to produce (<$500k vs. $100-200m); in relation, lower orbit environments are easier to accommodate. * Efficiency: it is quicker and more cost effective to launch satellites into LEO; it also easier to deorbit LEO satellites (atmospheric drag pulls a satellite into the atmosphere causing it to burn up).
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