There's Nothing "Small" About Small Satellite Constellation Spectrum Use — Need for Good Planning in Crowded Skys

Small Satellites are bringing new capabilities to earth observation and remote sensing. Their small size is usually accompanied by cost savings that make large constellations of small satellites viable. But often there is usually nothing “small” about the spectrum usage when compared to bigger satellites with a similar mission. Spectrum is scarce and many bands already contain civil satellites built and operated by multiple administrations for which small satellites may have to compete. In designing a small sat, developing a business plan, soliciting funds and building a customer base – doing necessary due diligence and radio frequency coordination to enable interference-free spectrum use often isn’t well understood. This presentation illustrates some of the current systems and discusses spectrum considerations.