Jim Marshall, Business Development Director, Space Dynamics Laboratory

Smallsats, Sensors and Real-Time Decision-Making Data | 20 minutes

Today on the Constellations podcast we will discuss how smallsat technology is being used in innovative ways to solve technical challenges faced by the military, science community, and industry. Find out how custom sensor, software, hardware, and thermal management solutions are making significant contributions to national defense and scientific discoveries. Hear about the programs where this technology is being applied to better understand global temperature changes in the thermosphere, identify the population of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs) and mitigate the adverse effects of space weather. Our guest today is Jim Marshall, Director of the Space Dynamics Laboratory. Jim provides oversight and integration of business development operations for both the Space Dynamics Laboratory and Energy Dynamics Laboratory. He has broad government and industry expertise and is on the frontlines of helping to solve complex issues in space, in air, on ground, and at sea for the government.

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Dr. Pat Patterson, Director of Advanced Concepts, Space Dynamics Laboratory, and Chairman of the Small Satellite Conference

Sputnik, Constellations and the Evolution of the Small Sat Industry | 24 minutes

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.

Transcript