What is a SmallSat?
SmallSat is an umbrella term for satellites below a broadly accepted mass threshold of approximately 500 kg. NASA defines smallsats as spacecraft under 180 kg, while the industry uses varying definitions. The category encompasses several sub-classes: femtosatellites (<100 g), picosatellites (<1 kg), nanosatellites (1–10 kg, including CubeSats), microsatellites (10–100 kg), and minisatellites (100–500 kg).
The smallsat market boom
The commercial smallsat market exploded after 2013, driven by lower launch costs (rideshare on SpaceX Falcon 9, ISRO PSLV, Rocket Lab Electron), COTS component availability, and advanced manufacturing techniques. Between 2012 and 2022, over 2,000 commercial smallsats were launched — more than the cumulative total of the previous five decades. SpaceX alone manufactures several Starlink satellites per day at its Redmond facility.
Key applications
SmallSats are the platform of choice for LEO communication constellations (Starlink at ~800 kg per satellite falls at the top end), Earth observation constellations (Planet Labs 3–5 kg Dove satellites), and IoT connectivity (Swarm Technologies 0.25 kg SpaceBEE). Their mass production economics, 5–7 year design lifetimes, and compliance with post-mission disposal requirements (deorbit within 5 years) align well with current regulatory trends.