Small satellites will bring about a revolution in the world and a network of space-borne sensors will lead towards ‘Internet of satellites’ in the future paving the way for Internet of Space Things (IoSTs), said DRDO Chairman and also Secretary of Department of Defence R&D G. Satheesh Reddy on Thursday.
“Small satellites are a disruptive technology for space industries and modest facilities needed to design and build them have given a boost to the innovative start-ups,” he said, addressing an international conference on small satellites and systems at the Research Centre Imarat (RCI). Dr. Reddy said advancements in technologies like propulsion, electronics, structures, and payloads have helped reduce the size, cost, and weight of satellites but there was a need to explore more on the technology side, address quality and reliability. Or, there is a danger of small satellites revolution remaining as ‘single shot opportunities’ adding up to space debris, he said.
The two-day event is being jointly associated with Society for Small Satellites and Systems (SSSS) and the Sensors Research Society (SRS) in association with RCI. More than 30 international experts and 700 delegates from various R&D organisations, academic institutions and industries are participating.
Small satellite platforms can be adapted for optical, thermal and radar imaging remote sensing with good resolution to provide 24x7 surveillance of dynamic targets, said Chairman, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) Satish Chandra Jha, and called upon more novel ideas from research and academic institutes as well as the industry.
Former secretary of Ministry of Earth Sciences P.S. Goel said the conference was about ‘demystifying space’ as the small satellite concept enables ‘not so professionals’ to take space activity as risks are less. Dr Satheesh Reddy was conferred with the Honorary Fellowship of Sensors Research Society while Dr. Goel was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award on the occasion.
SRS president Avinash Chander, SSSS president Koteshwara Rao, DG of missiles and strategic systems MSR Prasad, RCI Director BHVS Narayana Murthy and others also spoke.