

Startup that is trying to build an open-source satellite network - m0nastic
http://www.satellogic.com/#!home/c1sf0

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klunger
I used to work in aerospace, specifically satellite data processing. A couple
thoughts:

\- Their core team does not have anyone with space experience. Success and
knowledge from other sectors (looks like they all come from the security
sector) does not translate. Space is a whole different can of worms. There are
totally different and more constraining hardware requirements, regulations,
cost levels to name a few.

They have some advisory board guys with the right experience, but they will
need to be heavily involved to be useful to a team of guys coming from a
security background (probably more than just as advisers).

\- The costs associated with operating a satellite network are so
stratospheric (badum-bum ding) that their claim about "democratizing access to
data" is dubious. There is a very good reason satellite data is so damn
expensive right now: it is so damn expensive to get in the first place.

They could lower some costs here and there maybe, but it would still be in the
wrong order of magnitude. They would need to sell the data to a LOT of
customers to be a profitable business, if they want to keep the cost of data
low (this is what I assume they mean by "democratizing access). They have
provided hints of some potential applications, but have they demonstrated
there is sufficient existing demand for this?

Probably not. So they are essentially trying to create a new market while
footing astronomical up front costs themselves. That is not an attractive risk
proposition.

I hope it works because it could be very cool (space! data!). But, I remain
very skeptical.

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dantiberian
This is a pretty cool idea but I didn't see anywhere that it would be open-
source. On the contrary I expect this to be super expensive, at least in the
beginning. As a side note, open sourcing all of the software would be useful
but not enough to get your own satellites up.

~~~
m0nastic
They link to their Github page which has their software in it:

[https://github.com/satellogic](https://github.com/satellogic)

I agree though that just having the software isn't of much use to anyone. I
just think it's very interesting.

Also, I don't know what their business model is going to be (I assume selling
access to the data), but in my head I imagined time-sharing satellite access
(which is probably way too complicated for them to do).

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Oculus
I know there are regulations for flying through airspace which require me to
get permission depending on the type vehicle/altitude obtained. Are there
similar regulations for space? Do I have to go somewhere to get permission to
orbit in a certain plane or is it everybody for themselves?

~~~
asaddhamani
IIRC, you do have to get an allocation from the UN for an orbit. There's the
Space Law which restricts just about anybody from placing a satellite in
geostationary orbit
([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_law](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_law)),
and there was another similar law which I can't seem to find atm. Not sure if
LEO is restricted. IMO this law is ridiculous, no one on Earth owns space.

~~~
makomk
Not that ridiculous - there's a lot of important stuff up there, and it's easy
for someone careless or malicious to accidentally damage it. Geostationary
orbits in particular are very crowded, so it's not going to be easy to get an
orbital slot, and if you don't follow fairly fairly exacting stationkeeping,
reliability and end-of-life requirements your satellite will drift from its
assigned location and disrupt or even damage the other satellites up there.

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prayagupd
It's cool that they believe community can help getting better.
[https://github.com/satellogic/canopus/blob/master/src/kernel...](https://github.com/satellogic/canopus/blob/master/src/kernel/FreeRTOS/7.4.0/Source/tasks.c)

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brianbreslin
Does anyone have an idea of how fragile these 100lb satellites are? What is
the potential negative environmentally of having thousands more of these
satellites orbiting the earth?

~~~
kashkhan
Planet labs is doing the same thing with hundreds of 3kg satellites.

Yes having thousands of these satellites in LEO is going to make it crowded up
there, especially as they break up over the years.

~~~
god_bless_texas
Is there even enough room in the marketplace for all of these upstart
satellite imagers?

~~~
kashkhan
The price is going down by 1-2 orders of magnitude. Things are looking bleak
for Astrium, Digital Globe etc. The sector has long needed an adjustment.

But whether space imaging is going to be worth anything for civil markets is
questionable. If drone imaging can deliver less than $1 per acre then the
satellites are going to lose. Hardly anyone is going to pay $0.01 per acre for
1m GSD when you can get 1cm GSD for $1.00.

