Satellite Trends and Innovations in 2022

Satellite technology has seen a lot of innovation over the past several years. From digital television (DVB) to mobile satellite communication, there has been a lot of growth within telecommunications and broadcasting.  Many businesses have benefited from these advancements, and startups have even taken on the challenges that led to their business models in the first place.  In order to put this into context, we have created our list of the top 6 satellite trends, technologies and innovations for 2022.

Small Satellites

Small satellites, which are outfitted with more intelligent and efficient subsystems, are taking the place of large satellites and the related infrastructure. Smallsat constellations are used by commercial satellite operators for connectivity services to offer low-latency worldwide coverage. 

Small satellites are being used for remote sensing and earth observation (EO) in LEO constellations to produce better insights. Satellite entrepreneurs push this trend forward with mass production, modular commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, and standardized satellite buses. By vertically integrating satellite production, satellite operators (and owners) can cut expenses as well.

Satellite IoT

Due to the enormous coverage that satellites provide in comparison to the current terrestrial infrastructure, the demand for satellite-enabled Internet of Things is continuously rising.  Technological improvements in satellite IoT are being driven by public and commercial sector investments in satellite technology for connected solutions. Commercial IoT sensor and device deployments enable global, satellite-based, accurate, and real-time asset tracking, monitoring, and remote surveillance. 

A new set of cloud and edge computing capabilities are also made possible by sophisticated gadgets and sensor technology aboard satellites. The military and defense industries have used satellite IoT to make some of the biggest advancements. Terrestrial communication networks, for instance, frequently rely on cables laid across land and water because of coverage issues in remote areas. In order to improve the overall infrastructure, startups provide hybrid services that use satellite IoT as backhaul to already-existing terrestrial networks.

Advanced Ground Systems

Next-generation ground systems are a leading satellite technology trend thanks to advancements in telemetry, tracking, and command-to-control satellites. S Satellite tracking is done automatically by ground stations using radio frequency (RF) communication terminals, such as phased-array and electronically steered antennas. Similar to this, current inter-satellite communications are necessary for the development of satellite constellations in order to coordinate constellation movement. 

For improved in-orbit relays during upstream and downstream data transfer, startups running earth stations use smart RF and optical communication.  Startups provide decentralized communications terminals for satellite access in moving vehicles and remote regions in addition to current stations. By enabling virtualized ground networks, ground stations on the commercial side are empowering software-defined satellites. 

With the help of these systems, satellites can independently handle massive bandwidth and reallocate it as needed to accommodate an increasing number of end users.

Artificial Intelligence

The massive amounts of data that satellites gather provide difficulties for data handling, analysis, and effective resource management. Analysis of satellite data from earth observation (EO), the GNSS, and remote sensing is made possible by machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Ground-Station-as-a-Service solutions are being made possible by AI-enabled data analysis in the cloud. Additionally, ground stations use AI for ground-based SSA to direct satellites for course correction and resource optimization. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is utilized in space for satellite monitoring and real-time orbit prediction to improve space traffic management. Big data and analytics also give onboard sensors the ability to process data autonomously in satellite subsystems prior to downstream data transfer. Autonomous satellite maneuvers including relative navigation, proactive communications correction, spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and satellite constellation control are also made possible by AI-enabled subsystems.

Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS)

The GEO satellite network providers respond to the rising demand for satellite-based mobile and broadband communications by enhancing their strength and throughput capabilities.  This suggests that sophisticated transponders and software-defined radios are used by GEO satellites to transfer data at rates of several hundred gigabytes or possibly terabytes per second. The satellites are equipped with software-defined radio to adapt to changing demand via beam hopping, modifying the geometry of coverage, and specifically focusing on high-capacity areas. 

Service providers can meet rising demand by adopting technologies like multi-spot beams and increasing frequency in various frequency bands. Since Ku- and Ka-frequency bands offer greater signal capacity and frequency reuse efficiency, they choose to employ these channels for communications. With the use of VHTS, communication over land, air, and sea are now possible for consumer, commercial, and military applications in underserved and unserved areas. LEO or non-GEO constellations also make use of the low latency VHTS data supply to better serve the consumer market.

Flexible Launch Services

Contrary to a decade ago, the size and quantity of satellites launched in a specific orbital mission now define the type of launch vehicle needed for the operation. Due to the rise in smallsats and total satellite launches, satellite owners are looking for flexible and on-demand launches.  Startups and scaleups are developing a variety of flexible satellite launch approaches, including air launch to orbit and launch utilizing spacecraft, balloons, autonomous launch vehicles, or drones. 

Another innovation in ground-based launch services is the containerization of smallsats enabling simple launch to LEO constellations. However, the most significant development in ground launch methods is the utilization of reusable rockets to place satellites in any orbit. They significantly reduce the price of commercial satellite launches.

The Takeaway

It is clear that there are countless trends, innovations, and hot startup companies to look out for in the world of satellite technology. It is also clear that this burgeoning industry has many positive implications for businesses and society at large.  We are just scratching the surface with this article, but hopefully, it has provided you with a good overview of what some of these trends and innovations could look like in 2022 and beyond.