Big Data Becomes a Big Market for Small Satellites

Data seems to rule everything these days. Big Data is being collected not just from third parties and social media but for advertisers and has rapidly expanded to new industries. It has expanded so much that it has become a big market for small satellites. While the growth surely won't quell the fears of scientists who are worried about a glut of Earth Satellite observations, growing demand for imagery and other data will likely fuel the growth of these systems.

According to SpaceNews.com, Carissa Christensen, managing partner of consulting company The Tauri Group, noted that investor interest in the space industry was driven in part by reduced costs enabled by advances in small satellites. The reduced costs have huge returns because the small satellites can offer data sets that can cover the entire Earth in seconds because of a frequency that is higher than traditional satellites. 

Small Satellites have the advantage in the market over traditional satellites now in terms of data but could the fears of a glut still come? It's indeed possible that there could be a glut of constellations in the future especially since more and more companies are appreciating the advantages of small satellites. However, as we've seen in past articles, more companies are finding customer service services to work well within this industry. As the glut grows, there could be innovations to address this glut.