{"id":60221,"date":"2020-03-12T01:49:50","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T17:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/loft-orbital-planet-execs-stress-business-case-for-smarter-smaller-satellite-solutions\/"},"modified":"2020-03-12T01:49:50","modified_gmt":"2020-03-11T17:49:50","slug":"loft-orbital-planet-execs-stress-business-case-for-smarter-smaller-satellite-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/loft-orbital-planet-execs-stress-business-case-for-smarter-smaller-satellite-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Loft Orbital, Planet Execs Stress Business Case for Smarter, Smaller Satellite Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The millennial and Gen-X cofounders of many of today\u2019s most buzzworthy small-satellite startups likely didn\u2019t envision the magnitude of launches, or the rollout of megaconstellations, when they began their careers.<\/p>\n<p>But during Monday morning\u2019s \u201cSmall Satellite GNSS, Earth Observation, and Sensing Data Systems\u201d session at SATELLITE 2020, it was clear that \u2014 at least for the two entrepreneurs who served as panelists and their session attendees \u2014 that the demand for cost-efficient launches and highly granular data and actionable insights is only growing stronger. As a result, the opportunity for innovation is at an all-time high.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9PfUfPZQdWz4hCD8kulC_ShowDaily20_Cover_Day3_DGTL-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9PfUfPZQdWz4hCD8kulC_ShowDaily20_Cover_Day3_DGTL-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9PfUfPZQdWz4hCD8kulC_ShowDaily20_Cover_Day3_DGTL-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9PfUfPZQdWz4hCD8kulC_ShowDaily20_Cover_Day3_DGTL-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9PfUfPZQdWz4hCD8kulC_ShowDaily20_Cover_Day3_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the Show Daily 2020 Day 3 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>Small satellite Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and remote sensing represent one of the brightest market segments in the satellite industry. According to NSR\u2019s \u201cSmall Satellite Markets Report, 6th Edition,\u201d released a few months ago, the industry could see close to $42 billion in cumulative revenues from smallsat manufacturing and launch services by 2028.<\/p>\n<p>The potential applications from these technologies are seemingly endless, according to panelists, who described multiple ways they are serving clients through their satellite missions \u2014 using satel- lite-based data gathering to do everything from enforcing laws regarding marijuana growing to detecting methane leakages. These are just a handful of applications made possible by advanced Earth Observation (EO), GNSS, and sensing data systems.<\/p>\n<p>Robbie Schingler, co-founder and CSO of Planet, which focuses on remote sensing subscription services and business intelligence, said that it\u2019s an exciting time for companies like his, though he initially underestimated the need for newness \u2014 and the fast pace at which technology can go stale.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a691b263b82f;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a691b263b82f = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a691b263b830').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a691b263b830'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve gone to space over 26 different times, we had two failures,\u201d said Schingler. \u201cOur second flock of satellites \u2026 we finished all 26 satellites ready to go weeks before delivery, we felt really good about it. But then the launch was delayed \u2026 and we didn\u2019t need the payload. And by the time the launch happened \u2026 we were six months later, we were two generations behind, so we adjusted processes to manufacture satellites right before we would deliver them \u2026 that is the reason why we built up manufacturing capability so we launched latest technology into space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alex Greenberg, co-founder and COO of Loft Orbital, suggested that the satellite industry is easier to enter today than it was when Schingler launched Planet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe started in 2017 standing on the shoulders of early pioneers like Planet, and if you wanted to get a commercial license from [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] NOAA \u2026 in 2010 that was more difficult, and now it\u2019s more of a predictive and normalized process,\u201d said Greenberg. \u201cToday we\u2019re really benefiting from a lot of the investments that a lot of people before us had to trudge through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Much of the session offered lessons for would-be entrepreneurs. Both Greenberg and Schingler talked about how their companies are riding a new wave of innovation, with the high interest in launching cube sats and megaconstellations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we started Loft we looked at the supply chain and saw some parts were commoditized, which we would buy from vendors and suppliers, and other parts where we could innovate,\u201d said Greenberg. \u201cWe realized the investment in megaconstellations and cubesats would generate a proliferation of cheap busses \u2026 we now see mass manufacturing of busses\u2026 we want to develop products that require very little customization on those platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the company has experienced challenges in navigating logistical issues \u2014 such as the timing of flying payloads on competing missions \u2014 the value proposition of delivering data has helped Loft Orbital thrive: The company reportedly announced a raise of $13 million in the fall (for a total of $20 million), to develop its constellation of small satellites. Its first satellite, YAM-2, is reportedly scheduled to launch in 2020 with five payloads.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was working at Spire, and I saw that with the data they were collecting, there was a lot of value in the data itself, but value in the machine learning and unlocking data and deriving insights. But we realized what was missing was being a platform for anyone who desired to be a data company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When asked by session moderator Dr. Hannah Kerner, an assistant research professor at University of Maryland \u2014 whose research focuses on developing machine learning solutions for a variety of remote sensing applications \u2014 how they perceive demand will shift in the next five years, Schingler was optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of us in the remote sensing immunity feel like we\u2019ve been on the cusp \u2026 for many, many years,\u201d he said. \u201cSome market verticals are much faster than others \u2026 but we\u2019re seeing adoption much faster in areas that don\u2019t currently use geospatial data, because they don\u2019t have [legacy systems] work in them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the future, panelists said more advanced technologies will have the capability of tracking small satellites with greater accuracy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome customers whom we\u2019re flying a payload would benefit from knowing exactly where the payload is,\u201d said Greenberg. <strong>VS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 391:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/V8aWAIk2SZuMWITcqtCe_D7S_7085-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/V8aWAIk2SZuMWITcqtCe_D7S_7085-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/V8aWAIk2SZuMWITcqtCe_D7S_7085-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/V8aWAIk2SZuMWITcqtCe_D7S_7085-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/V8aWAIk2SZuMWITcqtCe_D7S_7085.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tBeyond GEO: Major Operators Have A Multi-Orbit Focus<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 395:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/e4snu2CTbe3ID4Oocs9J_2I0I4aMxR6yiP6pO0cLw_Satshow_DC_Background-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/e4snu2CTbe3ID4Oocs9J_2I0I4aMxR6yiP6pO0cLw_Satshow_DC_Background-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/e4snu2CTbe3ID4Oocs9J_2I0I4aMxR6yiP6pO0cLw_Satshow_DC_Background-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/e4snu2CTbe3ID4Oocs9J_2I0I4aMxR6yiP6pO0cLw_Satshow_DC_Background-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/e4snu2CTbe3ID4Oocs9J_2I0I4aMxR6yiP6pO0cLw_Satshow_DC_Background.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tKymeta, AWS Tout the Importance of Hybrid Solutions in Satellite<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 393:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/vjObo7WUR966A0M3Jh08_D7S_7135-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/vjObo7WUR966A0M3Jh08_D7S_7135-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/vjObo7WUR966A0M3Jh08_D7S_7135-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/vjObo7WUR966A0M3Jh08_D7S_7135-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/vjObo7WUR966A0M3Jh08_D7S_7135.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSATELLITE Attendees Take the Pulse of the Industry on the Show Floor<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 392:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"207\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/NRlpZxjES6iDP87x2eLw_VS_030120_STOTY_DGTL-300x207.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/NRlpZxjES6iDP87x2eLw_VS_030120_STOTY_DGTL-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/NRlpZxjES6iDP87x2eLw_VS_030120_STOTY_DGTL-800x552.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/NRlpZxjES6iDP87x2eLw_VS_030120_STOTY_DGTL-640x442.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/NRlpZxjES6iDP87x2eLw_VS_030120_STOTY_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tThe 2019 Nominees for Satellite Technology of the Year<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The millennial and Gen-X cofounders of many of today\u2019s most buzzworthy small-satellite startups likely didn\u2019t envision the magnitude of launches, or the rollout of megaconstellations, when they began their careers. But during Monday morning\u2019s \u201cSmall Satellite GNSS, Earth Observation, and Sensing Data Systems\u201d session at SATELLITE 2020, it was clear that \u2014 at least for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60224,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60221"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}