We've been doing a lot of talk about the new space movement and the newest LEO constellation innovations. It's about time that we bring to your attention that LEO constellatioins aren't the only innovation when it comes to the new space (or space 2.0) movement. As technology and payloads of satellites continue to skyrocket (ha!), so does our ability to efficiently explore the deep, dark depths of outer space.
Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society (yes, we are quoting Bill Nye), puts this very well:
"There are two big questions, you see, that everybody asks. 'Where did I come from, and am I alone?' Those are the two deep, deep questions. And if you want to answer those, you’ve got to explore space."
The new space movement is on a mission to do exactly that...explore space. Just imagine what this new movement could help us to uncover and discover.
In this post, we're going to show you some of today's most innovative deep space satellite companies that are enabling us to learn more about the secrets that space holds.
Astrobotic's vision is to "make high-capability space missions practical for a broad spectrum of business, scientific, and social applications. We believe in the elegant, programatic use of robotics to drive down cost, improve capability, and increase reliability. We will empower a thriving human space presence that explores the world beyond Earth's orbit."
Some of Astrobotic's cutting edge technology and missions include
Mars One aims to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. Several unmanned missions will be completed, establishing a habitable settlement before carefully selected and trained crews will depart to Mars.
I definitely recommend checking out their frequently updated website. There's tons of interesting information about their mission roadmap, technology being created/used, and other news about their journey to send humans to live on end explore mars.
Moon express's mission is simple: To "Redefine Possible". Ok, so it sounds short and simple, but I'm sure it's much easier said than done. More specifically, their mission is to expand Earth's economic and social sphere to our 8th continent, the Moon!
In 2017, they expanded exploration architecture with a goal to establish a permanent presence and lunar prospecting at the lunar south pole by 2020. This year (2018), they are planning on launching 2 new missions to the moon. One of which will reach the "peak of eternal light" at the Moon's south pole. Cool stuff!
Deep Space Industries (DSI) is an Asteroid Mining company, developing the technologies to find, harvest, and supply the asteroid resources that will transform the space economy.
DSI also delivers robust technology products for the most demanding space applications. High-performance spacecraft components, developed in support of asteroid mining, enhance and enable innovative satellite missions in Earth orbit.
Planetary Resources is another great asteroid mining company. They're "providing resources to fuel industry and sustain life in space". Planetary Resources is involved with a number of missions and exploration programs. One of their missions is to identify and unlock the critical water resources necessary for human expansion in space. You gotta check out this great overview video they created.
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