Pre conference Nano and Small satellites workshop (10th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference)

by Ng Wee Meng

This pre-conference workshop covered a wide range of topics pertaining to the nanosatellite business and its future in the space industry. Throughout the entire event, the more than active participation coming from the guests active in the industry and the academia generates a hearty discussion which I feel is beneficial for all those present.

From the QB50s to technical presentations about the success and failures of propulsions and electronic systems, and from the ISIS’s (Innovative Solutions In Space) standpoint on the definition of Nanosatellites to GOMspace’s thought-provoking discussion on the nanosatellite industry in the coming few years, I was impressed about the different angles and perspectives for the arguments that were brought to the floor.

Amongst those topics that were discussed, the one that struck me most was the discussion about how we should look forward to more joint collaboration between the traditional parties (existing big satellite companies) and the new space companies (startups and possibly academia) for the future developments in space. The main idea behind the discussion was to address the dependency of the traditional space companies on government funding which sometimes induces unnecessary expenditure and how the private sector could bank on this opportunity with the introduction of a newer space scene. The example that was brought up was none other than Elon Musk, the star behind Tesla and Hyperloop and most recently SpaceX. As SpaceX is a private company, it has the priority to reduce costs where companies like NASA could not and also quickly develop the capability to be a stern contender in the advanced developmental areas. Thus, as seen from the various contracts, the collaboration between SpaceX and NASA proved to be a beneficial and other space companies should look past the conventional method of financing and development and learn to emulate the relationship shared between those two.

All in all, I believe that it’s my honour to be part of this amazing team of scientists and engineers and I will like to thank Maya and Meidad and not forgetting the Spacecialists, for this wonderful opportunity.

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