The Rise of Small Satellites

There are now nearly 12,000 satellites orbiting Earth. What does it cost to put them there, and how do they make money? Zachary Crockett launches an investigation.

• SOURCES:
  • Tim Farrar, president of TMF Associates.
  • Rachel Jewett, managing editor of Via Satellite.

• RESOURCES:
  • "How geostationary small satellites are providing strategic access to space," by Steve Collar (World Economic Forum, 2025).
  • "State of the Satellite Industry Report," (Satellite Industry Association, 2025).
  • "Elon Musk Dominates Space Launch. Rivals Are Calling Foul." by Eric Lipton (New York Times, 2024).
  • "Kessler Syndrome and the space debris problem," by Mike Wall (Space, 2022).
  • "BlackRock Says Satellite Images Can Help Track Chinese Companies," by Lisa Pham (Bloomberg, 2017).