COM DEV small satellites show big picture

COM DEV Canada and its subsidiary exactEarth are using micro and nano scale satellite platforms to deliver more data, communication and services to more customers at a lower price.

The company saw a big opportunity in the post-911 US presidential directive for vastly improved data about the world’s maritime traffic. The result was Nanosatellite Tracking of Ships (NTS), an extraordinary, self-funded satellite launch in 2008 that demonstrates how ships with AIS (Automated Identification System) transponder technology can be tracked from space.

“From our perspective,” said COM DEV Canada’s vice-president of business development, Richard Kolacz, “there is a lot of potential for growth and sales in meeting the strategic objectives of Canada and many other nations.”

Payloads aboard COM DEV microsatellites and nanosatellites can provide data to support search and rescue, mapping, reconnaissance and maritime situation awareness at a very affordable price.

As Kolacz pointed out, a small nation can use a fleet of patrol aircraft to look at its maritime domain “through a straw”, or spend a lot less money and collect a lot more information from a satellite.

COM DEV customers have the option of flying their own payloads on micro and nano satellites (in satellite terminology, “small” usually refers to several hundred kg. as opposed to under 100 kg.), or they can use a variety of services from exactEarth, the company COM DEV created.

Right now, several countries are engaged in various trials of exactEarth services. Kolacz cited one example where affordable satellite services can provide value: a middle eastern customer is looking at satellite technology to see whether water desalination activities are causing environmental damage in surrounding areas.

“We’re very much a commercial company,” Kolacz said. Defence Research and Development Canada and the Canadian Space Agency have both been enthusiastic supporters, he added. “They recognize the potential of smaller, affordable satellites and the innovative, creative services that enable.”

On the military side, and particularly within DND, Kolacz said there is a range of potential applications, and the company is doing development activities with a number of users.

“We believe we have demonstrated the utility that smaller satellite systems can provide.”