CANEUS Partners with NASA to Host "Small Spacecraft Partnerships Forum"

The forum will focus on identifying opportunities for industry representatives to participate in cutting-edge technical discussions, while also establishing the future direction of the small satellite industry.

By actively participating in establishing standards, stakeholders can influence important industry trends. Companies engaged in current industry dialogue can decrease manufacturing costs, increase reliability and productivity, and enjoy increased access to customers, end-users, and the global market.

This forum will emphasize the end-user requirements of small satellite missions and their specific needs. This will also have the effect of opening up the small satellite market and providing business and investment opportunities by facilitating dialogue and the establishment of cooperative relationships.

This CANEUS/NASA forum will also encourage focused partnerships / collaborations between application and technology development partners in the small satellite industry to implement this vision and reap the resulting advantages. Experienced small satellite industry leaders and experts will communicate the vision and high-payback applications and challenges, and then present detailed and realistic assessments of the technologies currently available to meet those needs. 

By actively participating in establishing standards, stakeholders can influence important industry trends. Companies engaged in current industry dialogue can decrease manufacturing costs, increase reliability and productivity, and enjoy increased access to customers, end-users, and the global market.

Background:

1. The current state of the small satellite industry is very fragmented; numerous governments and private companies run sub-critical, small satellite programs with very little communication between these groups.
2. Furthermore, many component and sub-system technology developers (Small and Medium Size companies) are not familiar with small satellite end-user needs and customer (NASA / AFRL /.) requirements.
3. There is also concern that there exists a lack of transparency between technology developers and end-users.

In order to open up the market for small satellites and facilitate dialogue between the many stakeholders in the industry, it is necessary to hold the proposed forum to foster collaboration between NASA, small satellite industry and universities.