In Search of the Smaller Satellite System:

Gen. Bruce A. Carlson, the head of Air Force Materiel Command, predicts a new dawn for small space systems. He told AFA’s Los Angeles Symposium last week that he sees “significant opportunities” in development of micro satellite programs as exemplified by the XSS-11 Minotaur (launched earlier this year). He added that Air Force Research Laboratory is working to decrease the size and weight of on-board electronics found in key satellite systems. The shift has been accelerated by the Global War on Terrorism, with its heavy demands on GPS satellites and on bandwidth in general, said Carlson.