Small Satellites With a Huge Impact | Freethink's The New Space Race

Spire’s CubeSat satellites-each about the size of a shoebox-can collect and transmit weather data 10,000 times a day, which is more than six times as often as the massive, billion-dollar satellites we’ve used for generations. Spire’s satellites could be key to finally reigning in the stubbornly unpredictable world of weather forecasting, from giving us a better idea of when to pack an umbrella to warning the world’s most vulnerable populations of an impending natural disaster headed their way.
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[@harrisontamayo401]

Please don't ever end this series

[@freethink]

Glad you like it, Harrison!

[@spacesurprise9683]

This is so great, agree with Harisson, please keep going. We need to know about all these smaller companies, not just SpaceX (I am biggest SpaceX fan)!

[@wmrworlds7274]

Saw your youtube ad and decided it to watch it. After 7 videos, i realized im hooked... love your videos. Keep it up.

[@luk1505]

What is that music? Is it from stock, or maybe a track released somewhere? I love it!

[@percc_wave6941]

These are powerful stories that are told very well. Thanks for all you guys do by bringing these technological advances to light for a grater population.

[@JN003]

any updates regarding this ? cant find a twitter account.

[@r.s.lapoint1178]

why did you not think of doing an ICO on the blockchain?

[@piyapoltientanyakit8582]

what laptop is that on 2:07?

[@SamRiesgo]

Amazing!

[@murrr1815]

GO GO GO!!!

[@cornel5825]

What is the song in the beginning?

[@Lyve613official]

This is what spacechain is doing they should link up

[@dd-wb4yd]

500 wjhat about a geostatinary stat that moves with the earth and stays in place

[@atlaschooty]

Amazing...

[@ghislainkuate3775]

Great

[@jasonkek]

I wish I can be that guy

[@wbiro]

On the philosophical side, the first 30 seconds are philosophical, and he sums it up with 'it makes the world better', which, philosophically speaking, is too weak (meaning nebulous and emotion-based) to provide any real (or adequate) (or sustained) motivation. It is, however, a good illustration of the continued cluelessness of humanity (says me). Other than illustrating that, the first 30 seconds could have been dropped and replaced with a stronger philosophy (enter me). On the technical side, the large billion dollar satellites are large and expensive because they perform many tasks, while CubeSats can currently only perform one (due to their size). For multi-task missions, using groups of CubeSats are being explored. They already piggyback on larger satellites. Their main advantage is quick development/implementation of new ideas.

[@dayanandanongmaithem4234]

Too many of anything is not always good.

[@spiritwolf5792]

that's why real weather satellites are in geostationary orbit...

[@rock3tcatU233]

Not true, some weather satellites operate in LEO. For example NOAA-15 flies at an altitude of 800 km.

[@spiritwolf5792]

@@rock3tcatU233 some even at 200 or 100km... but they are observational satellites. to sound the atmosphere. pollution, temperature, etc.

[@achalhp]

The tidal forces will change the orbit of satellites. The bigger satellites last longer because, they have got thrusters and gyroscopes, star position trackers that helps them to stay in the orbit.

[@BinaryCloudChaser]

Elan Musk was faster

[@DanielPierce]

I hate to tell you but Planet Labs has already shown the viability of Cubesats for business.....They have a 60+ 3U cubesat constellation, either way tho, keep it up I think cubesats are amazing!

[@haareks_contemplations]

What is the lifetime expectancy of these sattelites? How can you service each individual one if something goes wrong? Instead of doing your own thing let spaceX do it and JOIN them. This seems like a disaster waiting to happen

[@aaammm1888]

i will pay for this but i got a place i want to watch 247 israel war crimes

[@markpix]

It’s not a bad idea, but the problem is when their lifespan ends, they can’t de-orbit itself and become space junkies. As a aerospace engineer, we have to consider the consequences it might bring to us.

[@DanielPierce]

That1chineseguy They absolutely can and do de-orbit themselves, the lifespan of an object in LEO is usually under 5 years, add atmospheric drag maneuvers and it can be much less. Not even the ISS can stay in it’s LEO without using a propulsion system periodically. Space junk isn’t usually a problem until you start getting into like 5000+ miles above earth, and even then their orbit will eventually decay, all orbits eventually decay it’s just about how long they take....

[@lf4459]

CGI again and again

[@r.s.lapoint1178]

again a women gets on a project looking like a fool with blue hair. Umm we need to track people? on mars. ? Umm the word that is a concern is track, not the word mars.