Microsatellite
Also called: Small satellite · Topic: Remote Sensing, GIS and GNSS · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A microsatellite is a small satellite that usually weighs about 10 to 100 kg. It is one class within the wider group of small satellites. It is cheaper and quicker to build and launch than a large satellite, and one rocket can carry many of them. A small satellite has less power and less room for big antennas or sensors. So microsatellites are often flown as a constellation, a group of satellites working as one system. With more satellites in the group, one passes over a place more often, so the revisit (time to image the same area again) gets shorter. If one satellite fails, the rest keep working.
Example
Astrome Technologies, a Bengaluru firm, is building a constellation of 50 kg-class microsatellites in low Earth orbit (an orbit close to the earth). The satellites will be linked to each other by inter-satellite links (radio links between satellites) to collect electronic signals for national security. Satellites will be added in stages, so coverage and revisit will improve as the group grows.
Don't confuse with
- Small satellite: this is the broader term, and it includes satellites heavier than 100 kg. Every microsatellite is a small satellite, but not every small satellite is a microsatellite.
- Nanosatellite: this is an even lighter class, usually about 1 to 10 kg, such as CubeSats. Microsatellites are heavier and can carry larger payloads.