DARPA ønsker engangssatelitter til overvågning

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), har sendt en invitation ud til et seminar til producenter af mobiltelefoner, medico, tung industri, optiske elementer og biler, hvor de beder om idéer til at bygge engangssatellitter, der kan udføre overvågning af et bestemt område indenfor en rimelig tidshorisont. Satellitterne skal koste en brøkdel af en normal satellit dvs. i omegnen af ca. $500.000, og samtidig være billige at sende op.

DARPA erkender dog også, at der skal utraditionelle teknologier i brug og opfordrer til at bruge eksisterende ikke normalt brugte teknologier til at bygge satellitterne med.

Dave Barnhart, DARPA skrev:

To create inexpensive, easily manufacturable small satellites costing $500K apiece will require leveraging existing non-traditional aerospace off-the-shelf technologies for rapid manufacturing, such as the mobile phone industry’s original design manufacturers, as well as developing advanced technologies for optics, power, propulsion and communications to keep size and weight down.

DARPA kalder programmet SeeMe, der star for ”Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements”. SeeMe-programmet skal bestå af op til 24 satellitter, der skal holde i 60-90 dage i et kredsløb med lav højde om jorden og brænde helt op i atmosfæren. SeeMe skal ikke erstatte ubemandede droner, men være et supplement dertil.

Dave Barnhart, DARPA skrev:

SeeMe is a logical adjunct to UAV technology, which will continue to provide local or regional very high-resolution coverage, but which can’t cover extended areas without frequent refuelling. With a SeeMe constellation, we hope to directly support warfighters in multiple deployed overseas locations simultaneously with no logistics or maintenance costs beyond the warfighters’ handhelds.