當(dāng)前太空市場的熱鬧，要?dú)w功于小型衛(wèi)星和廉價(jià)科技。

上周三，在科羅拉多州阿斯彭市舉辦的《財(cái)富》頭腦風(fēng)暴科技大會的太空行業(yè)座談會上，維珍軌道（Virgin Orbit）的CEO丹·哈特說：“小型衛(wèi)星目前是我們行業(yè)的主要推動力。”

哈特解釋說，過去衛(wèi)星的尺寸像公共汽車或者汽車，現(xiàn)在衛(wèi)星可以小到像洗衣機(jī)或冰箱。太空科技公司Maxar Technologies的CEO霍華德·蘭斯認(rèn)為，現(xiàn)在各家公司更多地發(fā)射這些帶傳感器的小型衛(wèi)星進(jìn)入太空，完成各項(xiàng)工作，比如拍攝地球圖像、監(jiān)控溫室效應(yīng)氣體、追蹤遠(yuǎn)洋航海船只的運(yùn)行軌跡。

維珍軌道是理查德·布蘭森的維珍集團(tuán)的旗下企業(yè)，哈特說維珍軌道正在研發(fā)可以吊掛在波音747機(jī)翼下方的“小型衛(wèi)星發(fā)射器”。如果能從這個裝置成功發(fā)射衛(wèi)星，就等于實(shí)現(xiàn)了太空發(fā)射領(lǐng)域的一個偉大壯舉，因?yàn)檫@種發(fā)射方式類似于傳統(tǒng)的“飛機(jī)式發(fā)射”。

哈特還談起了最初布蘭森找他來領(lǐng)導(dǎo)維珍軌道時的情形。

哈特說：“他沒有具體回答，只說：是的是的。我感到心潮澎湃。”

發(fā)送這么多小衛(wèi)星到太空的一個隱患，是在地球低軌道發(fā)生事故的概率會增大。蘭斯認(rèn)為，美國和其它國家的政府需要通力合作來解決太空布滿垃圾這個潛在問題。

蘭斯說：“我們遇到過衛(wèi)星在軌道上被損毀的事。如果不解決太空垃圾問題，情況只會變得更糟。”

蘭斯也提到，Maxar針對衛(wèi)星損毀問題的一個解決辦法是，將一顆定制衛(wèi)星發(fā)送到低軌道，用來修理其他衛(wèi)星或提供燃料。

蘭斯說：“我們現(xiàn)在正在投資開發(fā)一顆特殊的衛(wèi)星，這顆衛(wèi)星可以在軌道上組裝其它衛(wèi)星?！?

蘭斯表示，這樣的科技就像是我們“在電影里看到的一樣”。Maxar計(jì)劃在三年內(nèi)開始與美國政府合作，發(fā)射那些可以修理其他衛(wèi)星的專用衛(wèi)星。

至于將人類送上太空，就像杰夫·貝佐斯的藍(lán)色起源公司（Blue Origin）試圖開發(fā)的太空旅游業(yè)，在蘭斯看來“還是有點(diǎn)遙遠(yuǎn)”。

蘭斯說：“我當(dāng)然不會看50年那么遠(yuǎn)，但我認(rèn)為20年內(nèi)，太空行業(yè)就會大為不同?！保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：宣峰?

You can thank smaller satellites and cheaper technologies for helping contribute to the current space market.

During a panel on the space industry on last Wednesday during Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, Colo., Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart said “small satellites are now a really major mover in the industry.”

Although satellites used to be the size of buses or cars, they now can be as small as a washing machine or refrigerator, Hart explained.

Now, companies appear to be sending more of these smaller satellites, armed with sensors, in space to carry out feats like capturing imagery of the Earth, monitoring greenhouse gasses, or tracking the movements of shipping vessels cruising the world’s seas, said Howard Lance the CEO of space technology company Maxar Technologies.

Hart said that Virgin Orbit, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, is building “a small satellite launcher” that’s hooked onto a Boeing 747 aircraft. A successful launch from this mechanism would be akin to the “holy grail” of space launches, because it would be similar to more conventional “aircraft-like launches,” he said.

He also shared what was it like when Branson first approached him about leading Virgin Orbit:

“There was no answer but yes,” Hart said. “My blood was just pumping.”

One of the pitfalls of sending so many smaller satellites to space, however, is that there’s now more of a chance that accidents could occur in Earth’s low orbit. Lance believes that the U.S. and other international governments need to work together to address the potential of the skies filling up with too much space junk.

“We’ve had our satellites in orbit get damaged,” said Lance. “It’s only going to get worse before it gets better.”

One way Maxar is dealing with damaged satellites, Lance noted, is by sending a customized satellite into low orbit that could help repair or refuel other satellites.

“We’re funding right now a special satellite that will be able to assemble other satellites in orbit,” Lance said.

He noted that while technology like this are like “things you see in the movies,” the plan is for Maxar to launch those satellite-repairing satellites with the U.S. government in three years.

As for the idea of sending people to space, like Jeff Bezos’s Blue Orbit company wants to do to foster the idea of space tourism, Lance said that it’s “kind of a longer term” play.

“I certainly don’t think 50 years,” Lance said. “I think [in] 20 years you’ll see space commerce in a different way.”