21st Century Earth Observing Systems: Emerging Role for Spaceports

The wide range of Earth observing satellites scheduled for launch between 1996 and 2004; the variety of their intended science and research missions; the growth of commercial sensor systems and private launch capabilities; and the miniaturization of sensor systems for orbit insertion from small vehicles testify to significant changes in Earth data collection technology. In the government sector, small satellites designed for filling gaps in atmospheric, geophysical, and biological measurements that can be fused with data being collected by EOS observatories are preferred over larger and more costly systems. In the private sector, niche satellites that collect data for specific commercial markets and that can be launched at low cost, are preferred over more complex or more general purpose systems that must then search for markets. Commercial spaceports represent a place for these smaller, more frequent, and less costly activities to be undertaken, even those that are federally sponsored. A national and international network of spaceports for launching and recovering payloads on reusable launch vehicles offer a quantum leap in applications for Earth sensing that are time-critical or site-specific in their execution.