Not too a few years ago, it had been very challenging and expensive to launch and operate a satellite. That has changed dramatically over the past few years and now launching and operating a satellite is far easier and much less expensive – and people trends are expected to continue and accelerate. Thus, more governments, companies, organizations, and individuals will have access to space to pursue their governmental and commercial purposes. this alteration has happened thanks to two technological momentum drivers that have catalyzed the old space industry to where it's today. the primary is that the invention of the CubeSat, a 10x10x12cm cube, largely using commercial off the shelf (COTS) components, which has created a replacement sort of satellite form-factor that's a fraction of the dimensions and price of the satellites of the prior generation. The second is that the commercial development of the low-earth-orbit launch vehicle, which makes the launch of those new CubeSat satellites much easier and accessible and much less costly.
The CubeSat
Before the CubeSat, the sole thanks to get an asset into space was via a huge school bus-sized satellite, operating during a geosynchronous orbit (GEO, 36,000 km), costing many dollars and years of effort to form. Years of Moore’s law has exponentially decreased the dimensions and price of satellites and increased the facility of the electronics in order that now companies can put COTS sensors on this tissue box-sized form-factor-the CubeSat, which may operate in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO, 500-1200km) and orbit the world every 90 minutes.