A Very Short History Lesson on Satellite Constellations

Like any good academic, I use the Socratic method! So, your history lesson is a homework assignment!

When you complete your work, please e-mail to michael.swartwout@slu.edu for grading and further discussion. Thank you!

The two lists, below, are relevant to discussions of the modern broadband constellations being discussed/developed (including, but not limited to, OneWeb, Samsung, O3b, SpaceX, Boeing, Theia, and Telesat)

• 1. List 1 contains ten space-themed items from the 1990s. What is the common denominator?

  2. List 2 contains ten more space-themed items from the 1990s. What is their common denominator, and how does it relate to List 1?

  3. What is the current status of the items on each list? (You may generalize.)

  4. What lessons / cautionary tales do these lists pose for the modern constellations?