The Era of Mass Production Is Here Today's satellite business is the scene of a second Industrial Revolution. For the first time ever, satellites are being produced on assembly lines, in quantities unimaginable only a few years ago. The ability to design, build and launch large numbers of satellites opens new horizons for communications and the aerospace industry worldwide.
Space programs involving dozens and even hundreds of satellites are now a reality.
Right now, some 100 new-generation satellites are speeding overhead at an altitude of 1,200 kilometers. These mass-produced technological wonders are the satellite equivalents of Henry Ford's Model T. Today, satellite constellations are bringing voice communications services to the entire planet. Tomorrow, they will deliver a host of interactive, multimedia communications options on a global scale. A lmost all communications satellites used to orbit nearly 36,000 kilometers above the equator. A signal beamed up to the satellite from a ground station can be beamed back down to blanket millions of sites in one or several footprints.