Satellites got steadily larger thereafter. But in recent years the market for smaller satellites has been expanding, and some in the field now talk about putting entire satellites on a single silicon chip. A 5.9-pound satellite built by Arizona State University is scheduled to be launched Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Most satellites make it into space as secondary payloads filling unused space on Space Shuttle or other missions. The proposed Super Strypi would be 62 feet, with added capacity through additional boosters.
Strypi rockets are simple compared to more traditional satellite launchers.
Unguided, they use the spinning of the rocket itself to stabilize flight. We offer significant advantages. Additionally, the Air Force's satellite tracking telescope atop Haleakala can work with the range, adding to its capabilities. As the Super Strypi would have a smaller launch hazard area than other rockets already approved for the range, it should not require an environmental impact statement, he said. The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co .