DARPA wants disposable satellite swarm for troops

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a clarion call for experts to put their brains together in developing a new swarm of satellites which would enable soldiers who are posted overseas to be able to access near-live satellite images of their location. This will definitely be a quantum leap on the battlefield, considering how that is not possible with the current batch of satellites considering they remain in the wrong orbits, not to mention are rather difficult for ground troops to access. DARPA calls it the SeeMe program (Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements), with the main aim of enabling soldiers to hit a “see me” button using a hand-held device, and in return, will receive a satellite image in under 1.5 hours.

The SeeMe program would require approximately 24 tiny satellites, and it is expected that the entire program will cost $12 million. These individual satellites will occupy a very low-earth orbit, sweeping over different bands of the planet every 90 minutes, and will last for around two months to a quarter of a year before they burn up upon re-entry.