Chapter 2651: When did satellites become so cheap?
…
"Because its altitude is only about 100 kilometers to 200 kilometers, we can launch it with a light launch vehicle, and if necessary, we can also use some missiles to launch it. These are all possible."
Although Zhang Xiaolei did not elaborate on this aspect, everyone understood what she meant. In fact, many missiles can reach this height, so this means that such missiles can be used to launch if necessary, so as to quickly fly in the air.
Deploy a large number of such satellites to carry out positioning and supplement the losses and vacancies of medium and large satellites.
At the same time, this also means that it no longer needs a special launch site and can complete emergency launch missions in the wild environment. Moreover, its launch preparation time will also be greatly shortened, because all the rockets used are already loaded.
Solid rockets do not require fueling, etc. like conventional liquid launch vehicles.
Therefore, Zhang Xiaolei's words were naturally recognized and affirmed by everyone present.
Zhang Xiaolei, who received such positive feedback, raised the corners of her mouth and continued to introduce.
"In addition to these advantages, special operations support satellites like ours also have a unique advantage, that is, they are cheap, very cheap.
These microsatellites use our universal satellite platform, and then add different functional modules on it as needed. This also means that this satellite platform can be mass-produced, which not only increases the output of this satellite, but also greatly
This greatly reduces the cost of this satellite platform.
As a result, their cost is more than half or even lower than that of microsatellites of the same level. This also means that the manufacturing and use costs of these satellites will be very cheap and suitable for large-scale use.
Compared with medium and large satellites, its cost is negligibly low, and even the cost of one satellite is much lower than the cost of one orbit change for medium and large satellites.
If our Jianmu-2 launch vehicle can be used for launch, its cost can be reduced to even lower levels, far lower than using other similar types of reconnaissance and communication equipment."
After listening to Zhang Xiaolei's introduction, everyone couldn't help but nodded. Indeed, cost is the key and what everyone is most concerned about. When Zhang Xiaolei said that the cost of this satellite is very cheap, everyone couldn't help but smile.
However, some special operations team members couldn't help but ask: "How low can it be?"
Hearing this question, everyone present couldn't help but laugh, and felt happy for the special operations team member's honest question. Indeed, this is also a question that many people want to ask.
In response to this, Zhang Xiaolei was not angry or panicked, but replied with a smile: "If it is a one-kilogram CubeSat, we can reduce its price to about 10,000 yuan. Adding its launch cost, overall
It won’t exceed 20,000 yuan.”
So cheap? After hearing Zhang Xiaolei’s words, everyone couldn’t help but be surprised.
This price is indeed beyond everyone’s imagination. You know, a better mobile phone now costs seven to eight thousand yuan, but such a satellite only costs less than twenty thousand yuan, and it also includes the launch cost.
.
You know, the reason why satellites are expensive is of course because of its relatively high development costs, and on the other hand of course because of its high launch costs.
Now, such a satellite only costs less than 20,000 yuan, which is unimaginable by anyone.
Therefore, even Wang Lianggong and Li Weiguo looked in disbelief after hearing this number, and then looked at Wu Hao to wait for his confirmation.
Wu Hao, as for Wu Hao, did not disappoint everyone, and then nodded and said: "One kilogram of CubeSats can indeed achieve this price, but if you want to add other functional modules, you must add additional prices.
For example, communication modules, radar detection modules, optical lens modules, etc. The functions of these modules are different, and the prices are naturally different. The cheap ones are of course very cheap, but the expensive ones are definitely very expensive.
Many of these modules are not our own, so we have no control over the price. However, as production increases, we can further compress the prices of these modules.
As for the launch cost, you don’t have to worry. The cost of carrying our Jianmu-2 rocket to low-Earth orbit can currently be controlled to about 10,000. If the quantity is large, the launch price may be evenly distributed, and the launch price may be even cheaper."
After hearing Wu Hao's confirmation, everyone present became uneasy. When did satellites become so cheap? This was a bit difficult for everyone to digest for a while.
If this is the case, and these support satellites specially built for special operations are really as good as Zhang Xiaolei said, then they can be used in special operations and play a huge role in special operations.
"The cost of these micro-satellites is so low, what is their performance, and how long can they work?" This time the question was asked by Luo Kai. He asked a very professional question, which was also a question that many people present wanted to ask.
.
Indeed, if the price is so cheap, everyone is worried about their performance.
Hearing Luo Kai's inquiry, Zhang Xiaolei replied with a smile: "You don't have to worry about performance. The performance of these microsatellites is basically the same as that of ordinary microsatellites, and it is even better than the performance of these conventional microsatellites."
For example, this reconnaissance and surveillance satellite uses our most advanced synthetic aperture compound eye lens, which has more powerful photosensitivity, so the resolution will be higher than lenses of the same level. Like this 30-year-old
The centimeter-aperture compound-eye lens has a resolution of sub-meter level and can clearly see the movement of people on the ground, so it is very suitable to be used to perform some battlefield reconnaissance missions."
Sub-meter level!
Everyone couldn't help but be surprised when they heard this number. Although this resolution is not the strongest, because the resolution of many large-scale reconnaissance satellites is much higher than this, and can even reach centimeter level, and the ground vehicles can be clearly seen.
License plate number, it is even said that the most powerful optical reconnaissance satellite of the US military can clearly read the news headlines on the newspapers in the hands of ground personnel.
But for a satellite of this size and a lens of this size, it can achieve sub-meter resolution, which is really very powerful.
Noticing everyone's reaction, Zhang Xiaolei smiled slightly and then said: "The on-orbit working lifespan of these tiny satellites varies, and it depends on the orbit.
Generally, their working hours can span from days to months, or even years.
But usually, it’s basically about a few months, which is also determined by the orbital altitude.”
