From Sandbox to Shield: The SmallSat Industry Grows Up

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. If the mood at past SmallSat Symposiums was defined by exuberant experimentation, this year feels different. The energy has not vanished, but it has matured. During the session Engineering the Future Spacecraft, a clear signal emerged from the noise: the industry is graduating. Focus has shifted from the novelty of New Space to the serious, high-stakes business of national infrastructure and defense.

Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/10/from-sandbox-to-shield-the-smallsat-industry-grows-up/