Editing Small satellite (section)

=== Small satellites ===
The term "small satellite",<ref name=swma2014/> or sometimes "minisatellite", often refers to an artificial satellite with a [[wet mass]] (including fuel) between {{convert|100|and|500|kg|abbr=on}},<ref name=did20120630/><ref name=tristancho2010/> but in other usage has come to mean any satellite under {{convert|500|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref name=pa20150302>{{cite news |last1=Messier |first1=Doug |title=Euroconsult Sees Large Market for Smallsats |url=http://www.parabolicarc.com/2015/03/02/euroconsult-sees-large-market-smallsats/ |access-date=8 March 2015 |work=Parabolic Arc |date=2 March 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150305183555/http://www.parabolicarc.com/2015/03/02/euroconsult-sees-large-market-smallsats/ |archive-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

Small satellite examples{{according to whom|date=March 2021}} include [[Demeter (satellite)|Demeter]], [[Essaim (satellite)|Essaim]], [[Parasol (satellite)|Parasol]], [[Picard (satellite)|Picard]], [[MICROSCOPE (satellite)|MICROSCOPE]], [[TARANIS]], [[ELISA (satellite)|ELISA]], [[SSOT (satellite)|SSOT]], [[SMART-1]], [[Spirale|Spirale-A and -B]], and [[Starlink]] satellites.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

==== Small satellite launch vehicle ====
Although smallsats have traditionally been launched as secondary payloads on larger launch vehicles, a number of companies began development of launch vehicles specifically targeted at the smallsat market. In particular, with larger numbers of smallsats flying, the secondary payload paradigm does not provide the specificity required for many small satellites that have unique orbital and launch-timing requirements.<ref name=sn20130812/>

Some USA-based private companies that at some point in time have launched smallsat launch vehicles commercially:
*[[Orbital Sciences Corporation]]'s [[Pegasus (rocket)]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pegasus XL Launch Vehicle {{!}} National Air and Space Museum |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/launch-vehicle-pegasus-xl-orbital-sciences-corporation/nasm_A20040262000 |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=airandspace.si.edu |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Rocket Lab]]'s [[Electron (rocket)|Electron]] (300&nbsp;kg)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/electron/|title=Rocket Lab Electron (rocket)|date=2022-07-31|website=Rocket Lab Electron (rocket)|access-date=2022-07-31}}</ref>
*[[Virgin Orbit]]'s [[LauncherOne]] (500&nbsp;kg)<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-07-29|title=Virgin Orbit Service Guide|url=https://virginorbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Virgin-Orbit-Service-Guide.pdf|access-date=2019-07-29|website=Virgin Orbit Service Guide|archive-date=19 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319211045/https://virginorbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Virgin-Orbit-Service-Guide.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Astra, Inc.|Astra]]'s [[Rockets by Astra|Rocket 3.3]] (100&nbsp;kg)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://astra.com/news/astra-reaches-orbit/|title=Astra Reaches Orbit |date=2021-11-22|website=Astra (Private Space Company)|access-date=2021-12-07}}</ref>
*[[Firefly Aerospace]]'s [[Firefly Alpha]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alpha Launch Vehicle |url=https://fireflyspace.com/alpha/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=Firefly Aerospace |language=en-US}}</ref>