‘Charged’ From idea to reality: How Boeing developed the first all-electric satellite By Joanna Climer and photos by Bob Ferguson On a February day nearly four years ago, two employees in Boeing’s satellite-making business in El Segundo, Calif., met to tackle one goal: how to capture a key market potentially worth billions of dollars. Not that Boeing’s satellite business was struggling. Jim Peterka, then the SmallSat Development program manager, and colleague Glenn Caplin, chief engineer and a Senior Technical Fellow, had witnessed the company’s business rebound after Boeing introduced the 702HP (high power) satellite in the late 1990s and the 702MP (medium power) in 2009. The 702HP’s innovative and more robust design had proved ideal for customers looking for a more powerful satellite. The 702MP also successfully filled a need in the midrange power market. But some customers were now seeking cost-saving launch options using newer, smaller rockets to carry their satellites to space. Smaller rockets require less fuel and are less expensive. But they also can’t lift as much into orbit. Sitting in Caplin’s office that day, Peterka and Caplin discussed how PHOTO: Oscar Dominguez. harness technician, inspects a 702SP (small platform) communications payload. 16 Frontiers November 2014
Frontiers November 2014 Issue
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