2.3 Export Controls
Recent advances in miniaturization of critical spacecraft systems enable SmallSats as viable and cost-effective platforms for space weather research. These include high-precision attitude determination and control systems (ADCSs) for accurate three-axis stabilized pointing; high-powered and resilient processors for on-board data processing and sophisticated command handling; increased mission lifetime; and high-speed, high-bandwidth communications using S- and X-band radio frequencies. Improved efficiency of space-rated multi-junction photovoltaic solar cells and innovations in miniature panel deployment and articulation enable high power generation from a relatively small footprint.
New technologies are under development to enable large SmallSat constellations, particularly ones requiring interaction between spacecraft, and to improve both data speeds and latency. Some of these are discussed in the companion paper by Klumpar et al. (2020). For example, miniaturized propulsion technology provides station-keeping capabilities for SmallSats, whether to combat orbital decay to improve mission lifetime or to enable large constellations whose constituent spacecraft must maintain a known and constant configuration/separation. Many options are becoming commercially available, including cold gas thrusters and ion propulsion, but have not yet been commonly adopted. These innovative technologies represent intellectual property subject to control by individual nations, potentially impeding the international partnering that is the hallmark of many SmallSat missions.
While export control regulations typically exclude general scientific, mathematical, or engineering principles in the public domain (e.g., basic and applied research), they are often hard to interpret by scientists. In some countries, concepts such as “deemed exports” – items or information provided to a foreign individual – are often difficult to understand and follow, and responsibility for complying with these laws often resides with researchers and students not trained in such matters. There is ongoing debate between government and academia regulated by export controls regarding the extent to which these restrictions harm scientific activity. Institutions of higher education in the United States argue that overly hawkish export control regulations inhibit the best international students from studying in the U.S. and prevent cooperation on international projects. Over time, export control-related laws and regulations have become more complicated and more aggressively enforced by government agencies. In the U.S., where enforcement information is publicly available, university personnel have been prosecuted for breaches. Despite recent changes to U.S. policy that now place many export controls for “pure research” missions under the Department of Commerce rather than the State Department, this remains a driving concern. Harmonizing international collaborations while ensuring export control compliance of their research has become a precarious balancing act for scientists.