Ask HN: Smaller-scale startup ideas related to space?

3 points by tuwannu ↗ HN
I'm really excited how the space industry is gaining momentum, with SpaceX just announced more details of their Lunar/Martian plan, and a number of countries starting to set/pursue their goals in space.

I would love to take part in this space industry growth. However, I am from/living in a country that does not have a proper space program, nor it will have a solid one soon.

So I'd like to ask are there any space startups or ideas out there that:

1. Do not necessarily require being in a country with a space program/industry (i.e. US, Russia, China, India, etc.)

2. Are focusing on non-transportation part of space industry, i.e. creating equipments/tools/software for space use, space agriculture. Not building the actual rockets or satellites.

3. May not be commercializable now, but will be in 5 to 10+ years?

I'm hoping to hear anticipations, not accurate predictions, of what you think the space industry would be like when it reaches the mass.

What ideas that excite you and might make you jump into the space industry? Perhaps similar to when the internet started its accelerated growth, we talked of the coming of blogs, social media, online payments, e-commerce, etc.

1 comment

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There is a very low barrier of entry to cubesats, that is something you can get into if your country doesn't have a space program.

Communication with satellites is also something you can do w/o a space program, see

http://www.work-sat.com/Home.html

I have listened to people talking on the space station w/ my handheld, also with the kind of setup many hams have in their car I have used the APRS repeater on the ISS to reach 1000+ miles away.