Country-first domestic satellites: A family tree

The history of satellite development is at an inflection point: around half of all countries have made and launched satellites, while another half has not. In this context, the time appears right to take stock of lessons learnt from the development of country-first domestic satellites. These are defined as the first to have been designed, assembled, integrated, and/or tested with significant input from local engineers. This paper reviews, for the first time, the genealogy of the 90 country-first domestic satellites launched into orbit to date. The comprehensive, trans-disciplinary analysis is based on an extensive literature review in multiple languages. Firstly, a family tree of country-first domestic satellites is constructed, mapping out important stakeholders and lineages. Four major generations are identified. Although country-first domestic satellites are often associated with domestic identity, they are without exception the product of international collaboration and technological exchanges. In parallel, a growing global market for satellite development and launch services has played an increasingly important role in their development even in the absence of official country-to-country collaborations. Secondly, the birth traits, life, death, and legacy of such satellites is reviewed in detail. Sustainability of the Earth’s orbital environment has typically not been prioritised by mission teams. Most countries having developed a first domestic satellite have also developed a second, but there have been more one-off firsts since the 1990s: microsatellites and CubeSats can be used to test the waters of space engineering without having to make a big commitment. Looking to the future, access to a domestic satellite is becoming easier and easier. The challenge is instead shifting towards ensuring that such an initiative is actually aligned with domestic industry, technologies, and STEM education, as well as sustainability of the Earth’s orbital environment. Long-term planning and vision are important in this regard. It is hoped that this review paper will provide a useful reference point for space historians, policymakers, and the pioneers of diverse new satellite missions.