In the future, small satellites are likely to operate in swarms thanks to advancements in autonomy, artificial intelligence, collaboration and networking, Steve Isakowitz, Aerospace Corp. president and CEO, said Aug. 5 during a keynote presentation at the Small Satellite Conference here. 

To demonstrate his point, Isakowitz began his keynote with a video from the science fiction film Star Trek Beyond, showing a smallsat swarm attacking and defeating the U.S.S. Enterprise.

“It’s imperative we have the kind of future with swarms of these smallsat technologies,” Isakowitz said. “And it’s really important we get there before the Klingons do.”

In all seriousness, Isakowitz lauded the smallsat community for its commitment to entrepreneurship, innovation and risk-taking. Skeptics once dismissed cubesats and smallsats as little more than toys, but “the smallsat revolution is here to stay,” Isakowitz said. “Everybody needs to get onboard.”