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.