Welcome to the Great American Satellite Age

A new wave of commercial satellite startups, exemplified by companies like Basalt Space, is democratizing access to satellite data and imagery by offering customers their own dedicated constellations rather than relying on restricted feeds from traditional providers—a shift enabled by dramatic cost reductions in satellite manufacturing and launch, AI-driven autonomous operations, and regulatory streamlining. This represents a fundamental industry transformation comparable to cloud computing's democratization of data center access, with significant implications for supply chain visibility, real-time monitoring capabilities, and operational independence across industries. However, IT leaders must prepare for new data governance challenges, potential regulatory constraints, cybersecurity risks from orbital surveillance capabilities, and the need to evaluate emerging satellite service providers against incumbent solutions.