A major challenge of the SeeMe program will be enabling affordable, “non-continuous” production to meet the $500,000 unit-cost target for imaging satellites produced on demand, on a timeline of 90 days from order to launch.

The Alasa program is targeting a $1 million per flight launch cost for a sub-100-lb. satellite. SeeMe satellites could be launched in batches in larger boosters, but “we need an Alasa-class vehicle to be affordable,” Gricius says.

Plans call for six SeeMe satellites to be produced early in fiscal 2015 for ground testing, followed by a production run of 20 more, with Alasa launches beginning in the fourth quarter of that year.