ARLINGTON, Va.-- "Smart" satellites are a dumb idea, Doug Humphrey, the chairman of Laurel, Md.-based Cidera Inc., told more than 100 attendees at the Satellite Internet Applications and Opportunities conference here last Tuesday.

Humphrey offered that tip along with other brash observations.

The Cidera head said satellites should be no more complex than necessary to perform a particular mission. Technology changes too quickly in the telecommunications world to make it profitable for satellite companies to load up birds with the most advanced equipment, he added.

Since satellites cannot be retrofitted once they are launched, the best approach is to launch functional satellites that can then incorporate technological advances in the ground equipment, Humphrey said.

Pioneering satellite engineer D.K. Sachdev likewise advised that simpler satellites built and launched when market opportunities still exist are better than sophisticated construction programs that could lead to delays in market entry.

Sachdev, president of the SpaceTel Consultancy in Vienna, Va., said fledgling satellite systems need to reduce lead times for putting satellites into orbit to cut down on the risk that a seemingly viable business plan fails before it has a chance.

The business plan of Iridium LLC was doomed when cellular services became prevalent in much of the developed world by the time the 66-satellite constellation was launched and began operating, he added.

"Short and definitive schedules for the entire infrastructure are absolutely essential," Sachdev said.