Are reprogrammable satellites ready for prime time?

A new generation of satellites is coming to the launch pad, and they are promising a tectonic shift in satellite operations. Where satellites once were tailored to a single mission and effectively locked into their role upon launch, several manufacturers are moving to embrace this vision of a satellite with functions that can be reprogrammed, a spacecraft that can take new applications on board in order to expand its range of performance. More

(Source: C4ISRNet - Apr 6)