The launch sector is on fire. Large amounts of capital are being pumped in as the increased commercial interest in space is resulting with more satellites entering orbit each year. Experts estimate that nearly 1.000 satellites will be launched into orbit each year during the 2020s, building up to 15.000 satellites by 2028. This will allow access to more data than ever before.
When paired with other technologies, such as cloud computing, IoT and artificial intelligence, the space economy will be the most high tech and connected industry of all.
Space tech allows a new generation of geospatial data & insights. Earth observation 2.0 has arrived. Geospatial intelligence has become not only important to international security, but has shifted to essential industries such as agriculture, urban planning, logistics, cleantech and real estate.
New high tech satellites generate so many different data sets to provide impactful economic value. Equipped with powerful sensors, they beam their data to ground networks and data centers. Combined with cloud technology and powerful AI, we have never had a better of higher ‘helicopter view’. With the cost of launching a satellite into space from 18.500 USD per kilogram in 1970, with that number plummeted to 2720 USD per kilogram, satellite internet is being re-assessed as a viable solution to present internet to less developed, hard to reach places. With still 30 to 40% of the world population lacking broadband internet access, vendors believe that the economics of satellite internet finally make sense. The large potential customer base, low infrastructure cost and improvements in satellite communications create momentum for entering new markets and presenting better services.
Space has a vital role in climate analysis as it is the only observatory from where we can predict earth’s climate response to human-induced change. In this new era of space-based technologies, remotely sensed data allow us to keep a close watch on the current and future impact from greenhouse gases and aerosols and their impact on water cycles, air quality, forests and other aspects of our environment.
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