KEY TAKEAWAYS
The deregulation of the space sector has incentivized a thriving, technology-led space-to-Earth Observation economy, accelerating space-led innovation across sectors.
The precision and granularity of Earth Observation intelligence and analytics is particularly useful to drive sustainability initiatives in areas such as climate action, clean energy, urban planning, and food security.
To make the most of these technologies, it's important to address the problem of rising space junk with effective design principles, technological innovation, better dialog and ecosystem collaboration.
Space technologies are improving lives on Earth in profound ways, from assessing damages from wildfires in Spain to facilitating urban planning in Italy to extending connectivity in Ukraine. While the term ‘space technology’ encapsulates several things, space-to-Earth observation— or simply Earth Observation (EO) – technologies have become increasingly important for businesses in recent years.
EO technologies encompass a set of remote sensing techniques that use satellite imagery and other sensor data to capture insights about the Earth. The European Union's Copernicus program is a good example. A set of systems collect data from multiple sources including EO satellites, in-situ ground stations, and airborne and sea-borne sensors for services like rapid assessment of extreme weather events.1
The potential of space-to-Earth technology for boosting business growth and innovation is now at The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) received registration of over 2000 satellites in 2022, and the expectation is that 100,000 satellites could be launched in the next decade.
