Navigation, GPS, LBS
Satellite data is widely used in navigation, especially in Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and other positioning data systems, to provide an accurate location. For example, GPS technology is an integral part of our lives and helps us navigate around cities, find our way when lost, and even locate our parked cars. It is also crucial to track the position or avoid maritime and air navigation hazards. This type of data also helps save lives by efficiently coordinating rescue operations.
Have you ever rented a city bike, used a food delivery service, or booked a car? All those things are examples of Location Based Services (LBS) and rely on satellite-provided information too! Satellite data has revolutionized navigation, making it safer and more accurate. And because of that, positioning systems have become essential tools for transportation, commerce, and everyday life.
Weather and natural disaster forecasting
Satellite data is a critical component of modern weather forecasting and climate analyses. How? By providing real-time information on weather observation and atmospheric conditions around the world. Weather satellites are equipped with various instruments, including cameras and sensors, that collect data on temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, direction, and other variables crucial for predicting weather patterns. Satellite data usage is not limited to weather app-related services, advising if we should take an umbrella before leaving the house. Meteorologists use them to predict any arising natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, or floods. By monitoring environmental conditions, satellite data can help identify areas at the highest risk and provide timely warnings.
Telecommunications
One of the significant effects of space technology on our daily life is communication. We can connect across great distances via phone calls, emails, video conferencing, and Internet access. Thanks to satellites orbiting the planet, we can also receive television and radio signals worldwide. This is possible thanks to bouncing the signal from a ground-based station to a satellite, which then relays the signal to another ground-based station. Interestingly, also finance sector is influenced by satellite-provided information. All transactions and online banking work correctly, thanks to communication satellites.
Agriculture
Industries like agriculture have changed massively due to widely available accurate satellite data. Farmers use crop health, soil moisture, and optimizing planting or harvesting times to maximize production. Combined with satellite-based technologies such as remote sensing and weather data, they support productivity through irrigation management, pest control, and crop yield forecasting. Farmers could also use satellite data to pinpoint the fields needing additional irrigation and fertilization. There are a lot of possible applications for space-related technologies, yet when it comes to efficient agriculture and remote sensing, meaning utilizing sensors aboard satellites to gather information about the Earth’s surface, it’s fundamental.
Human presence in space
Satellite data support human presence in space, particularly in providing essential communication, navigation, and observation services for spacecraft and astronauts. But how does it work? Spacecraft communication signals are forwarded to ground-based communication hubs via satellites in orbit. Also, the passage of space debris and other possible hazards that could endanger space mission crew is tracked using satellite-based navigation systems, such as GPS, to deliver exact location data to spacecraft.
We collect the data and then pass it on to our Partners, so they can execute maneuvers in time before a predicted collision occurs. Human presence in space is only possible with satellite-provided weather analyses. Tracking the condition of the atmosphere and providing data on ozone concentrations and air quality is vital for the safety and well-being of astronauts.
