Think space doesn't impact you? Think again.

During the New Space Economy program at MIT, one assignment provoked us to think about how a day without any space technology would impact us. Here is what I wrote.... I hope you'll enjoy it and gain a whole new appreciation for Space, as I did!

How would your life change if you had no access to data derived from space for 24 hours?

The truth is I might enjoy 24 hours of analog activities.

All jests aside, imagining the potential cascading effect of a Day Without Space*, or worse, a total loss of space capabilities, causes chills. The depth and breadth of space technology's influence on the environment and geo-political predicament seems to be a matter of Planetary Security...

… Without satellites: Scientific Research, from environmental monitoring to astronomical observations would be halted. We’d lose the ability to: Track Glacier Melting in the Arctic and Antarctic informing sea-level rise ➠ Monitor Land Subsidence* where groundwater is extracted rapidly and land sinks ➠ Study Light Pollution*: informing energy use (satellites seem to be a controversial topic of light pollution too*) ➠ No Longer Monitor Ocean Currents* , temperature changes (causing the bleaching of corals), and marine life migrations ➠ Predict Volcano Eruptions* which can show signs of ground deformation before erupting ➠ Forecast the Weather ➠ Monitor Natural Disasters*➠ Monitor Forests* deforestation and reforestation ➠ Observe Animal Migration*: essential for conservation and understanding ecological patterns ➠ Predict Disease ➠ More Pandemics? ➠ Communication Interruptions* ➠ Disruptions of Alternative Energy Production* ➠ Disruptions of Financial Transactions: impacting humanitarian aid, the global supply chain, the blockchain… ➠ Search and Rescue Operations*: in remote areas ➠ Disaster Management & Insurance Companies* unable to assess damage for claim processes. Agriculture & Soil Moisture*: farmers unable to monitor their crops, land use, predict drought or flooding (affecting the food supply chain, affecting us) ➠ Urban Development* ➠ Locating Underground Resources* via remote sensing to spot sites of underground water, mineral and oil deposits ➠ Legal and Boundary Disputes*: loss of evidence in disputes related to land and territorial boundaries ➠ National Security and Defense* compromised ➠ Disruption of Timing Systems*: “The entire internet use satellite timekeeping to sync their clocks and interoperate” Wired ➠ Monitor Human Rights Violations*: detect mass graves and refugee movement during conflicts. 

Let's not forget Tracking Space Debris* which prevents collisions with satellites, the ISS (and while very improbable, but possible: someone’s head). 

Overwhelmed yet? Let’s have a glass of wine.

Sorry, some vineyards* use satellite data to monitor the health of their vines!

I may need these 24 hours after all...

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Sources:

0 https://modernbattlespace.com/2018/11/19/day-without-space-re-thinking-pnt-threat-environment

1  https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2939/ice-in-motion-satellites-capture-decades-of-change

2 https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-051-00/pdf/fs-051-00.pdf

3 https://darksky.org/news/new-research-strengthens-ability-to-monitor-light-pollution-from-orbit

4 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/02/astronomers-light-pollution-tetris-block-satellite-bluewalker-3-stars-bright

5 https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/satellites-ocean.html

6 https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/sensing-our-planet/sensing-remote-volcanoes

7 https://earth.esa.int/web/earth-watching/natural-disasters

8 https://www.planet.com/markets/forestry

9 https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145941/satellite-observes-massive-ocean-migration

10 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2819876/#

11 https://www.reuters.com/world/satellite-outage-caused-huge-loss-communications-wars-outset-ukrainian-official-2022-03-15

12 https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/satellite-outage-knocks-out-control-enercon-wind-turbines-2022-02-28

13 https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/search-and-rescue-satellites

14 https://ts2.space/en/the-role-of-commercial-satellites-in-disaster-insurance-and-risk-management

15 https://shorturl.at/lzS49

16 https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2023/05/13/space-technology-a-catalyst-for-smart-urban-planning

17 https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=295988

17 https://shorturl.at/hFUZ7

18 https://shorturl.at/lpsT0

19 https://spacenews.com/space-force-chief-satellites-are-under-threat-we-have-to-be-ready

20 https://www.wired.com/story/galileo-satellite-outage-gps

21 https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2015/07/more-satellite-images-assist-human-rights-work

21 https://www.migrationdataportal.org/data-innovation/interactive-tool-map-world-internally-displaced-satellite-imagery

22 https://www.space.com/orbiting-space-junk-trackers-to-prevent-satellite-damage

23 https://shorturl.at/dnot8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q50dAiKB4lI

If this post tickled your interest and you are curious about the Space industry today, check out "Wild Wild Space". The documentary is astounding. Enjoy!