We don't notice it every day, but space technology surrounds us and makes many everyday things possible. For example, thanks to satellites, we can freely walk around an unfamiliar city using a Google map and watch our favorite sports team playing on the other side of the world. Earth observation commercial revenues in 2020 were $5.5 billion, satellite navigation revenues were $171 billion, and satellite communications revenues were $138 billion, according to Euroconsult.
At the same time, satellite imagery is valuable for a vast range of different sectors of activity. The UN is using this technology to underpin sustainable development efforts. The list of areas that use satellite imagery includes climate change, water resource management, public health, and the eradication of hunger. Satellite imagery makes a significant contribution to the achievement of all these goals.
Agriculture
Many believe that agriculture is one of those sectors that hardly change over time and have a lot of established traditions that prevent it from developing. However, this view is erroneous, and despite the legacy that impacts agriculture, the introduction of advanced technologies plays an essential role in developing this industry.
The use of GPS technologies and satellite imagery in agriculture has significantly expanded the capabilities of farmers and those involved in research in this industry. Now farmers can remotely monitor various changes throughout the growing season and the level of crop evapotranspiration. It helps to make watering more efficient and save water.
Satellite imagery and data can be used in various ways and become the basis for practical precision farming tools. One such tool is Crop Monitoring, a precision farming software that uses advanced analytics for satellite-based crop state tracking. The platform was created by EOS Data Analytics, a global satellite analytics provider with years of experience and deep technical expertise. Crop Monitoring is an all-in-one solution that combines several types of data on one platform, including weather and soil moisture data.
This solution brings benefits for farmers and other participants of agribusiness. For example, EOS Data Analytics solutions will benefit agricultural banks that finance the industry. Banks need an accurate assessment of yields that will prevent the risk of loan default before providing landowners with funds to buy equipment, plant crops, and other agricultural operations. This is where EOS Data Analytics will help agribanks.
EOS Data Analytics satellite solutions provide critical insights to agribusiness banking partners. Agribanks receive accurate information about credit risks to manage them effectively. In 2022, EOS Data Analytics also plans to launch the EOS SAT project, a constellation of satellites focused only on agriculture. The constellation will allow the company to provide even more accurate data for various banking purposes. The bank will be able to verify the farm's historical data by analyzing its yield and profitability before issuing a loan.
Shipping
Satellites and signal towers did not cover the shipping routes of the Arctic, so it was impossible to determine what was happening there. Today, thanks to an agreement between the NGA and Ball Aerospace, tracking these blind spots is possible. Partners will work together to collect important information about vessel movements, potential oil spills, and other important events that will prevent environmental threats and illegal trade and ensure the safety of shipping lanes.
In the Indian Ocean, satellite technology is helping to track illegal fishing activities. Spire is also testing their system that can help determine which fish vessels are catching based on the behavior of those fish. Furthermore, companies can receive information about the activities of pirates and dangerous places for navigation.
Smart Maps
Everyone will undoubtedly remember the school atlases that hung at school when it comes to maps. They were flat, two-dimensional images on paper that certainly couldn't capture the immensity of the continents. Such cards would not be able to read real-time data from a mobile phone or weather sensor. Modern maps have become “smarter” thanks to advanced geospatial technologies.
Countless data sources, combined with GIS systems, turn the lines and points into an intelligent nervous system. This system allows you to see the entire geographical context, including topographic features, the location of buildings relative to the coastline, the socio-economic contours of the city's population, and much more. It's called location analysis, making intelligent maps so crucial to industries and human activities. Artificial intelligence combined with satellite imagery has made digital maps more sensitive to real-time data and historical trends. Thus, forecasts based on present and past events became real.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Top managers of large companies will change their business models to meet the challenges of social responsibility and stakeholder capitalism. It is necessary to fulfill obligations to society, so leaders are looking for a bridge between promises and actions. For example, the most extensive palm oil producers control plantations using smart mapping.
With the help of satellite imagery, business leaders can see tens of millions of acres of illegal activities and illegal activities. Artificial intelligence can automate image analysis and predict which areas will be the most vulnerable to cutting. GIS technologies contribute to providing transparency in the supply chain and reducing the negative impact on the environment.
New Heights of Efficiency and Business Resilience
A giant like FedEx relies on location data, as smart maps allow you to monitor the movement of a massive number of aircraft and get information about each plane and its cargo. Complex logistics challenges can be handled by GIS, as managers can access interactive maps with up-to-date data to plan and adapt on the fly.
GIS also makes it possible to respond quickly to unforeseen circumstances. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many businesses difficulties. However, the head of security at Bass Pro Shops used GIS technology to stock the busiest stores. Thus, this technology helps business leaders organize the work of enterprises in such a way that they can cover customer demand.