Growing the space economy with the cloud

By Mani Thiru, Head of Aerospace and Satellite, Asia Pacific and Japan, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Stargazers worldwide have tracked the movements of stars and planets and found ways to incorporate the universe into their daily lives, both practically and symbolically. Over the ages, individuals have used space to tell the time, navigate, and predict the weather. They have also used the stars and planets to tell stories, build societies, and most remarkably, understand their relationship with the universe surrounding them.

Today, space exploration continues to help us understand our place in the universe. Economic and geopolitical interests are driving the quest to better understand the cosmos. Falling costs, new technologies, and a new generation of space entrepreneurs, promise the beginning of a bold new era of space development. According to Morgan Stanley, the global space economy's value could generate $1 trillion in revenue by 2040, and in the Asia Pacific region, space innovation is being powered by governments, visionary pioneers in the private sector, and a new cohort of startups.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has signed statements of strategic intent with space organisations in Singapore, Brazil, and Greece to help foster growth in the regional space economy. These collaborations focus on supporting startups and organisations in space innovation, research, and development, while also providing training and resources to support the technical workforce.

Space Renaissance on Earth

But the real story of the new space renaissance is not beyond the clouds – it’s here on Earth. Observing our planet using satellite images is helping solve some of the world’s biggest problems by monitoring important changes.

For example, government agencies are using Earth observation data to get the complete picture when a natural disaster strikes, and applying that information to assist with accelerating recovery efforts. Environmental organisations can use satellite data to help with monitoring Earth’s surface changes, highlight impacts on wildlife, and inform efforts to protect endangered species. Earth observation from satellites also helps monitor illegal fishing, pollution, deforestation, and ocean health. Farmers can use satellite imagery to monitor their fields, spot problems early on, and optimise inputs and crop yield. For example, Australia’s Farmbot Monitoring Solutions, an agtech company, uses AWS to assist with developing an innovative range of monitoring devices to help farmers remotely check water levels, flow and pressure rates, diesel stocks, rainfall levels, and staff movements, helping to save resources and improving yields. With Farmbot, a South Australian farmer was able to reduce water wastage by 90%, and saved cattle stations in the Northern Territory more than $20,000 per year in labor costs.

Space and Sustainability

One of the world’s highest priorities is sustainability. Both government and private sector organisations are using satellites and spectroscopy to monitor emissions data, helping to detect carbon dioxide emissions and natural-gas leaks from a range of sources, including oil wells, landfills, industrial operations, and farms. Ozius, an Australian organisation, has built its remote sensing solutions on AWS, enabling them to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of monitoring and reporting activities for natural and built environments. Satellite data can also help optimise renewable energy infrastructure using predictive models of sunlight and cloud cover, to better locate solar panel installations and monitor patterns of energy usage to help balance the load between renewable and non-renewable generation sources.

Fast Data, Quick Decisions

With continuous advancements in the space industry, a tremendous quantity of new data is collected in orbit. We’ve already reached a point where it is becoming more challenging to store, analyse, and make sense of such massive quantities of data without cloud computing.

Space companies are starting to realise that when it comes to data management, the fastest and most effective way to gain insights, find answers, and deliver critical information to decision makers is with cloud technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Rapid, precise data and analysis from space is important, especially when it comes to work that could help save lives and communities. For example, Exci (previously known as Fireball International) is capturing sensor data in space and using AWS machine learning algorithms to help detect wildfires just minutes after they start.

The incredible growth that we see in the space economy, especially in the satellite industry, is creating opportunities for AWS partners and customers in a number of mission areas. And with these opportunities, we see more innovative solutions and ways to apply cloud technology. Headquartered in Singapore, Kacific Broadband Satellites Group, a next-generation broadband satellite operator, is using AWS to assist with providing high-quality, low-cost satellite broadband internet connectivity to help improve the lives of people living in remote areas in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region.

Diversity in Space

It’s becoming clear that as we are finding ways to work more effectively in space, and that cloud computing is helping with projects that improve how we live and work here on Earth. And as the space industry grows, a diverse, inclusive space workforce is crucial. By making this rapidly growing sector accessible to all, we can ensure that everyone benefits from space innovation, including the smallest startups. To achieve a diverse space workforce, the industry must nurture talent from every part of the community. Programs like SheDares, a free, online learning program that aims to inspire professional women to consider a career in the technology industry, are challenging long-standing gender stereotypes and helping to move the industry in the right direction.

What has been achieved in space just in the last half a century is remarkable, and what the industry will achieve in the next 50 years will be exponentially more exciting. As technology improves and the space economy becomes more accessible, it’s clear that the sky is no longer the limit and AWS will continue supporting space organisations including startups to leverage the cloud to drive innovation.