Earth Observation: The Growth Story by Geospatial World

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JULY-AUGUST 2021 » VOLUME 11 » ISSUE 08 | ISSN 2277–3134

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EARTH OBSERVATION: The Growth Story Over the last few years, technology innovation, and public policies have opened up new application areas for Earth Observation data, leading to new business models and trends, and market expansion. As challenges concerning climate change, disaster prevention, and food security mount for the global population, the demand for Earth Observation will only increase

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CONTENTS COVER STORY / 12

The evolution of technologies like GIS, Image Processing, and PNT has enhanced the quality of imagery analysis to provide valueadded digital services to diverse fields of applications. However, issues concerning cost, transparency, and trust continue to pose a challenge to the Earth Observation (EO) industry.

23 / E nhanced Viewing Experience

INTERVIEW

08 / S ean Wiid CEO, UP42

POLICY MATTERS

28 / L aying the Foundation for Growth

20 / A bhay Mittal

CEO, EOfactory.ai

26 / A ntoine Halff

Co-founder & Chief Analyst, Kayrros

INDUSTRY TRENDS

35 / D ata Was, Analytics is, the New Oil

TECH FOCUS

47 / S trengthening PNT to

Avert Economic Setbacks

EXPERT OPINION

33 / W eaponiaztion and

Militarization of Space Lt. Gen. Balraj Singh Nagal

45 / Why Space Tourism? Lt. Gen. (Dr) AKS Chandele

Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Kumar Managing Editor Prof. Arup Dasgupta Executive Editor Vivek Mukherji Contributing Editor Geospatial Infrastructure John Kedar

EARTH OBSERVATION: THE GROWTH STORY

SPECIAL FEATURE

JULY-AUGUST 2021 VOLUME: 11, ISSUE: 08

40 / S M Vaidya

Executive Vice President & Business Head Godrej Aerospace

STARTUP SPACE

42 / A Breath of Fresh

Air for Indian Startups

REGULAR FEATURES

04 / Editorial 06 / Product Watch

Contributing Editor Global Defense and Security Keith J. Masback Consulting Editor Spatial Analytics and Location Intelligence Nicholas Duggan Consulting Editor Nishi Malhotra Associate Editor Policy & Public Affairs Avneep Dhingra Sr. Assistant Editor Defense & Intelligence Meenal Dhande Assistant Editor Bhavna Sharma Chief Sub Editor Nibedita Mohanta Sr. Sub Editor Snehil Manohar Singh Chief Designer Subhash Kumar Visualizer Pradeep Chauhan Disclaimer

Geospatial World does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in the publication. All views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. Geospatial World is not responsible for any loss to anyone due to the information provided. Owner, Publisher & Printer: Sanjay Kumar Printed at Virtika Offset Printers, G-14 Sector 3, Noida - 201 301, G.B. Nagar (UP) India Publication Address A - 92, Sector - 52, Noida - 201 301 India. Geospatial World: The edition contains 54 pages including cover. Geospatial Media and Communications Pvt. Ltd. A - 145, Sector - 63, Noida, India Tel + 91-120-4612500, Fax +91-120-4612555/666 Price: INR 150/US$15

July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 3

EDITORIAL

Space Partnerships for Sustainability

ne of the interesting facets of the Space economy is that there was barely a hiccup due to the Covid pandemic. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that Covid gave a fillip to Space activities through increased use of services that could help governments, industries, and people to manage their activities in a severely restricted environment. Barring a slight reduction in government spending, the other activities continued apace. Now that we are nearing the end phase of the pandemic, these activities are accelerating. (see infographic, p18)

lies the rub. One factor is that the usage of Space to deliver services is only a part of the overall cost. Therefore, it is not correct to only consider the cost of the Space segment. The other is the reluctance to adopt the Space technology due to high initial cost, lack of transparency, and therefore, trust — particularly in the use of AI and ML.

That all these technologies are needed to help humankind to address the parlous state of our environment is a given. The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Prof. Arup Dasgupta Change has rung the alarm bells. arup@geospatialworld.net The acceleration is being driven The report, aptly named Code Red by the need to better utilize our for Humanity, shows that the 1.5 resources and provide a better quality of life for degree Celsius limit may be reached sooner than the citizens. On the one hand there is a proliferlater. As it stands, violent weather events like heat ation of satellites and satellite constellations, on waves, storms, flooding, and landslides are already the other hand, earth sensing is moving beyond signaling the irreversible changes being brought optical and microwave imaging and looking at new about by global warming and climate change. sources like radio signals and sensing of greenhouse gases. In parallel, great strides are being Clearly, public use of Space technology for made in the area of data analysis using Artificial disaster management is going to rise and become Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). a significant part of the economy. The other Further, there is a coming together of both earth uses will be in the monitoring of the environobservations and communications that enables ment for emissions of carbon dioxide, methane system agnostic data acquisition and delivery, and and other greenhouse gases and their control through legislation and perhaps even punitive on-demand analytics which adds to the versatility action. Earth observations can also help in the of Earth Observation applications. location of alternate energy resources like wind farms, hydropower, solar farms, and perhaps even All these developments are adding to what nuclear plants. Pierre Lionnet, Research and Managing Director at Eurospace, defines as the “upstream and The trajectory of Space economy lies in the midstream” segments of the Space economy. When close cooperation between government and it comes to the actual usage for different purposes, the calculations become difficult. Most cost benefit industry in Space applications to meet the challenges of the present and work towards a better analysis look at future value if the information is and sustainable future. put to proper use for the benefit of citizens. Here

4 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

PRODUCT WATCH

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New Satellite Devices for Indian Armed Forces Garmin has launched two handheld devices named GPSMAP 66sr and GPSMAP 65s in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC). GPSMAP 66sr has specialized military features like compatibility with night vision goggles to make it easy for troops to use the devices in day and night operations without removing their night vision goggles. GPSMAP 65s is a multi-GNSS handheld device with sensors (including an altimeter for elevation data, barometer to monitor the weather and 3-axis electronic compass). The 65s also sports a helical type of antenna which provides optimal accuracy and faster satellite reception even in steep hills, urban canyons and dense forests. 6 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Suunto, a Finland-based sports smartwatch company, has entered the Indian market with the launch of Suunto 9, Suunto 7, and Suunto 5 smartwatches. These smartwatches feature advanced GPS, come with a premium design and a rugged build, and offer multisport tracking capabilities. Suunto 9 smartwatch claims to deliver from 25 hours to 170 hours of performance tracking with GPS turned on. It also offers 80 sports modes, an intelligent battery management system, in-depth weather insights, and on-watch navigation capabilities. The Suunto 7 offers features like sleep tracking, body resource measurement, heart rate monitoring, etc. Its battery lasts for nearly 12 hours when using GPS tracking mode.

Feature Packed

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Duplex Satellite Monitor Helps Framers in Controlling Pumps, Gates Farmbot, a remote monitoring solutions provider in the agriculture sector, has launched its next generation satellite monitor which enables two-way communication between farm infrastructure and farmers via satellite connectivity. Farmbot Duplex satellite monitor is a remote monitoring device that integrates with Farmbot’s range of wired and wireless sensors to monitor level, pressure, rainfall and movement of people in the farm. It is designed to withstand harsh climate, and connectivity constraints. The satellite monitor is self-installable and is immediately operational without the intervention of technicians. It enables two-way communication between farm infrastructure and a mobile or computer via Inmarsat satellite connectivity. It enables farmers to take an image via the Farmbot camera, and can close a gate or turn on a pump, all without having to change locations, saving time and money. The satellite monitor is currently only available in Australia.

User-friendly

• Duplex satellite or cellular (3G/4G connectivity) • Integrates with a wide range of wired and wireless sensors • Solar-powered device • Long battery life up to seven days

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Swatchbox has launched Swatchbox Pro, a new AEC platform for research and requesting samples of building products. Founded and operated by architects, Swatchbox Pro is essential for building professionals to discover and request samples from leading building product manufacturers globally.

LD-AIR LiDAR can be applied to the design of working services robots for tasks such as route setting and automatic responsive behavior. It is small and versatile enough to fit in any appliance.

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July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 7

INTERVIEW

A VANTAGE POINT FOR GLOBAL OVERSIGHT

The new and expanded constellations that we are seeing today provide constant global coverage and faster turnaround time on decisions, says UP42 CEO Sean Wiid, in an interview to Geospatial World. How do you explain the growing demand for real-time actionable intelligence, and is this a trend that is here to stay? We are living in an increasingly complex world. In a 2019 interview with Geospatial World, the CEO of Capella Space, Payam Banazadeh, has very aptly said that “we are far too dependent on each other to ignore the impacts of our social, economic, and political interactions.” This means that we need more oversight, which creates a sense of responsibility towards each other. I think Space is the only vantage point that provides us this constant global oversight. If you think about the impacts of climate change — increase in forest fires or flooding events — these require very fast turnaround time on decisions, so that people can start doing something about it. To some degree, the demand for real-time intelligence has always been there but the capability has not. The new and expanded constellations that are emerging today will provide constant global coverage and faster turnaround time. Different kinds of EO data are being made more readily available, for example SAR and Radio Frequency data, which are both independent of weather conditions and time of day. This 8 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

dependability is critical for near real-time (NRT) monitoring. So, then you combine this additional capacity with real-time or near-permanent communications with satellites via laser communication systems in Space, or ground stations as a service from AWS and Azure. You start looking at things like increase in cloud computing infrastructure capabilities and the ability to automate analytics using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Now, all of a sudden, NRT intelligence is more possible and accessible because of these technological advancements. The demand for NRT intelligence is not limited to the defense and security sector; we are seeing an increasing interest in commercial applications such as monitoring of vegetation along critical infrastructure before and after storms. My view is that the demand is growing as the technological capabilities make the use cases realistic and achievable.

How have emerging technologies boosted the adoption of EO data? I believe that Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) are the fundamental technical capabilities that will unlock the downstream impact of Earth Observation for the simple reason that there is just too much data for people to go through manually and figure out what’s going on. Only a very small

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INTERVIEW

percentage of that data is actually being used today. Machine Learning allows people to quickly process large amounts of data to detect objects and find anomalies, and all of this can be automated. We have also started to see Machine Learning-driven super resolution algorithms helping in upscaling existing imagery, so that other ML algorithms can perform more effectively. At the same time, I think we should be careful not to have the view that AI and ML can solve all problems effectively. These technologies have a huge role to play, but we need to make sure that we understand their role and not hype it up too much, because that may only lead to disappointment. Within Earth Observation, we are going through the process of ramping up and trying Machine Learning for many applications and finding the boundaries of where it’s working well and where it still needs to be improved. Nevertheless, it’s a massive unblocker for the downstream adoption of Earth Observation.

Can you throw light on some of the NewSpace solutions that you offer to your clients? We are building a marketplace and developer platform that aims to make it significantly easier, both technically and commercially, to use a wide range of EO data and analytics to deliver value to your customers. What we have at UP42, from a platform perspective, is a one-stop shop for data and analytics; a very simple pay-as-you-go model where you buy credits upfront. And as you use different data sources, algorithms, computing infrastructure, etc., you burn down your credits. We try to make sure that our platform is very actionable. We see marketplaces or platforms providing information about a data source or algorithm, but they don’t allow you to get access to that data source immediately via API. So, if you are a solutions provider and are trying to deliver solutions to an end customer, you really need this programmatic. You want to take humans out of the loop as much as possible, and be able to automate that flow of data and analytics all the way through to your customer. This is a key part of our platform — making all data and analytics work10 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

The demand for near real-time intelligence is not limited to the defense and security sector; we are seeing an increasing interest for it in areas like vegetation management and port monitoring flows accessible via API. The ability for you to build end-to-end analytics workflows using algorithms from our marketplace, or even uploading your own data and algorithms, and mixing it together with what we have on the marketplace allows you to solve your customer problems using existing building blocks from some of the best geospatial companies in the world, rather than building everything yourself from scratch.

Can you cite a few policy decisions in Europe that have contributed to the growth of the EO industry in the region? The European Union has done an excellent job in supporting the Space industry in general. A great example of that is the Copernicus Program and all the satellites that the European Space Agency (ESA) has funded, launched, and made the data available to everybody. The economic value that has been generated on top of that data by companies that are building solutions or providing consulting services is enormous. So, a large part of the EO industry has been built on this decision. In addition to that, ESA has put a lot of programs in place to fund business initiatives, thereby helping the market develop. What’s really exciting is not necessarily what has already happened, but what’s happening now. To start with, you have an ambitious expansion of the Copernicus Program. In addition, the European Commission has just agreed on the Space Entrepreneurship Initiative under the umbrella of Horizon Europe. The program, called CASSINI, is intended to support the entire emerging Space industry from 2021 to 2027 through a series of measures including €1 billion seed and growth fund for NewSpace startups in Europe. On top of a good foundation, they are now taking another step forward and I think we are going to see some very interesting market developments over the next couple of years supported by public policies.

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SPECIAL COVER STORY FEATURE

Earth Observation: The Growth Story The evolution of technologies like GIS, Image Processing, and PNT has enhanced the quality of imagery analysis to provide value-added digital services to diverse fields of applications. However, issues concerning cost, transparency, and trust continue to pose a challenge to the Earth Observation (EO) industry. By Prof. Arup Dasgupta

he United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs’ (UNOOSA) document on the Space Economy Initiative defines the Space economy “as the full range of activities and the use of resources that create value and benefits to human beings in the course of exploring, researching, understanding, managing, and utilizing Space.” While the core elements of the Space economy are broadcasting and communications, Earth Observation (EO), satellite and launcher manufacture, related services, and ground equipment, it also includes all industries linked to it, such as, telecommunications, broadcasting, Internet, agriculture, forestry, architecture, engineering, and construction, to name a few. The Space economy was estimated to be worth $350 billion (Morgan Stanley) to $447 billion (Space Foundation) in 2019, just before the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

Investments in the Space economy continue to rise despite the ongoing battle against Covid. Space Foundation, a nonprofit advocate organization founded in 1983 for the global Space ecosystem, states in its publication, The Space Report 2021 Q2, that the global Space economy rose to $447 billion in 2021, an increase of 4.4% from a revised 2019 total of $428 billion. This $447 billion Space economy is 55% higher than what it was a decade ago and reflects a five-year trend of uninterrupted growth. Commercial Space activity grew by 6.6% to nearly $357 billion (Space Foundation) in 2020, representing 12 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

close to 80% of the total Space economy. Global government Space spending fell by 1.2% in 2020 to $90.2 billion from a revised 2019 peak of $91.4 billion. In terms of geography, USA, China, and Europe were the top three leaders and constituted 81% of the Space spending, followed by Japan and Russia. According to Morgan Stanley, Space impacts not only aerospace and defense but many other areas like IT hardware and telecom, and the overall earnings in the sector could rise to $1 trillion by 2040. While private equity projects in Space have grabbed headlines, public sector interest and investments are also significant. Morgan Stanley predicts that globally, governments will spend $181 billion on Space by 2040. It is not difficult to understand these trends because the pandemic has shown that Spacebased PNT (Position, Navigation, Timing), communications and EO are crucial as they provide innovative solutions in an environment of restricted movement. According to Liz Derr, Co-founder and CEO of Simularity, a geospatial intelligence company, “The global pandemic has shown us just how important these consumer-accessible technologies are. The companies that thrived during the pandemic are great examples of the success of 4IR technologies.” The future of innovation and efficiency lies in Space applications. “If I had to pick just three words to capture my conversations in this arena, they would be ‘Space is existen-

The global Space economy rose to $447 billion in 2021, an increase of 4.4% from a revised 2019 total of $428 billion. This $447 billion Space economy is 55% higher than what it was a decade ago and reflects a five-year trend of uninterrupted growth tial’, from the future of the planet to the future of commerce,” says Adam Jonas, Head of the Morgan Stanley Research Space Team. He goes on to list climate change, Space debris, security and telecom as the major areas of application that will depend on increased capital formation through special purpose acquisition companies-like mechanisms and collaboration between existing aerospace players and new commercial players. The enhanced interest in Space also means more interplanetary campaigns for understanding the nature of the universe and a move towards the economic exploitation of celestial objects. There is a darker side relating to Space debris and the dangers it poses to Space assets.

Earth Observation from Space The field of EO from satellites has grown steadily and is expected to rise from its present value of $2.9 billion to $25.273 billion by 2040, according to estimates by Morgan Stanley. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. The use of such imagery, along with ground-based and aerial observations, has been in practice since long. In parallel, the evolution of technologies like

Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Image Processing, and PNT has enhanced the quality of imagery analysis to provide valueadded digital services to diverse fields of applications. Analytics alone adds $42 billion value to EO data. The PNT sector further adds $97.4 billion. In the past, the EO field was dominated by big government players like Landsat from Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), Copernicus from the European Space Agency (ESA) and IRS from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), as well as efforts by Russia, China, Japan, and many other countries. Private players also joined the market with offerings of high-resolution optical data, which were subsequently acquired by Maxar through a process of mergers and acquisitions. However, the current game changers are companies like Planet Labs, Spire, Capella, ICEYE, Satellogic, Umbra Lab, HawkEye 360, GHGSat, and many more who have brought in changes to EO. The newcomers are banking on small-satellite constellations that have medium to high resolution with almost daily revisits, which revolutionizes applications that July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 13

COVER STORY

require tracking rapid changes. Planet Labs was a leader in this area with its Dove and Skysat constellation of small satellites forming 43% of all the small optical EO satellites launched. Others are Black Sky Global and Satellogic. Radar imaging satellites in the small satellites category are manufactured by Capella Space, ICEYE, e-Geos, and Umbra Labs. Many go beyond optical and microwave imaging sensors by addressing RF signals from Space and Earth (HawkEye 360 and Spire) and greenhouse gases (GHGsat). “Small satellite constellations are commoditizing the market for

EO data through better economies of scale and competition. Market competition is driving down the cost of imagery and other EO data. These constellations are frequently capturing large swaths of coverage than were previously available,” says Brett Antonides, Vice President of Apps, Analytics and Visualization at Arturo. “This moves companies away from a tasking-based model and towards catalog subscription-based models. Reselling the same data to multiple customers drives down costs, which in turn opens up the market to potential new customers and use cases,” he adds.

SPACE SITUATION ANALYSIS AND PROTECTION The proliferation of Space debris, the increasing complexity of Space operations, the emergence of large constellations, and the increased risks of collision and interference with the operation of Space objects may affect the long-term sustainability of Space activities. Addressing these developments and risks requires international cooperation by states and international intergovernmental organizations to avoid harm to the Space environment and the safety of space operations. The United Nations has formulated “Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities.” NewSpace is heavily committed to constellations of low to medium orbit small-satellite systems. Similarly, new entrants like AWS’s Project Kuiper, SpaceX’s Starlink and OneWeb’s smallsat constellation, which address Internet services, have also opted for these orbits. The resultant congestion in these orbits increases the chance of collisions not only with each other but with other satellites and the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS had to make two emergency maneuvers in 2020 to avoid collisions.

14 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

The Arturo VP says that “in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors, companies are expanding the Electromagnetic (EM) spectrum available for analysis through hyperspectral imagery, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Radio Frequency (RF) geolocation, and infrared. The addition of new modalities and phenomenologies adds new depths for researchers and companies to mine for new, interesting analytics. They help remove many of the limitations imposed on traditional optical imagery, that is, cloud cover, nighttime, etc. Additionally, these newer phenomenologies allow for new techniques to analyze floods, change detection, vegetation growth, land subsidence, and soil disturbance, to name a few.”

Infrastructure for data utilization Traditionally, government, industries, and academia have been using data from EO satellites for their work. Established EO data suppliers have marketed their data as a service and left it to the end users to analyze the data to extract actionable information from it. However, this model has undergone a sea change. Many Cloud providers like Amazon, Google and Azure now provide a gateway service that enables users to access data and analytics in a completely agnostic manner. Thus, instead of collecting data individually from different sources, preprocessing and then analyzing it using analytic tools sourced or developed in-house, end users can access the same data as ensembles from companies like Skywatch,

or access data ensembles and analytics as a service from companies like Mundi and Cleos. Antonides says, “Cloud computing and robotics are two of the most prominent 4IR technologies making real impacts; Cloud computing especially has dramatically lowered the costs associated with scaling up companies by largely removing the upfront capital costs around compute, networks, and storage.” “It’s my belief that leveraging the growing Ground Station as a service offering to rapidly offload the data to the Cloud offers significant advantages to getting satellite collected data to optimize Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence computer hardware,” he adds.

Intelligence from Earth Observation Understanding the data and drawing conclusions is only the starting point. Converting the results into insights, which can help in planning and decision-making, is yet another step forward. Satellite Imagery is, as blogger Joe Morrison tweets, “… like salt. When combined with other data, it enhances it…” Earth Observation data analytics needs to be supplemented with a variety of other application-specific data sources like data from remote sensors accessed through IoT, as well as crowd-sourced data, high velocity transactional data, and social media posts. Big Data analytics and Artificial Intelligence are used to integrate and analyze this wealth of data to generate

The field of EO from satellites has grown steadily and is expected to rise from its present value of $2.9 billion to $25.273 billion by 2040, according to estimates by Morgan Stanley. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg analytics and insights specific to different sections of the economy, to help in optimum management of assets and resources and better governance. According to Antonides, “Analytics in a general sense increase efficiency by helping distill data to information, so that it is more digestible to the workforce to convert to knowledge, which can be leveraged to financial or political gain.” Orbital Insights, Descartes Labs and Satsure provide these kinds of services. An interesting observation is that many of the satellite operators like Spire, HawkEye and Umbra Labs also offer similar services through their own satellite data and analytics to provide tailored solutions for specific sectors like maritime services, aviation services and land management. “The US and foreign governments are the largest single source of demand for analytics; however, the biggest growth areas are in labor intensive industries. Arturo is capitalizing on this trend with the insurance industry,” says Antonides. He continues, “By leveraging the plethora of available imagery and remotely sensed data, Arturo is able to apply its Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence expertise to identify and

assess dozens of attributes about a property in seconds.”

Impact of Earth Observation “Satellite technology and Space exploration offer a potential new frontier of opportunities to assess and address climate change and sustainability on a global scale,” says Audrey Choi, Morgan Stanley’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Marketing Officer. “In the coming years, these technologies could enable us to have a more powerful global view of climate data and environmental science. Those insights, in turn, can help enable a deeper integration of sustainability considerations into investment decisions.” This statement sums up the importance of Earth Observation, particularly in the current scenario where the recently released IPCC report shows that we are not just at the brink of disaster but well in it. Choi lists key application areas that include food security, greenhouse gas monitoring, management of utilities, renewable energy, and supply-demand optimization. Derr says that defense and geo-intelligence (GEOINT) are their major sources of revenue. The other major applications are monitoring international disputes, ecological and climate July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 15

COVER STORY

change, natural disasters, encroachment, government accountability, monitoring critical assets, such as coastlines, natural resources, borders, destructive activity such as mining, and environmentally protected areas. The need is for all-weather and near real-time data and timely intelligence at affordable costs. “Finding theft, destruction, or sabotage weeks after the fact doesn’t do much to address the problem,” she emphasizes.

Other satellite data sources IoT devices are increasingly being used for in situ data acquisition. Accessing such data, particularly from remote areas, can be done using satellites. The data volumes are small and collection requirements are perhaps a few times a day. Such requirements can be met through small satellites in low earth orbits. Astrocast is a global nanosatellite IoT network serving industries such as agriculture and livestock, oil, gas and mining, maritime, environmental, and connected vehicles, using IoT devices that communicate directly with

satellites with a two-way communications service. The Astrocast constellation has 10 satellites in its operational network and anticipates another 10 satellites to be put into orbit by the end of the year, with an ultimate goal of 100 satellites by 2024.

says, “The infrastructure has been laid, and it’s now time to start making use of the data enabled (by) these satellites to start generating a business case for these NewSpace EO startups to continue sending more satellites up.”

Swarm Technologies, which was recently acquired by SpaceX, has the largest number of small satellites to orbit on the flight, as well as the smallest sized satellites. The company has over 100 SpaceBEEs in orbit and plans to have 180 in place for its full constellation.

The future of EO lies in both large satellites and small satellites. The current scenario shows that big satellites are still needed for environmental monitoring. According to Derr, “NASA’s most recent National Academies’ Decadal Survey includes many important research questions that seek to identify how natural and anthropogenic changes affect ecosystems. Having multiple sensors gathering data at the same time may be the only way to get clear answers.” This requirement cannot be met by small satellite constellations as the problems of spatial and temporal data registration from different satellites in the same constellation and from different constellations will pose severe challenges. On the other hand, frequent revisit and fast data turnaround are invaluable features of small satellites.

Satellite Internet for Earth Observation data Cloud services like AWS, Azure and Google depend on stable, low latency, broadband Internet connectivity that serves the globe. Satellite Internet services like Starlink from SpaceX, Kuiper from Amazon and OneWeb based in the UK will fill this need. Data suppliers, aggregators, analysts will be able to provide data and analysis agnostic services to end users over the Cloud. As Aravind Ravichandran, an independent Space Consultant and Market Analyst at TerraWatch Space,

Earth Observation offers new opportunities to assess and address sustainability on a global scale 16 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Crystal ball gazing

In terms of sensors, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has long promised to be a game changer, but massive satellite platforms were needed, which restricted their use. Today, new technologies have shrunk SAR sensors to enable them to be put on small satellites and the explosion of data from such satellites is clearly visible. The evolution of new sensors like RF detectors and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) detectors are adding a new dimension to EO.

Governments have been major consumers of EO data. Apart from their own satellites, they have awarded massive contracts to private players. However, analyzing data from the beginning requires large investments and will be possible only in government laboratories and in well-funded academia. As Derr says, “Defense departments will be the main drivers of geospatial analytics for the foreseeable future. Large countries with well-funded militaries can afford the best imagery, Artificial Intelligence, and the most skilled GEOINT analysts.” However, she goes on to add that “in general, non-governmental customers aren’t trained analysts, don’t want to hire trained analysts, don’t want to run analysis software, and don’t want to learn how to acquire satellite images. They just want answers.” This is where the future of EO analytics will lie. According to her, “Freely available satellite imagery and open-source tools can be used by researchers, scientists, local governments, nonprofits, and smaller organizations to gain a level of situational awareness that they have not had previously. Developing this market with affordable analysis is important if EO companies want to diversify their customer base, so that their revenues and success aren’t completely controlled by politicians and military budgets.” Another interesting aspect is that of citizen scientists. “The digital accessibility of so much information is leading to a rise in

The future of EO lies in both large satellites and small satellites. The current scenario shows that big satellites are still needed for environmental monitoring the number of citizen scientists who can collect data needed for research, and online open-source investigators that can use things like social media posts to identify what is happening, where, and who is doing it,” Derr says. According to Antonides, “The key driver for the commercial sector is always return on investment. The boom in Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings that provide analytics, dashboards, and insights into targeted types of data, that is, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Loggly, etc., will continue to grow and diversify. I believe that companies like Databricks and other SaaS data platforms will continue to lower the barriers of entry to enable more companies to expand their use of analytics. In order to better utilize these SaaS data platforms, I think there is a growing niche for smaller Analytics as a Service startups that are able to help bootstrap other startups that are in the seed to B round stage of growth.” Finally, where will the industry be in terms of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)? According to Antonides, “It probably goes without saying that ML/AI are going to continue their explosive growth. Combine attractive jobs with new techniques, libraries, and platforms that continue to

enable new ideas and you have a recipe for growth. An area I believe you are going to see a large amount of growth in the next few years is edge-deployed ML/AI models.” All said and done, the promise of EO is yet to be achieved in full measure. We are getting there but impediments remain. Antonides says that the limiting factors are cost, transparency, and trust. Many 4IR technologies are simply still too expensive to integrate into many consumer-level manufacturing and industry applications. Transparency and trust are related limitations. Many of these newer technologies rely on breakthroughs and science that are difficult to understand for many audiences. AI, in particular, invokes a broad set of connotations from the fantastical to the dystopian. “The rise of transparent AI, the ability to explain and understand the results from AI, highlights both the promise and challenges of this technology. Until these technologies are commonplace, or at least better understood, there will be hesitancy by many people to trust and openly rely on these technologies,” Antonides concludes. Prof. Arup Dasgupta Managing Editor

arup@geospatialworld.net

July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 17

UNINTERRUPTED GROWTH OF Investments Investments in Space-tech during the 12-month window leading up to Q1 of 2021 was 95% higher compared to the corresponding period a year before. The biggest gainers were the Launch, Data, and Downlink categories that witnessed more than 150% growth in investments, while the Beyond Earth category grew by an astounding 450%, but on a small base of just $50 million.

$8.7 bn

$2.7 bn

investments in the past 12 months

investments in Q1 2021

deals closed in Q1 2021

$850 mn

$7.2 bn

biggest deal

SPAC* mergers announced

committed to SPAC mergers

(SpaceX)

*SPAC: Special Purpose Acquisition Company

Category-wise investments The data category with respect to satellites and drones-based platforms collecting and transmitting data back to terra-stations attracted maximum investment. In this category, a total of 19 deals were closed in the Q1 of 2021 compared to 12 in the previous quarter. The growth in investment in the data category reflects the increasing demand for analytics and applications.

Data: $1.60 bn

$850 mn

$170 mn

US, (Satcoms)

US, (Drones & UAVs)

$61 mn

$400 mn

US, (Satellites—IoT)

UK, (Satcoms)

Launch: $411 mn

$77 mn

US, (Earth Observation)

$46 mn

China, (Drones & UAVs)

Product: $50 mn

$170 mn US, (Rockets)

$50 mn

US, (Data platforms)

Beyond Earth: $130 mn

$241 mn

Germany, (Flying taxis & Delivery) Source: Seraphim SpaceTech Venture Capital Index report 18 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

$130 mn

US, (Space logistics)

THE GLOBAL SPACE INDUSTRY $371 bn: Total global economy in 2020 Satellite services: $117.8 bn

Revenue: $271 bn 15.7 2.8

6.3

Satellite services

$5.3 bn Launch Industry

$135.3 bn

Satellite manufacturing

2.6

$5.3 bn

In 2020, a total of 114 orbital launches took place, out of which 94 were commercially procured launches.

40%

USA

2.1 bn

Radio Broadband Fixed Mobile 88.4

3.2 bn

Consumer Equipment (Satellite TV dishes, etc)

17.5

14.4 11% 13%

GNSS Equipment (GNSS devices, chipsets, etc)

103.4

SATELLITE MANUFACTURING:

Network Equipment (VSAT, Gateways, etc)

$12.2 bn

In 2020, a total of 1,194 satellites were launched, out of which 84% were for commercial communication, 11% were for Remote Sensing and the remaining 6% were for military surveillance, civil and military communication, scientific research, navigation, and satellite servicing. 64.75%

USA

7.9 bn Non-USA

Non-USA 60%

Remote Sensing

Ground equipment: $135.3 bn

76%

LAUNCH INDUSTRY:

Television

13% 3% 5% 75%

Ground equipment

$12.2 bn

35.25%

4.3 bn

Source: SIA: State of the Satellite Industry Report, 2021

Country-wise

USA $38.29 bn

China $11 bn

The big eight: Top spenders in Space program (2020)

European Union $9.52 bn

Russia $2.77 bn

Even as US continues to be the biggest spender in Space, China has underlined its ambitions by increasing its Space budget by approximately three times since the turn of the millennium.

Germany $ 1.96 bn

India $1.89 bn

Japan $ 1.69 bn

France $1.57 bn

Source: Africa in Space report, 2021

July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 19

Design: Pradeep Chauhan

$117.8 bn

Content: Nibedita Mohanta

Non-satellite industry: $100 bn

INTERVIEW

EOfactory.ai: Now Everyone Can Apply AI in Earth Observation

(From Pixels to Intelligence)

From data acquisition and processing, all the way to building BI dashboards, we have come a long way from a small-scale project solution provider to a global platform. We support both small/medium commercial clients and large enterprises, including government institutions, in translating big data pixels into actionable intelligence, says EOfactory.ai CEO Abhay Mittal, in an interview to Geospatial World. Can you tell us about EOfactory.ai and how it is different from other similar platforms in the market? Data is everywhere and it is increasing every day at an exponential rate, especially with the introduction of new optical, hyperspectral, micro-

wave, GHG, aerial platforms and drone sensors. With satellites, drones and aerial platforms being launched in global markets almost every month, how could we contribute to this unprecedented amount of data going to the users? One known fact is that many geospatial experts are domain experts, not programing experts; hence, we envisioned a platform that could help these professionals maximize the benefits of Earth Observation with Remote Sensing + GIS + Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Business Intelligence (BI) dashboards. The origin of EOfactory. ai's concept goes back to the days when I tried using desktop-based GIS and image processing software to generate relevant insights for an intuitive and visually appealing dashboard. The challenge was to find the right icons to click in an ocean of menus and options to select, without having the option to display such results on an optimized dashboard.

20 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Another challenge I faced was the expensive cost of acquiring such software. I saw this opportunity and gap in this market segment and launched EOfactory.ai as a unique virtual Earth Observation ‘factory’ on the Cloud connecting different stakeholders. With SaaS (software as a service) as the driver from the start, we built a powerful and scalable platform which allows for scaling up of processing. The goal was to bring in the state-ofthe-art technology framework that everyone could access and integrate to their workflows. We connect to multiple data sources and download them to shared workspaces where everyone can collaborate on to derive insights. We have built the architecture to support and run our AI/ML algorithms and processing at the data source to avoid unnecessary transfer of huge data volumes. It also protects the movement of data within the network. We also allow users to build their own AI models and run

INTERVIEW

With EOfactory. ai, domain-related experts can focus on their domain related workflows and use automation for some of the other repeatable tasks such as downloading imagery and preprocessing them on our EOfactory.ai platform, which gives researchers the confidence of protecting the algorithms and models of their own research work. With EOfactory.ai, domain experts can focus on their domain related workflows and use automation for some of the other repeatable tasks such as downloading imagery and preprocessing. We built a time-series management framework with an integrated open data cube storage. Time-series analytics together with Machine Learning capabilities allows us to support multiple workflows in sectors like agriculture, forestry, telecommunications, defense, etc. From data acquisition and processing all the way to building BI dashboards, we have come a long way from a small-scale project solution provider to a global platform supporting both small/medium commercial clients and large enterprises, including government institutions, in translating big data pixels into actionable intelligence. By operating on the Cloud, we are able to scale up and provide processing

power and efficiency much faster than traditional software. Using Kubernetes, we are able to cluster and scale up micro-services for specific workflows.

Can you tell us about some of the sectors in which you are currently operating, and the areas you will be targeting in the near future? We are currently focusing on agriculture and forestry sectors, using both satellite and drone data. We have also been doing some research and development work for construction and defense sectors. Although our platform caters to a wide range of industries, it is important that we stay focused on a couple of areas and deep dive into those sectors. Building workflows specifically to solve problems in agriculture and forestry sectors allows us to deliver solutions at the national level. We have built a community framework under which we will be launching programs for the communities to contribute to the development of other custom workflows. Our technology team is composed of data scientists in AI, Remote Sensing, GIS and BI to put it all together for, our users. Any functionality that is required for a specific workflow can be built and delivered in weekly sprints in an agile framework methodology that is applied in the platform. We derive insights from object detection and feature extraction as the two main drivers of the platform. Identifying multi-objects such as solar panels, planes,

22 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

ships, cars, swimming pools, trees and extracting features such as building footprints, landuse, landcover, crops, etc., are the building blocks of the workflows and models we establish for clients to extract value in an automated way from the vast source of relevant data. Prediction and risk analysis are two key areas we are currently working on.

How does EOfactory provide customized solutions to different stakeholders in the agriculture sector? EOfactory has developed its own workflows for the agriculture sector by generating automated farm level data, which is built using proprietary algorithms, and then generating monthly, fortnightly or weekly analytics on these farm level data. We have also integrated data capture through field surveys to the display of analytics on the dashboard. Through this application and the use of geo-tagging, we are able to collect details of farmers, plots, crops and their conditions. This information is connected to a web dashboard that provides a synoptic view of all field data that helps in staff management and monitoring. These solutions can be used by fertilizer, insurance, seed or other agencies which require farm monitoring. We are also exploring workflows to increase security and transparency at farm level by developing a framework for implementing largescale blockchain technology.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Enhanced I Viewing Experience Over the years, GIS has improved and scaledup to cope with maturing data, offering a totally different Earth Observation experience. By Nicholas Duggan

n the last century, scientists mapped the world through ground observations. It was on seeing veil-type clouds in the polar stratosphere that scientists set up the Halley Bay Observatory in Antarctica, which subsequently led to their observing a hole in the ozone layer. Little did they know that these ground observations with a Dobson spectrophotometer (which measures the total ozone by measuring the relative intensity of the Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation that reaches the Earth and comparing it to that of Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation at ground level) would lead to scientists from across the world coming together to address a global challenge.

July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 23

SPECIAL FEATURE

Those who grew up in the 1980s and '90s will not forget hearing the news of a growing, ominous ozone hole, which was going to become the size of Paris if the world didn’t change its ways. For many, the news that the world wasn’t going to last forever came as a shock; our self-indulgent ways needed to change. Today’s headlines are a reflection of those earlier news stories there are daily reports about rising tides and extreme heat, and the urgent need to consider our carbon footprint. The ozone crisis brought scientists together, although work was still very disparate and siloed due to the challenge of sharing large or complex data such as imagery. This was a time before the Internet and digitalization, and large amounts of data were shared through hard drives. When new information was discovered (especially at a global level), it would often take long periods of time to be validated. It wasn’t until the start of this century when the Internet had matured, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) started becoming available, that data could be shared in hours rather than weeks from sources across the globe.

Change in demand At the same time, the ESA (European Space Administration) and NASA had started to launch satellites

Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) and Machine Learning (ML) have started to make changes in the amount of work required to gain insights and run models from this data too. into orbit with the intention of capturing imagery from Space, one of the first being GOME — Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment. This was a high-resolution spectrometer that could capture data at a global scale over time. At that time, this was ground-breaking, even though it captured data in 40km cells — a far cry from the 1km or better data that we use today. As data matured, the demand for GIS and ways of managing this data matured. Satellite sensors improved, Remote Sensing became easier and national mapping agencies started to digitize their paper products to provide topographic context to the emerging climate and meteorological data. For a geospatial specialist, it was a time akin to herding cats — data was evolving quickly and there were many definitive sources appearing by the day. Without Cloud storage, many companies were stacking hard drives and filling up servers full of data. Back then, it was not uncommon to visit another GIS team and see a shelf-full of hard drives labelled with different data.

A different picture With time, GIS enabled larger and more complex Remote Sensing. With tools like QGIS and ArcMap incorporating statistical modeling and more complex raster spatial analysis tools, it was possible to start gaining insights on a global scale. In 2005, a well-known group called GEO (Group on Earth Observations) was created to facilitate access to Earth Observation (EO) data due to the rising demand for policy-making.

Science modules of the Halley VI Antarctic Research Station 24 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Modern EO in GIS is a totally different picture. There is data available in near real-time from almost all authoritative bodies. At present, NASA has

around six satellites in orbit providing high-resolution data in GIS format. Let’s take the example of Sentinel 5P: it provides data on stratospheric ozone, air quality, and climate change monitoring. The horizontal resolution of the data is 7.5m for a single cell of information. To put it into context, this is over 5,000 times more detailed than the ESA satellite a decade ago. Today, EO data is close to saturation; there is information and data everywhere. In fact, it is starting to become difficult to validate sources. Even software providers like Esri have data hubs where they share current and relevant EO data.

NO2 density as measured by GOME-2

Multiple data types What is amazing is that with our Cloud connectivity and high-access Internet, it is possible to get near real-time data on any part of the global geophysical system. With wave, sea-level or currents data, there are buoys that return real-time data on the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) or NOC (National Oceanography Centre) websites, or satellite data from NASA. For climate data, there are air quality sensors all over the globe that can be interpolated and accessed hourly from places like the UK air-quality network or from the Sentinel 5 satellite data on the NASA website. Further, there are elevation data, imagery data, light emission data, and even coastal erosion data, all available instantly on a global scale. GIS has improved and scaled-up to cope with this data explosion. Running QGIS on the Cloud allows servers with much more powerful cores and RAM to analyze the data faster than any desktop machine. Esri employs a Cloud system called ArcGIS Online that allows for Cloud processing, so that these larger modeling and analysis can be run faster. GIS providers have also integrated programming and statistical languages, Python and R. This means that models and scripts can be geospatially enabled, or geospatial context data can be considered within a framework with which the user is familiar.

Emergence of GeoAI Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) and Machine Learning (ML) have started to make

NO2 density as measured by Sentinel-5

changes in the amount of work required to gain insights and run models from this data too. By using ML to understand different patterns and models, we can use GeoAI and regression to make much more detailed predictions. If the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technique of super resolution is used to sharpen the images, the 7.5m accuracy can be reduced to 1m or less. The value in Earth Observation data lies in not only understanding climate risk, but also how it influences so many other data. When considering construction, data like carbon emission, weather, flooding, and more are important to understand the impact on a project. This also goes for event planning, transport planning, and even farming. Using this EO data is becoming invaluable in providing cost saving, lowering carbon impact, and understanding the impact of industries on the world around us. Nicholas Duggan Consulting Editor, Spatial Analytics and Location Intelligence nicholas@geospatialworld.net July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 25

INTERVIEW

Leveraging satellite imagery is crucial to achieving UNEP methane abatement targets. Satellites give us the fullest picture of methane emissions available to date. The largest methane dumps — the ones that have the worst impact on the climate — do not occur continuously, but are inherently intermittent and can occur at any time and from virtually anywhere around the planet. The only way to track them is through monitoring satellites. It so happens that these monstrous methane dumps can also be easily avoided, so the potential payoff from this detection capacity is phenomenal.

How have Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) transformed the data analytics market globally?

ANALYTICS BRIDGING DATA DIVIDE Until recently, the industrial world was split between data ‘have-nots’ who had to rely on lagged and patchy government data, and a small elite of data ‘haves’ made up of large industrial players and trading giants who sat on a great wealth of proprietary data, explains Antoine Halff, Co-founder and Chief Analyst at Kayrros. By Avneep Dhingra The Global Methane Assessment report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggests that human-caused methane emissions can be reduced by up to 45% this decade. How can integration of satellite imagery with other data help in achieving this target? 26 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

The market transparency made possible by AI and ML would have been unthinkable a few years ago. The amount of data that can be processed has prodigiously increased. At Kayrros, we monitor more than 200,000 assets and process 5 billion position data points per day. This could not be achieved without more than 100 Remote Sensing and data fusion algorithms powered by AI and ML. Until recently, even sophisticated market participants and industrial actors had to rely on reported data that were incredibly time-consuming and cumbersome to collect and disseminate, let alone process. These data were often of questionable accuracy. Almost by design, they tended to miss the most dynamic geographies and fastest-moving sectors. Today, our capacity to monitor and digitally replicate the physical world is virtually limitless. We can make tangible things that previously escaped human detection. There is also an element of increased reactiveness. Change detection algorithms applied to satellite images and natural language processing are used to detect and anticipate market disruptions with higher precision than ever before. Real-time monitoring often blurs the line between observation and short-term forecasting. Some physical developments have predictable impacts on industrial operations or commodities pricing. For example, real-time crude oil inventories are a good leading indicator of oil price changes, while monitoring maintenance operations at refineries give reliable estimates of the restart dates of idled units.

It’s clear that the future of geospatial data lies in linkages such as the ones that we have established with government and multilateral agencies like ESA How do insight algorithms fuse data from multiple Remote Sensing sources, and how has that impacted areas like energy, environment, and natural resource management? Every single Remote Sensing hardware technology has pluses and minuses. There is always a trade-off between spatial resolution, temporal resolution, sensitivity, coverage, cost, etc. Insight algorithms overcome these constraints by seamlessly blending inputs from various sources, taking the best from each one of them for optimal results. This is like oil refiners blending different grades of crude oil, each with its own chemical and physical properties, to optimize their yields and achieve the perfect specifications for their refined products. Every data source brings something to the table. In many cases, combining different sources brings more accuracy and context to the data. For example, when monitoring a construction site, high resolution images are necessary to identify each building. But in certain conditions, such as a cloudy day, the visibility of the satellite may be affected, and that’s where radar imagery can cut through the noise. On top of that, input from geolocation data helps identify the various working crews and their purpose, and natural language processing of social media posts can validate the detection of various events, weed out false positives or otherwise add context to satellite detections.

Kayrros has a history of working with government agencies, including ESA, on multiple projects. How is the publicprivate-partnership environment in Europe, and are there policies in place to encourage such engagements? It’s clear that the future of geospatial data lies in linkages such as the ones that we have established with government and multilateral agencies like ESA. Startups like Kayrros bring to the world of data nimbleness, creativity, a wealth of academic and

industry expertise and experience, and a responsiveness to private sector needs that are virtually impossible to replicate in the public sector. But our work benefits tremendously from public sector support and open-access raw data from public satellites. Indeed, our use of publicly available data from ESA, NASA and others is part of our value proposition and is the cornerstone of the verifiability and trustworthiness of our measurements. Until recently the industrial world was essentially split between data ‘have-nots’ who had to rely on lagged and patchy government data, and a small elite of data ‘haves’ made up of large industrial players and trading giants who sat on a great wealth of proprietary data. Advanced data analytics are bridging this divide by extending the reach of government and public data. Not only are we making available to smaller players the kind of transparency that was long restricted to dominant actors, we are actually pushing the boundaries of transparency far beyond what any one actor could achieve on their own, while exposing the performance of individual actors to a level of public scrutiny and accountability that never existed before. The potential implications of this revolution in data transparency are not lost on anyone, least of all public institutions like ESA.

The term satellite data is often associated with low-resolution optical imagery, which has limitations. Can you tell us how do you use a mix of technologies to address this concern? Not all satellites are low resolution; some provide high resolution images up to 30cm, which we regularly use. Very high resolution images come with a big price tag, which makes them prohibitive to acquire for every location on a daily basis. On the other hand, most open-source data are lower resolution images. So, there always tends to be a trade-off between spatial resolution and revisit time, or temporal resolution. Machine Learning helps address this through image processing innovation by combining the respective advantages of all types of hardware. By training our models, we can detect changes with high reliability on low resolution images, with a result that is extremely cost-competitive with any other technology. July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 27

POLICY MATTERS

LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH Public policies across countries have played a key role in the emergence and expansion of the Earth Observation market. By Avneep Dhingra

he satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) segment of the Space industry has witnessed uninterrupted growth in the last few years. The global EO market was valued at $2.74 billion in 2019, and it is expected to reach $4.42 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 8.5% (Satellite-based Earth Observation Market — Growth, Trends, Forecast — 2020-2025: Research and Markets). The market growth can be attributed to the value-added solutions offered by EO data to the economy and society. Among other factors, public policies across countries have played, and will continue to play, a key role in this growth story. Let’s find out how.

Consistent efforts With more than half (52.1%) of Space-tech companies on its

soil, the US is an undisputed leader in Space (SpaceTech Industry 2021 / Q2 Landscape Overview). This ecosystem hasn’t appeared out of thin air. Over the years, a series of public policy decisions have ensured the emergence and expansion of a thriving private industry. For EO players, the 2003 policy on commercial Remote Sensing was a game changer of sorts. “When the last national Space policy on commercial Remote Sensing was issued in 2003, there were just three high-resolution satellite imagery providers. Now, there are more than 119 licenses issued for more than 1,000 imaging satellites,” says Kari Bingen, Chief Strategy Officer at HawkEye 360. Spurred by unprecedented private sector innovation and investment, the EO market continues to not only grow at a rapid pace, but

28 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

also produces new capabilities that were once only achieved by governments, such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Radio Frequency (RF) monitoring, and other phenomenologies.

On May 19, 2020, Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, announced the release of the final rule for commercial Remote Sensing licensing at the meeting of the National Space Council

“The 2003 decision made it the policy of the government to ‘rely to the maximum practical extent on US commercial Remote Sensing Space capabilities’ for both national security and civil needs. The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act advances many of the same principles,” adds Bingen. Now that economic

factors that were limiting in 2003 — such as development and launch costs — have been cleared out of the way, commercial providers have become more capable of meeting the needs of both government customers and a broad array of commercial and international security interests.

Supporting private players In the recent past, EO in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space program has enjoyed the lion’s share of budgetary allocation and has extensively focused on, among other things, climate monitoring. The Agency’s commitment to galvanize change in the EO market by bringing in private players was affirmed by its Director General Dr. Josef Aschbacher, who, in an interview with Geospatial World earlier this year, said, “We are looking to simplify procedures, speed-up processes and help small and young companies work with us in a much simpler way.” The European Union (EU) has also played an important role in

shaping the region’s EO market and a classic example of that is the Copernicus Program. “EU has done a pretty good job in supporting the Space industry in general. A great example of that is the Copernicus Program and all the satellites that ESA has funded, launched, and made the data available to everybody. The economic value that has been generated on top of that data by companies that are building solutions or providing consulting services is enormous. So, a large part of the EO industry has been built on this decision. In addition to that, ESA has put a lot of programs in place to fund business initiatives, thereby helping the market develop,” says Sean Wiid, CEO, UP42. According to Wiid, what’s really exciting is not necessarily what has already happened in the past, but what’s happening now. “To start with, you have a massive expansion of the Copernicus Program. Europe has just agreed on the new Space Support Program under the umbrella of Horizon Europe, which is

Courtesy: Copernicus

In May 2020, the Department of Commerce released a new set of regulations to support US leadership in the commercial satellite Remote Sensing industry, which received a thumbs up from private players. The National Space Policy in December 2020 recognized the significance of the rapidly growing commercial Space industry and called for enhancing America’s leadership in Space commerce without compromising on security. “The significant changes made to the licensing of private Remote Sensing Space Systems’ regulation in 2020 have most certainly opened up the commercialization and democratization of EO in the US. With the removal of constraints on commercialization of high and super high-resolution imagery, Earth Observation imagery outfits are incentivized to further innovate and deliver. This change, sharing a similar sentiment with the changes made to the Kyl-Bingaman Act (though still stipulating a resolution limit), signalled a significant shift to recognize and encourage innovation, while also levelling the playing field for organizations in the Space sector,” says Matthew Tirman, President at Satellogic North America.

The launch of the Copernicus program played a crucial role in developing Europe’s Earth Observation market July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 29

POLICY MATTERS

intended to support the entire emerging Space industry from 2021 to 2027 through a series of measures, including a €1 billion ($1.18 billion) seed and growth fund for NewSpace startups in Europe,” he adds.

Bridging gap, sharing resources In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, the Indian government has taken several major steps to introduce a liberalized regulatory regime for Space activities. Last year, the government announced its decision to promote commercialization of Space by encouraging private participation. The announcement was followed by two key developments — setting up of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which was to bridge the gap between the government and private companies, and the decision to allow private players to use the infrastructure and facilities of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). “The announcement to set up IN-SPACe along with

startup-friendly policies is a step in the right direction. We strongly believe that this is the turning point for private Space in India. Liberalized regulations will play a key role in enabling innovation, and allow Indian companies to compete globally. The Union Budget 2021/22 also allocated ₹13,949 crore ($1.9 billion), a 3.8% increase in funds for the development of the Space sector as compared to last year,” emphasizes Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO, Pixxel, an Indian Space-tech startup. According to industry players, the government’s engagement with the private sector in the last one year has indicated its intent to promote commercialization. “The government has been working extensively on developing new Remote Sensing policies as the previous policies were not conducive to the commercialization of the Space sector. The engagement between the private and public sector has increased, and the government is much more receptive to collaboration with private players in

On May 16, 2020, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced giving the private sector a role in India's Space program, including in satellites, launches and Space-based services 30 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Catching Up With a budget of $1.69 billion in 2020, Japan is the fifth largest spender in the Space sector, and has been making steady progress in the field of Earth Observation. In 2016, the country introduced the Satellite Remote-Sensing Act and the Space Activities Act. According to Makoto Higashi, former Japan Space Imaging Corp. CEO and President, Japan is the world’s second largest market for EO data.

other areas as well. The recent announcements have acted as a positive signal to the investors and have increased their interest in Indian Space,” says Abhilasha Purwar, Founder and CEO, Blue Sky Analytics. India’s draft Space-based Remote Sensing Policy (SpaceRS Policy 2020) along with draft Norms, Guidelines and Procedures (SpaceRS NGP 2020) are aimed at enabling wider stakeholder participation), and ease of data access. Narayan Prasad, Chief Operations Officer, satsearch, feels that the current generation of Indian entrepreneurs have the advantage of the ISRO supplier base that they can tap into, as well as huge human resources that are trained in Space. “There is also a very welloiled software industry ecosystem that creates interesting conver-

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POLICY MATTERS

gence for companies to then leverage that to create unique products and services out of India,” he says.

Facilitating development With the second highest Space budget in the world, China’s intent to dominate the Space sector is an open secret. Shortly after becoming President in March 2013, Xi Jinping made his ambitions for China’s Space program very clear by saying, “Developing the Space program and turning the country into a Space power is the Space dream that we have continuously pursued. The Space dream is part of the dream to make China stronger.”

According to reports, the Chinese authorities have been working on expanding and sharing the country’s capacity for EO by developing sensors, platforms, and launch capabilities in tandem with growing lunar and deep Space exploration. The country has simultaneously been working on its capabilities in processing and transforming EO data into useful and practical information. Programs such as the Big Earth Data Science

Courtesy: Weibo

A joint report released by the National Earth Observation Data Center (NODA) and the ChinaGEOSS Data Sharing Network in 2019 suggests that from April 1970 (when China launched its first man-made EO satellite

named ‘Dong Fang Hong I’) to December 2018, the country had launched more than 200 satellites, including over 60 EO satellites. About 67% of EO organizations in China were established between 2000 and 2015, and more than one-third of them were commercial enterprises. In the last two decades, China is learnt to have made a large portion of its EO data openly available, thereby facilitating the growth of a competitive EO market.

For the global EO market to contribute to its true potential, governments would have to continuously work on making policies simpler and more effective. Engineering Program (CASEarth) provide opportunities to integrate data and develop “Big Earth Data” platforms to add value to data through analysis and integration. Recently, China successfully launched the Gaofen-12 (02) satellite, marking the latest in a line of high resolution satellites to boost its EO capabilities.

Likely future As the global population takes on the challenges of climate change, disaster prevention and mitigation, and food security in the coming years, the demand for EO data will only increase. However, for the global EO market to contribute to its true potential, governments would have to continuously work on making policies simpler and more effective. Considering the ongoing global trend, we are certainly going to witness more progressive policies aimed at social, economic, and environmental growth through Earth Observation. Avneep Dhingra Associate Editor Policy & Public Affairs

Technicians working on the Dong Fang Hong I 32 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

avneep@geospatialworld.net

EXPERT OPINION

Weaponization & Militarization of Space With the launch of military communication satellites, Space began to be used for military purposes, therein it was militarized without overt announcements. By Lt. Gen. Balraj Singh Nagal.

he Outer Space Treaty of 1967 bans the placing of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in outer Space. It also prohibits military activities on celestial bodies, but allows legally binding rules governing the peaceful exploration and use of Space. The treaty does not define “weapons of mass destruction”, and does not prohibit the launching of ballistic missiles, which could be armed with any type of warheads. This lacunae or omission allows the use of Space by transitory vehicles armed with nuclear weapons, WMD, electronic systems, energy platforms or kinetic systems. These transitory vehicles can turn into weapon platforms during the flight period. It is paradoxical that the term weapon remains elusive to definition in the context of Space, because any object traversing through Space can become a weapon subject to the intention of the user.

Increasing range of tasks, missions With the launch of military communication satellites, Space

The world is today witnessing a Space weaponization capability building race, with little or no hope of an agreement to ensure Space security

began to be used for military purposes, therein it was militarized without overt announcements. Since then, militaries around the world have been using satellites for a host of requirements. Early warning helps ensure force protection, determine intentions of the adversary, movement of enemy forces, and provides vital information on missile launches. One of the most crucial tasks satellites perform is to detect and notify of missile attacks, so that defensive or offensive operations can be planned in response. Space-based sensors usually provide the first indication of a launch, and ground-based radars provide follow-on information and confirm the attack. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) are crucial for situational awareness, which includes the current knowledge of the location of adversary forces on land, air, sea or Space, and

the ability to track and predict its future location. It also includes understanding of the intent. Planning and decision-making are the vital functions to be supported by Space-based assets. Environmental monitoring enables meteorological forecasting and mission planning. Navigation and positioning enable weapon guidance, precision strikes, tracking of forces or search and rescue missions. Communication is the core element of consultation, command and control. Space has thus become an all-pervading domain capable of shaping, changing, synchronizing, coordinating, controlling, and monitoring communication and surveillance during peace and war. Certain actions by satellites and unmanned vehicles in Space have created uncertainty about the motives of nations in deploying these systems in an opaque July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 33

EXPERT OPINION

manner, under the cover of experimental work or repair tasks, indicating at weaponization. The range of tasks and missions will increase as technology provides greater capabilities in the future.

Evolving threat Simply put, weaponization means placing of weapons or devices with destructive capability into the orbit. However, this may not be the case in the future, because the anti-satellite missiles (ASAT) capabilities demonstrated by four nations recently did not need any system in orbit; these were ground-based missiles launched to destroy satellites in orbit. Hence, ground-based systems that can attack, disable, divert or blind Space-based assets also constitute weaponization of Space. Another grey area is the dual-use systems which can be used for offensive and defensive purposes. Currently, the threat to Spacebased systems arises from development in various fields. Further, nations can use offensive cyberspace capabilities to enable a range of reversible to non-revers-

ible effects against Space systems, associated ground infrastructure, users, and the links connecting them. Directed energy weapons (DEW) can use directed energy to disrupt, damage, or destroy enemy equipment and facilities, these effects can range from temporary to permanent, and may include lasers, high-power microwaves, and other types of radio-frequency weapons. Electronic warfare includes using jamming and spoofing techniques to control the electromagnetic spectrum. Uplink jamming is directed toward the satellite and impairs services for all users in the satellite reception area. Downlink jamming has a localized effect because it is directed at ground users, such as a ground forces unit using satellite navigation to determine their location. Spoofing deceives the receiver by introducing a fake signal with erroneous information. Kinetic energy threats, or ASAT, are designed to destroy satellites without placing the weapon system or any of its components into orbit. These systems typically consist of a

fixed or mobile launch system, a missile, and a kinetic kill vehicle. These weapons could also be launched from aircraft. Orbital or Space-based systems are satellites that can deliver temporary or permanent effects against other spacecraft. These systems could include payloads, such as kinetic kill vehicles, radio-frequency jammers, lasers, chemical sprayers, high-power microwaves, and robotic mechanisms. Some of these systems, such as robotic technology for satellite servicing and repair and debris removal, have peaceful uses, but can also be used for military purposes.

Future security concern In the past decades, proposals on Space security have been put forward by many countries and organizations, including the European Union, the UN Group of Governments, Russia, China and the UK, though progress has eluded the subject at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and other forums. There has been an increase in the number of nations with interest in Space, leading to power rivalries, and the consequent failure to make common ground on Space security to prevent its militarization and weaponization. We are now in a Space weaponization capabilitybuilding race, with little or no hope of an agreement to ensure Space security. Lt Gen Balraj Singh Nagal PVSM, AVSM, SM (Retd)

The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 banned the placing of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in outer Space 34 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Was Commander-In-Chief of Strategic Forces Command; Chief, Strategic Programme Staff; Director General, Operational Logistics; and Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

DATA WAS, ANALYTICS IS, THE NEW OIL

Courtesy: NASA and USGS

Technology innovation and the decreasing cost of data processing are fuelling the demand for actionable intelligence across sectors. By Meenal Dhande

ata is the new oil. It’s valuable, but if unrefined, it cannot really be used. It has to be changed into gas, plastic, chemicals, etc., to create a valuable entity that drives profitable activity; so data must be broken down, analyzed for it to have value.” These are the words of famous British mathematician and data science entrepreneur Clive Humby, who coined the phrase “data is the new oil” in 2006. In 2011, the Senior Vice President of Gartner, Peter Sondergaard, took this concept further. “Information is the oil of the 21st century and analytics is the combustion engine,” he said. Today, “analytics is the new oil.” Raw data, especially Earth Observation (EO) data, has been proliferating for years, with an increasing number of satellites being launched every year. However, not too long ago, it became obvious that without the expertise to extract actionable intelligence from this data, it was impossible to fully leverage its potential. “Hidden within the growing flood of data are the answers to a multitude of questions about agricultural yield, mining rates, deforestation, mass migration, climate change, factory production, new road and building construction, and most other aspects of societal and economic change. The role of analytics is to pull focused, actionable insights from this flood of data. As our world increases in complexity and its rate of change increases,

July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 35

INDUSTRY TRENDS

this role becomes more and more critical,” explains Orbital Insight Founder, James Crawford. From here on, the demand for analytics is only going to rise. “As the need for satellite derived data and information increases and more data is being made available and delivered, surely the demand for highly targeted and specialized analytics service will only rise in the future,” says European Space Imaging’s Managing Director, Adrian Zevenbergen.

Market forecast & key drivers The EO market is undergoing multiple disruptions. Satellite-based EO is offering valueadded solutions to businesses across sectors, thereby fuelling market growth. According to a report by Industry Research, the global satellite-based EO market is likely to be worth $4.51 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 13% from 2020 to 2024. In the imagery segment, the emergence of small companies and startups are bringing a great deal of diversity and are leading

Raw data, especially Earth Observation (EO) data, has been proliferating for years, with an increasing number of satellites being launched every year. However, not too long ago, it became obvious that without the expertise to extract actionable intelligence from this data, it was impossible to fully leverage its potential. to an increase in demand for EO data analytics. “The boom in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings that provide analytics, dashboards, and insights into targeted types of data will continue. I believe that SaaS data platforms will lower the barriers of entry to enable more companies to expand their use of analytics,” says Brett Antonides, Vice President of Apps, Analytics and Visualization, Arturo. Liz Derr, Co-Founder and CEO, Simularity, feels that today, customers are more interested in analytics services than anything else. “They want answers, not anomaly images. If geospatial analysis is to make it into the commercial sphere, tools, appli-

cations, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that make analysts more productive and help automate report generation would be key drivers of success.” Already, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Cloud Computing are driving new EO application areas. “Planet Labs alone captures over 15 TB of data each day — an amount that would be impossible for someone to manually sift through, even with large teams of analysts. Advances in AI and computer vision let us cut through the noise and the volume. We can teach these systems to automatically identify and classify a variety of

Secret Behind Success

X-as-a-Service

(X – Software, Ground Stations, Platform)

4IR technologies

(AI/ML, Robotics, Cloud Computing)

36 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Small and Nano Satellites

Decreasing price, increasing availability of imagery

Emergence of new players

useful things like roads, buildings, vessels or areas of change. This enables those experts and analysts to spend their time on what really matters,” says Brian Hernacki, Senior Vice President, Software, at Planet Labs.

Traditional End-user Segment Defense and Internal Security Weighted average on a scale of 1 to 5

Disaster Management Infrastructure and Engineering

According to Crawford, it would take approximately eight million people to look at the entire satellite imagery of the earth every day. “By using AI and data science, we can count and identify cars, trucks, planes, railcars, and new roads and buildings all over the world, aggregate the results, and highlight anomalies to the human analysts,” he says. These technologies are also helping lower the cost of analysis, making EO Intelligence available to new sets of users for their monitoring needs. The reducing cost, and easy availability of relatively high-resolution optical, multi spectral, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is further making EO Intelligence viable for the business community.

Energy and Power

standardization in this field helped to drastically reduce costs and increase the number of companies investing in EO satellites,” says Zevenbergen. This has resulted in more launches every year. From a commercial perspective, it opens new opportunities for services and products that require high revisit rates. However, capturing Very High-Resolution (VHR) imagery still requires larger satellites. “But those are becoming lighter, more standardized satellites operating as part of constellations. Increasingly, we see users adopting strat-

egies to benefit from the combination of traditional assets and small satellite constellations,” he adds.

Application areas Currently, the maximum demand for satellite-based EO data comes from traditional end-users, such as defense, infrastructure and engineering, agriculture, disaster management, and energy and power. Experts believe that these sectors will continue to be the biggest consumers of EO data and analytics. However, a whole new set of application areas are now opening up. “Outside defense,

Courtesy: ICEYE

“Small satellite constellations and in general, the technical

Agriculture

ICEYE's analysis of Louisiana flashflood July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 37

INDUSTRY TRENDS

New Users

Climate Change & Environment Monitoring

Humanitarian Operations

we are seeing interest in areas like international dispute monitoring, ecological and climate change, natural disasters, encroachment, and government accountability,” highlights Derr. Crawford says the new applications range from detecting and preventing deforestation, increasing national security, to tracking the impact of COVID-19 on factory production. Acquiring, processing, and interpreting large amounts of data in less time through automated means is also making it possible to use satellite-based EO data in areas like insurance and emergency response, which were earlier dependent on in situ observations. For instance, ICEYE’s flood monitoring solution for the insurance market is

Mining

Insurance

about knowing which buildings are flooded and what is the extent of the loss. Arturo, too, is using EO analytics for the insurance sector. The company’s roof analytics alone can save insurers considerable time and money when compared to sending a person to physically inspect a roof or deploying someone to manually inspect the imagery. “As the world begins to rebound from the global pandemic, we are seeing shifts in the labor force. Whether these shifts are due to a change in perspective after lengthy lockdowns, perturbations in labor supply due to pent-up demand, or other factors, it’s a disruptive event that creates an opportunity for companies that can leverage analytics to get a leg up on their

Acquiring, processing, and interpreting large amounts of data in less time through automated means is also making it possible to use satellite-based EO data in areas like insurance and emergency response, which were earlier dependent on in-situ observations. 38 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Supply Chain and Logistics

competitors, and expands the market for companies offering analytics capabilities into these segments,” adds Antonides.

Challenges As of today, the forecast for satellite-based EO data and analytics looks bright. However, there is a flipside to it. There are various industries that are untapped or have not realized the full potential of satellite data services and applications. A lot of work needs to be done to foster adoption through product awareness and education. “The biggest challenge today is that potential users are not aware of the power of satellite analytics and/or do not know how to use the tools. Further, many prospective users, such as supply chain managers, are often not even aware that geospatial analytics can be used, for example, to track the manufacturing activities of their suppliers, customers, and competitors,” says Crawford. “One of the biggest challenges surely is understanding the exact needs of the end-user market in

order to develop services delivering truly valuable insights. The possibilities seem endless, but the challenge will be to offer the right service to the right user,” adds Zevenbergen. Many of the newer technologies, which help in extracting actionable intelligence from satellite data, rely on breakthroughs in science that are difficult to understand for several audiences. “AI in particular invokes a broad set of connotations from the fantastical to the dystopian,” says Antonides.

is a clear decline from the 13% growth mentioned earlier. The main reason behind this drop is the presence of open data, like EOSDIS from the US, Copernicus from Europe, etc., and increasing use of alternative EO technologies, such as UAVs. Though these are challenges for the commercial market, they may lead to greater democratization of EO data.

Clear future There are endless possibilities of benefits to society from satellite-based EO. With higher spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution, the future of EO is bright. Derr says that freely available satellite imagery and

Courtesy: REUTERS

Satellite-based EO is also facing tough competition from within the larger EO industry. As per a report by Mordor Intelligence, the global satellite-based EO market was valued at $2.74 billion in 2019, and it is expected to reach $4.42 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 8.5% from 2020 to 2025, which

There are endless possibilities of benefits to society from satellite-based EO. With higher spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution, the future of EO is bright. open source tools can be used by researchers, scientists, local governments, non-profits, and smaller organizations to gain a level of situational awareness that they have not had previously. “Growing this market with affordable analysis is important if EO companies want to diversify their customer base so that their revenues and success aren’t completely controlled by politicians and military budgets.” The use of satellite imagery enables a wholesome understanding of issues and establishes analysis-based imperatives for necessary decision-making, thereby bringing together the bio-physical world and social elements. Whether commercial, strategic or developmental, the EO outputs are getting more and more enmeshed in every sphere of economic and social life on the planet. If we are going to take on some of the biggest challenges facing Earth in the near future, we need Remote Sensing to cover that much ground. “In the future, these applications will provide more and more focused information for specific target markets and be highly automated,” sums up Zevenbergen. Meenal Dhande

A combination of images, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites, shows the snow deficit affecting the Andes mountain range in South America. EO data provide answers to a multitude of questions concerning climate change

Sr. Assistant Editor Defense & Intelligence meenal@geospatialworld.net July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 39

INTERVIEW

COMPLEMENTING, NOT COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER

The collaborative approach adopted by the Indian companies will enable them bag more international contracts and attract foreign OEMs, explains SM Vaidya, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Aerospace, in an interview to Geospatial World. It has been roughly over a year since the Government of India announced Space reforms to encourage private participation in Space. What has changed on the ground in terms of innovation, investment and opportunities, and what does the future hold? The gestation period for any such major decision, particularly for Space projects run solely by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under the Department of Science (DOS), is high. In my opinion, it is too early for us to see a visible impact on ground. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down all activities, limited the funds, and hampered the approvals necessary for projects that were identified for private participation. From zero involvement of private industry in project management, materials management,

40 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

design simulation analysis, final integration assembly testing launch to handing over the complete program, it is a big step which will require adherence to several international treaties. For all these years, the industry was involved in manufacturing and pre-assemblies or at the most, setting up a few ground test facilities. So, moving forward, private players will have a lot to learn. I think the industry has understood this and without waiting for a formal announcement, it has started preparing for larger responsibilities that will be shared in the near future. The formation of consortiums, clusters and joint ventures is on the cards, while micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups are progressing well and attracting investments. Space companies from all over the globe are actively exploring possible partnerships in India.

Has the creation of IN-SPACe successfully bridged the gap between the government and private companies, and what kind of challenges does the industry face today? As I have mentioned earlier, it is too early for IN-SPACe to bring in a visible difference, but the approach has been well received by the industry. ISRO will be focussing on research and development (R&D) and IN-SPACe will manage production and provide services which were earlier provided by ISRO. This will encourage private

participation, though the extent of privatization is not yet clear as the policy on intellectual property is still awaited.

Can you share a few emerging trends in the Indian Space sector, and how are they in line with the global trends? A substantial number of startups along with the readiness of the industry to take bigger risks is a good sign. Focusing not only on what is produced in India, but also on what is currently being

Can you throw light on your company in terms of its history, current projects and future plans? Godrej started its Aerospace journey in 1985. In over three decades, we have learned how to develop technologies, create infrastructure, and train manpower for liquid engines, satellite thrusters and control module components. Godrej Aerospace contributed to the prestigious Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions, amongst others. We developed 7.5 meters Remote Sensing antennas for

For all these years, the industry was involved in manufacturing and pre-assemblies or at the most, setting up a few ground test facilities. So, moving forward, private players will have a lot to learn. I think the industry has understood this and without waiting for a formal announcement, it has started preparing for larger responsibilities that will be shared in the near future imported is another significant change which is in line with the global trend. This will bring in more Indian content and will ensure sustainability. The Indian companies have clearly understood that there is no point in competing with each other, and so, they have started complementing each other. This collaborative approach will take care of the problem of lower volumes at higher investments. Further, the Indian companies will be able to bag more international contracts, and will attract foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to invest in India.

ground stations. Currently, we are developing semi-cryogenic subsystems and high-thrust satellite propulsion systems with ISRO and are also supporting startups in developing green propulsion. Our operations are expanding to a new location near Mumbai, with a greenfield project for advance manufacturing and assembly and integration facilities. We are also setting up capabilities for build-tospec and ground testing facilities. This will help us participate in both R&D and production phases. We are also investing in state-of-the-art facilities for manufacturing and upgrading our execution systems with Internet of Things (IoT). July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 41

STARTUP SPACE

A Breath of Fresh Air for Indian Startups The policy decisions announced by the Indian government in the last one year have created a new hope in the Indian Space-tech startup ecosystem. By Bhavna Sharma

ith the intent to be among the top Space-tech countries in the world, India is working rigorously on developing a series of Space missions like Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, PSLV, SSLV, among others. According to reports, the Indian Space sector currently accounts for just 3% of the global Space market, with Space application services (45%) and ground equipment (48%) occupying the majority share. In order to boost innovation in the sector and encourage private players to participate in the Indian Space, the government has announced a series of policy measures in the last one year. While these announcements have been welcomed by the entire sector, one particular segment, that of Indian Space-tech startups, is particularly cheerful.

At present, there are over 350 active Space startups in India working on various projects

ranging from rocket engines to in-Space propulsion systems. Geospatial World got in touch with some of these companies to understand what had changed in the last one year, and what is likely to change in the coming future.

LENDING A HELPING HAND

Dreaming big

Upper House of the Indian

“The changes in the policy by the Government of India are a breath of fresh air for the Indian Space startup ecosystem. The Draft Remote Sensing Policy by the Department of Space, the new geospatial guidelines by the Department of Science and Technology, and the Space Activities Bill are a step in the right direction,” emphasizes Sanjay Nekkanti, Founder of Dhruva Space, a Hyderabad-based startup involved in aerospace manufacturing. The company is focusing on developing small satellites in the commercial, government and academic markets. “With these policies, the key takeaway for the industry is the focus and promotion of Indian

42 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

In a written reply to the Parliament last year, Union Minister of Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh said, “The government will allow them (Indian Space companies) to utilise those infrastructures of Indian Space Research Organisation which are otherwise not available elsewhere in India, and there will be reasonable charges for utilisation of government infrastructure which will be varying, depending on the requirement.” Since availability of funds is a concern for the Indian Space-tech startups, the announcement came as a landmark decision.

companies and indigenous solutions,” Nekkanti adds. Bellatrix, a Bangalore-based startup found in 2015, is focused on advanced in-Space propulsion systems and rocket propulsion technologies. The company’s CEO and Co-founder, Rohan Ganapathy feels that the recent announcements by the government have actually “encouraged Indian startups to dream big and take up more ambitious missions from the Indian soil”. He says, “In the next few years, we will see many Indian companies working on disruptive Space technologies. At Bellatrix, we ourselves decided to start a new project to develop orbital transportation

vehicles (Space taxis) with the confidence that there will not be regulatory challenges.” Also based in Bangalore is Pixxel, a Space-tech startup founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal in February 2019. The only Asian startup to qualify for the 2019 Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator in Los Angeles, Pixxel partnered with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to launch its Remote Sensing satellite on a PSLV rocket. The company is now working on launching the “world’s highest resolution hyperspectral satellite constellation”. “The policies we

had in place earlier were years behind that of other countries. For instance, while companies globally were making it easier to buy satellite imagery, in India, all purchases needed to go through the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). The process led to delays which could impact business operations. A competitor from another country could easily buy directly from the website of a company and gain advantage,” says Pixxel CEO and Co-founder Awais Ahmed.

Bridging divide The government’s decision to set up the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) has received

STARTUP SPACE

a thumbs up from the startups. IN-SPACe is an independent agency that will regulate and promote building of routine satellites, rockets and commercial launch services through Indian companies. “The IN-SPACe mechanism has been extremely responsive and is acting as the bridge it has been envisioned. The agency is currently an interim body and yet it is proactively liaising with the industry and guiding through the process,” says Nekkanti. Echoing Nekkanti’s sentiments, Ahmed says, “With the setting up of IN-SPACe and the new draft policy, the overall process will become more straightforward, simpler and clearer. Till now,

while with regard to the Remote Sensing Policy, it only covered usage of satellite imagery and not the operations of Earth imaging satellites. Essentially, an Indian company could manufacture a satellite but there existed no framework to obtain the requisite licenses to launch and operate satellites.”

Several Spacetech Startups like Digantara, Agnikul, Skyroot and Pixxel have successfully raised capital in the recent past.

Funding assurance One of the biggest challenges faced by the Indian Space-tech startups has been securing funds. However, with the new policy announcements, there is a growing belief that small companies will get big investments in the coming future. “These reforms will surely aid investments in

Space companies. No one wants to invest in a sector where your returns and exit are dependent on government regulations. The recent steps by the government have boosted investor confidence, with many sector agnostic funds taking bets on Space companies. We have recently seen startups like Digantara, Agnikul and Skyroot raise capital. Bellatrix has also received multiple investor interests for our future rounds,” says Ganapathy.

Courtesy: Dhruva Space, Agnikul, Pixxel.

“The most significant change for Indian Space startups over the last couple of years has been the availability and access to venture capital that allows companies and their founders to fund a minimum version of the product that they are trying to build,” says Satsearch Chief Operations Officer Narayan Prasad. Ahmed reveals that his company has raised $8 million in total funding in the recent past. “This (policy shift) will create success stories leading to more startups coming up and boosting innovation in the sector,” he concludes. Bhavna Sharma The recent steps by the government have boosted investor confidence, with many sector-agnostic funds taking bets on Space startups 44 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Assistant Editor bhavna@geospatialworld.net

EXPERT OPINION

WHY Space

Tourism?

wo up, one pending. Of the three billionaires who had announced their plans for private Space forays, Richard Branson was first off the block. Jeff Bezos followed nine days later, while Elon Musk is yet to announce his launch schedule. Bookings are open for the

The adverse environmental impact of private Space expeditions cannot be ignored. By Lt. Gen. (Dr) AKS Chandele

wealthy of the world to splurge on a few minutes of Space adventure, with tickets priced at $200,000 to $250,000. It’s the thrill, the “I have been there” moment for selfies that probably excites those who can afford it. “It’s my money and I decide how to spend it,” they seem to suggest.

July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 45

EXPERT OPINION

Space exploration has come a long way since the Sputnik was launched over six decades ago. Man first set foot on the moon in 1969, and has been vigorously exploring the solar system and beyond. There are ambitious plans for sourcing minerals, as also colonization of other planets, with Mars being a favourite. From the cut-throat Space race of the Cold War era, nations have now resorted to collaboration in Space with the avowed mission of benefiting humankind. The over two decade old International Space Station project is an example of this cooperation. Not many nations can, however, afford the luxury of Space exploration, with only 10 having an annual Space spend in excess of a billion dollars. NASA has by far the largest budget of $25 billion, which is close to the expenditure of all other nations put together.

Tech advancement yielding multiple benefits Though a multi-billion dollar business, expenditure on Space exploration is only a small fraction of the national budgets. This expenditure is more than justified by the numerous downstream cutting-edge technologies which have mushroomed because of the Space missions and the associated R&D. Miniaturization of sensors, use of solar power and several other advancements have benefited mankind in many ways. Satellite-based GPS has revolutionized the way the world manoeuvres its way around on land, sea and air. These technologies have further helped in weather

forecasting, communications, healthcare and more. Both Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Bezos’s New Shephard have been sub-orbital short duration flights, with Branson not even crossing the Karman Line, which marks the beginning of Space. In future, it is planned to graduate to orbital flights. Musk’s plans are more ambitious. SpaceX will launch orbital flights of four to five days and even take passengers to the International Space Station. More than just a jaunt, passengers will get a greater exposure of Space travel and microgravity. In addition, SpaceX is also planning on converting long-distance routine air travel to flights that journey through Space, which offers less friction, thus cutting down the travel time from as much as 15 hours to 40 minutes.

Environmental, ethical concerns Space tourism begs the question: is it worth it? The adverse environmental impact is by far the most important consideration. Global warming is the biggest challenge facing humanity, and it is already endangering our planet’s sustainability. United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, recently declared that the latest Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group Report is a Code Red for humanity. While the billionaires' club has been claiming that their Space forays are carbon neutral with minimal impact, one wonders how that would be possible, once the Space jaunts open up with more operators and travellers. Upscaling will result in

46 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

Cheaper tickets would open the flood gates of Space tourism, with increase in damage to the environment commercial Space trips becoming more affordable. Cheaper tickets would open the flood gates of Space tourism, with consequential increase in damage to the environment. This would irrevocably and substantially nullify our efforts to limit the impact of climate change. It is their money and sure they can choose how to spend it, but not by endangering the rest of us. Another ethical issue is that the majority of the world’s population continues to live in hunger and poverty. Disease is rampant in large geographies with poor healthcare facilities. Add to that the fact that currently, the world is reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made the situation even worse. Elevating this populace from their misery requires astronomical sums of money, both from government and private entities. This is certainly not to say that these billionaires, and two are centibillionaires, do not contribute to philanthropy, but more is never enough. Every dollar being spent on Space tourism could be gainfully spent on more humanitarian causes, and not on wasteful and patently vulgar joyrides of the wealthy. By Lt. Gen. (Dr) AKS Chandele President, Defense, Internal & Public Safety ajay@geospatialworld.net

TECH FOCUS

Strengthening PNT to Avert Economic Setbacks Resilient PNT is neither a particular technology nor a service; it is actually a combination of many things, depending on the scale and scope of applications and systems. By Ananya Narain

he world we live in today is critically dependent on Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services provided by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Of course, the Global Positioning System (GPS), developed by the US, is the most widely used technology. Apart from commercial operations, we heavily rely on PNT services for national security and critical infrastructure applications. From squadron coordinates for military missions, precise location data for search and rescue operations, scientific pursuits for environmental and disaster monitoring to increasing efficiency and productivity in areas like construction, oil and gas, and mining, everything runs on PNT. Perhaps that is why the value of these services is growing by the day. However, the heightened reliance on these services can lead to socio-economic losses as these systems are prone to disruptions, interruptions, and manipulations.

Economic impact of GPS/ GNSS disruption Even though the number of consumer products, commercial services, and industrial applications that rely on geolocation powered by GNSS systems has

been on the rise, the economic impact of disruption is difficult to calculate. Experts believe that the cost of a disruption may depend on its length, severity, and geographic scope. “A 2019 report estimates the economic cost of a GPS outage to be $1 billion a day and as high as $45 billion in case of the unthinkable — a 30-day outage. The gasoline pipeline and power grid calamities seemed unthinkable by many, but black swan events can and do happen — and as we have all seen, they can be devastating. These things are happening every day and can be prevented,” says Michael O’Connor, CEO, Satelles. Alternatively, a report commissioned by Innovate UK, the UK Space Agency, and the Royal Institute of Navigation in 2017 estimates that a prolonged GPS/GNSS outage could cost the UK economy up to £1 billion per day. “The quantifying effect of an individual event that causes disruption is difficult to estimate due to cascading impacts and is sector dependent. However, COVID-19 has served to highlight our dependence on these services and applications to keep the society functioning normally,” says Guy Buesnel, PNT Security Technology Specialist, Spirent Communications.

Today, it has become essential to address GPS/GNSS vulnerabilities as location data has become all-pervasive across all economic and national priority sectors. GNSS systems have led to the emergence of new business models (Airbnb, Uber, Lyft), and caused many more sectors to be retooled to require fewer people, equipment, and money across delivery services, surveying, transportation, telecommunications, digital broadcast, agriculture, among others. “Without GNSS PNT, everything suffers. While the extent of the suffering will depend on the geographic area impacted and the duration of the outage, higher performing receivers like those used for survey, construction, and other economic sectors are the most vulnerable to disruption,” explains Dana A. Goward, President, Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation. The impact of a GPS/GNSS outage goes beyond basic economics and could even endanger life. Today, emergency services, distress beacons, and telecommunications networks rely on PNT services, and even a minute disruption could lead to severe consequences. So, resilient PNT systems are the need of the hour to combat GPS/GNSS outages. July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 47

SPECIAL FEATURE

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GPS OUTAGE

Understanding resilient PNT systems

$1.4

TRILLION GPS Economic Benefits for the Private Sector

Potential impact of GPS Outage

Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology

$1.3

BILLION / DAY

$45

Source: Economic Benefits of the Global Positioning Systemhttps://www.nist.gov/system/ files/documents/2020/02/06/ gps_finalreport618.pdf

BILLION for a 30-day GPS outage costs by industry

30-day GPS outage costs by vertical sectors

$5.5 - $14.2 bn

$274.8 mn Electricity

Oil and Gas

$10.4 bn

$2.9 mn

$950 mn

Telecommunications

Maritime

$4.14 bn Telematics

$1.5 bn

Location-based Services

Surface Mining

$15.1 bn

$331 mn

Precision Agriculture

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Surveying

Over the years, “resilient PNT” has been defined in different ways. In the last 10 to 15 years, GPS and GNSS receivers have undergone major improvements, becoming significantly smaller, cheaper, more accurate, and faster. However, the signals emitted from the satellites still come from 20,000km above ground and are weak and vulnerable to jamming and disruptions. “Resilient PNT systems in many forms provide an easily executed capability to discover, analyze and protect from these attacks, and defend GNSS-dependent systems from risk,” says Omer Sharar, CEO, infiniDome. In agreement is John Fisher, VP, Advanced R&D, Orolia, who defines “resilient PNT as the convergence of PNT technology with non-traditional and emerging technologies to improve the reliability, performance, and safety of mission-critical applications in the air, on land, and at sea”. O’Connor, on the other hand, claims that resilient PNT is neither a particular technology, nor a service, but is actually a combination of things. He states that resilient PNT is the state or condition of protecting the forms and sources of PNT for any PNT-dependent application against disruption or manipulation. “The concept of resilient PNT is context and application-specific, because achieving a state of resilient PNT for a user, a company, a critical infrastructure sector, or a nation are all different things. In other words, resilient PNT takes on different meanings depending on the scale or scope of the application, or the system that is being protected and backed up,” he says.

A complementary system, compatible with GNSS but independent from it, is essential to achieving resilient PNT. Several PNT technologies today augment GPS/ GNSS capabilities. While there is no single silver bullet solution that meets the needs of all application areas, these technologies generally fall into three prime categories — network time transfer services, terrestrial wireless infrastructure, and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Each technology solution is different in characteristics and varies in terms of its readiness. One of the most recognized and industry-tested solution is the terrestrial PNT system. Local terrestrial beacons play an essential role in GPS augmentation and are foreseen to be an essential backup for certain critical infrastructure sectors. These systems provide stronger and exceptionally accurate signals with good indoor penetration, bringing a higher level of resilience at a lower cost and allowing for customized deployments to meet the specific needs of different application sectors. Ganesh Pattabiraman, Co-founder and CEO of NextNav, says, “There is a need for landbased systems to complement space-based systems. Terrestrial beacons, such as those in our TerraPoiNT solution, are complementary to GPS. The solution is encrypted in a way that it can operate independent as well as in complementarity to the GPS and deliver the same services, powering critical

Courtesy: Orolia

Innovative PNT technologies to the rescue

Resilient PNT Ecosystem - Integrity and Trust

national infrastructure in the event of a GPS failure.” In a recent industry-first trial conducted by the Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) of the Department of Homeland Security, in a simulated 72-hour GPS outage, TerraPoiNT’s capabilities were validated — delivering a timing accuracy better than 50 nanoseconds in the urban and semi-urban environment, and successfully meeting timing requirements for various applications like 5G networks, power grid, and more. The terrestrial system provided precise timing and redundancy, utilizing two alternate timing sources —atomic clock (Cesium/ Rb) and LEO satellite (Satelles). In the above context, Satellite Timing and Location (STL) solutions offered by companies like Satelles fall in the LEO PNT category. LEO PNT solutions orbit in Space about 25 times closer than GPS/GNSS systems and deliver a signal 1,000 times (30db) stronger than the GPS. This makes STL extremely difficult to disrupt or degrade, and allows the signals to reach users in hard-to-reach

places such as indoors, underground, and in urban canyons. “One key advantage of LEO satellites for PNT is that the solution is scalable, making LEO PNT solutions highly suitable for applications that require a wide-area, nationwide or even worldwide service, such as wireless communication networks, mobile payment services, and power grids,” says Christina Riley, Vice-President, Commercial PNT, Satelles. In early 2021, USA’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) confirmed STL as an accurate and reliable source for the wide-area delivery of Coordinated Universal Time independent of GPS/GNSS. Network-based solutions are another technology that will play a role in certain sectors, particularly where users have specific precision timing needs. However, the future of PNT resilience lies in developing a systems-of-systems approach. “I believe many of these technologies will ultimately be implemented with the same solution for some of the most critical and complex systems. For example, a network could benefit from a satellite time and location (STL) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP), as opposed to July-August 2021 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 49

TECH FOCUS

relying on GPS and PTP to work together,” says O’Connor.

Detection and mitigation — anti-jamming and antispoofing solutions GPS/GNSS protection systems are readily available today. However, many users are unaware of these anti-jamming and antispoofing solutions. The positioning industry in the geospatial ecosystem is continuously researching on cutting-edge, anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technologies to guard users against GPS/GNSS vulnerabilities. Hexagon has developed two methods of mitigating jamming and spoofing in GPS/GNSS devices. Hexagon’s GPS Anti-Jam Technology (GAJT) and GNSS Resilience and Integrity Technology (GRIT) actively protect any GNSS receiver against ongoing interference and strengthens the systems’ ability to withstand potential threats. “These two core technologies provide different methods of obtaining assured positioning — precise, accurate, reliable, and always available PNT. They provide users solutions in various scenarios, whether in domain experiencing active and ongoing jamming and spoofing attempts or users building a more robust positioning solution,” says Michael Ritter, President, Hexagon, Autonomy and Positioning. Sharar comments, “our first generation GPSdome (1.0x) is lowest C-SWaP in the market custom built to protect tactical UAS and multi-copters. The second generation of GPSdome (2.x) is a dual-use product

(commercial and defense) but it’s designed to meet tougher requirements and defend from stronger, multi-directional attacks with dual band protection from three directions of attack simultaneously. The anti-jam protection solution with integrated spoofing detection capabilities is aimed at providing resilience to navigation solutions — specifically enabling BVLOS and autonomous UAV operations for the urban air mobility, homeland security and defense markets.” Trimble, another leading geospatial industry player innovating in the PNT space, is one of the pioneers in developing commercial and consumer applications of GPS technology. The company has recently released value-engineered solutions, including GNSS time-receiver and antennas with integrated Smart GNSS Assurance™ Technology, designed to meet the resilient timing requirements mandated by the 2020 Executive Order (EO) PNT services. “There is a lot of internal development that we are doing to make the system stronger. We are also working with government agencies to prepare them for how they might continue their operations in a situation where there is a localized outage of PNT. We are working very hard for our customers to have continuity of operations,” says Ronald Bisio, Senior Vice President, Geospatial at Trimble, Inc. These new innovative anti-jamming and anti-spoofing solutions accurately detect and mitigate the risks and vulnerabilities associated with GPS/GNSS. They provide users

50 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2021

with highly accurate timing and location for critical infrastructure while guarding network synchronization against jams and spoofs.

What’s next? There is an agreement among leading industry players and government agencies that no single product, service, solution, or technology can meet the demands of PNT-dependant applications. A report by the United States Department of Homeland Security states that the “diversity of capabilities in the national PNT ecosystem is a strength, not a weakness”. There is a belief among the industry, users, and government organizations that GPS/GNSS is here to stay, and there is no ultimate solution, which can provide a universal backup to the positioning and navigation capabilities provided by GPS/GNSS systems. Globally, economic applications rely on precise and accurate PNT information, which requires integrity and continuous availability. As a contingency plan, and to save the world from the severe economic losses that can result from a GPS outage, governments should urge the industry to implement a contingency plan wherein multiple PNT technologies are implemented together. There is also a need for the private and public sectors to encourage critical infrastructure owners and operators to understand the value proposition of diverse PNT technologies with inherent resilience and security features to strengthen economic resilience globally. Ananya Narain Director, GW Consulting ananya@geospatialworld.net

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