Earth Observation: The Growth Story

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R.N.I No - UPENG/2010/34153; Registration no: UP/GBD-136/2017-19

Publication: 10th of every month I Posting: 15th / 20th of every month

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.

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

EDITORIAL

Space Partnerships for Sustainability

O

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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Sports Smartwatches with GPS for Indian Market

AsteRx SB3 offers availability of RTK high-accuracy positioning because of its ability to track a wide variety of signals. The new line includes two types of receivers — AsteRx SB3 Pro and AsteRx SB3 Pro+ — both offering unique triple-band sub-degree GNSS heading.

AsteRx SB3 Pro is a high-performance rover receiver featuring the latest core GNSS+algorithms and AsteRx SB3 Pro+ adds value to the Pro version with base station functionality and internal logging.

Key Features

• Full GNSS compliance: GPS, GLONASS and Galileo • All-in-view satellite tracking on three frequencies • Best-in-class reliable RTK position accuracy • Robust and compact IP68 weatherproof housing

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

• Device lock with four-digit password • Additional language support • Compatibility with night vision goggles • Free lifetime offline satellite imagery

On the other hand, the Suunto 5 comes with intelligent battery modes, over 80 sports modes, 24x7 activity tracking, stress and recovery tracking, and fitness level tracking.

Smart and Sporty

• • • •

GPS enabled High battery life On-watch navigation capabilities Water resistant

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

LD-AIR LiDAR: A Ready-to-use Laser Sensor with 360-degree Capabilities

Platform to Bridge Gap between Manufacturers, AEC Professionals

LDROBOT’s LD-AIR LiDAR is a ready-to-use laser sensor with 360-degree sensing capabilities. It is a high-accuracy Time of Flight (ToF) sensor, which can sense the surrounding environment by taking up to 4,500 laser ranging samples per second to actualize obstacle detection and autonomously map any area. It has been created to serve business and research work that requires robot navigation and obstacle avoidance.

For robot developers, this essential component makes robots more useful and intelligent at an affordable price.

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.

Architects, interior designers, contractors, and other professionals are able to browse samples from top manufacturers, organize them into custom palettes and collections, and request them to be delivered in a Swatchbox with free next-day or second-day delivery. Every box is shipped with instructions guiding users on how to sustainably return and recycle any material no longer needed.

Product Utility

Unique Offerings

• • • •

Built to serve business and research work Runs in all conditions Compatible with all appliances Adopts low power infrared laser light

• Can be used by architects, interior designers, contractors, and other construction professionals • Allows browsing of samples from leading building product manufacturers globally • Lets users organize samples into custom palettes and collections

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

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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

W

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

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