Space Products & Innovation
Governance, Education, and Infrastructure
On the SPOT Assistance for Outdoor Enthusiasts
The fusion of GPS and satellite-based communication technology has resulted in unique consumer applications. In one example, the SPOT Satellite Messenger, marketed by a subsidiary of telecommunications provider Globalstar, provides notifications when users need emergency assistance or simply want to tell friends or family of their location.
Indian Satellite-connected Classrooms
Satellite communications technologies are fast becoming an integral part of global education infrastructure. In an application known as tele-education, satellite communications are used to provide educational content to networks of schools and classrooms dispersed across countries and regions.
Global Search and Rescue Network Saves Thousands in Distress
The Cospas-SarSat program, another international partnership, relies on satellite communications to provide search and rescue services. The program uses an international network of receivers and transmitters aboard several satellites.
Telecommunications Support For Disaster Relief Efforts
In the hours and days after a natural disaster occurs, satellite communications serve a vital role in coordinating humanitarian response when terrestrial communications systems are overwhelmed with heavy call traffic or rendered inactive due to damage.
Tsunami Warning Systems Bouyed by Bouys
Space-enabled applications and technologies are a critical part of the global capacity for natural disaster mitigation and management. The Pacific Ocean Tsunami Warning System relies on satellite links as a critical part of the infrastructure that provides warning of potentially devastating tsunamis.
2009 – Disaster Charter – Snapshot
Remote sensing satellites provide data to assess the scope and impact of disasters that have occurred. The information also enables planning for the mitigation of events that may occur. The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters provides a means for relief agencies to request satellite imagery of an area affected by a disaster.
Shuttle Stress Analyzers Relieve Infrastructure Strain
Several product lines of fiber optic-based stress and strain analyzers have been created from a NASA technology spinoff developed to monitor structural strain on the Space Shuttle. The technology is unique because it can analyze stress and strain on components without requiring the disassembly of the Space Shuttle.
Enhancing Medical Education with Satellite Broadband
The VideoSat for Distance Learning program leverages satellite broadband and broadcast capabilities to provide continuing medical education. The new system, under development in 2008 by ESA and industry partners, aims to improve upon previous satellite-based distance learning systems by innovative use of video simulation technology supported by a user-friendly set-top box.
Pinpointing Pollution Prior to Olympics
Beijing Olympic organizers used remote sensing data from a U.S. satellite to analyze aerosol levels in and around Beijing before the games. The data enabled researchers to pinpoint reasons for the pollution and suggest ways to reduce it.
Disaster Charter Provides Timely Imagery to Response Teams
One of the key challenges in a flood involves getting timely and accurate information regarding flood-affected areas. Satellite imagery can mitigate the magnitude of flood damage by providing response teams with an overall image of the flooded area.