Space Products & Innovation
Governance, Education, and Infrastructure
Learning Lessons From Disasters for Space Applications
As expressed by the OECD, space can make a valuable contribution to the challenges that may face our societies and governments in the future. Space platforms can monitor air pollution and greenhouse gases for assessment and management, as well as natural disasters, enabling effective responses. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina showcased the use of satellite capabilities for disaster management, communications, monitoring, and search and rescue.
Law Enforcement Increases Use of GPS Products
In addition to fleet management, police officers regularly use GPS systems. Florida, Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma recently passed laws requiring lifetime electronic monitoring for individuals who have committed certain crimes. A combination of an electronic anklet and a GPS transmitter allows officers to respond immediately if a convict enters an area which is off limits.
Enhancing Search and Rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) missions often use satellite communications along with data from GPS receivers to improve success rates. The searchers’ safety and success are increased when there is an accurate record of their positions. For areas that have been mapped (for example, using satellite imagery), GPS units can be programmed with coordinates of dangerous sites (mine shaft s or cliff s) to warn searchers as they approach. Search dogs commonly wear GPS receivers so the search team can track the area the dog has covered.
Identifying a Building’s Environmental Impact
Remote sensing satellites are used in urban planning, such as estimating population density and regional growth. Analysis and processing of satellite images can create maps that identify building use. Such patterns can also be analyzed over time. In this way, the number of residential dwellings can be estimated from high-resolution satellite images of cities. Dwelling estimates can then be aggregated to any geographical unit of analysis, population estimates for cities, and a dwelling density surface that can be categorized into any number of residential land-use classes.
Pushing Education through Satellite Connections
Satellite communications have allowed governments in developing nations to establish e-governance portals and services without investing in terrestrial infrastructure. In Mexico, a distance learning course was beamed via satellite and the Internet to more than 1,800 teachers. Several governments, like the Gujarat State Wide Area Network (GSWAN) in India, have established VSAT networks to communicate between offices and bring governmental services to remote provinces.
Tabulating Votes with VSATs
Satellite capabilities are enabling dependable voting mechanisms in governments around the world. An e-voting satellite network, such as Gilat’s VSAT network, consists of a satellite dish and modem at each polling site connected to a central hub. Each poll operates electronic voting machines, which are connected to the central hub database via these very small aperture terminal (VSAT) connections.
Canadian Coast Guard Communications
Remote outposts and naval vessels also can benefit from the high bandwidth mobile communication network offered by satellites. In 2006, the Canadian Coast Guard selected Telesat to provide ship-to-shore communications via satellites.
Emergency Satellite Phones Aid in Disaster Management
Natural disasters often disable vital terrestrial communication networks. In these instances, telecommunications satellites can preserve communication within a devastated area. Satellite phones provide instant communication infrastructure for first responders and their command centers. Satellite data and phone networks can be set up quickly to aid in disaster management activities, helping the government and other institutions with activities such as organization of relief efforts. Both Globalstar and Iridium deployed more than 10,000 satellite phones each after Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in August 2005.
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