Geospatial World July-August 2022 by Geospatial World

Subscriber’s Copy. Not for YOURGEOSPATIALINDUSTRYMAGAZINESaleUP/GBD-136/2017-19no:RegistrationUPENG/2010/34153;-NoR.N.I15Posting:IBi-monthlyof10Publication:thth/20thofeverysecondmonth JULY-AUGUSTwww.geospatialworld.net 2022»VOLUME12»ISSUE05|ISSN2277—3134 • SPAC IN SPACE • SPACE SUSTAINABILITY • EU-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP • ASIA-PACIFIC: EMERGING SPACE ECONOMIES

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CONTENTS GUEST COLUMN FEATUREDINTERVIEWBOOKREVIEW 04 / Editorial REGULAR FEATURE 34 / Mainstreaming STI for Economic Growth in Malaysia 47 / Using Geo-Data to Understand Ocean Phenomena and Build Coastal Resilience 50 / Desertification and Land Degradation Concepts to Combating 52 / New Innovation District Advances St. Louis As Global GEOINT Hub COVER STORY / 10 SPAC IN SPACE: Has the Bubble Burst? After two years of hectic activity marked by mergers between special-purpose acquisition corporations, or SPACs, and space companies, the tide seems to be ebbing. Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Kumar Managing Editor Prof. Arup Dasgupta Editor-At-Large Americas Anusuya Datta Contributing Editor Geospatial Infrastructure John Kedar Contributing Editor Global Defense and Security Keith J. Masback Consulting Editor Spatial Analytics and Location Intelligence Nicolas Duggan Consulting Editor Nishi Malhotra Sr. Associate Editor India Jitendra Choubey Associate Editors Asia Pacific Sarah Hisham Europe Meenal Dhande GW Prime Aditya Chaturvedi Chief Sub Editor Nibedita Mohanta Chief Designer Subhash Kumar Visualizers Pradeep Chauhan Saurabh Srivastava VOLUME: 12 / ISSUE: 05 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 - 145, Sector - 63, Noida, India Geospatial World: The edition contains 56 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 Dato’ Sri Dr. Adham Baba Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia Louis Demargne Data and Knowledge Management Officer at the UNESCOOceanographicIntergovernmentalCommissionof Richard DalBello Director of NOAA’s Office of Space DepartmentCommerce,ofCommerce Corner Office P06 EXPERT TAKE SPECIAL FEATURE EO TRENDS REGIONAL FOCUS: EUROPE 16 / Space Sustainability as a Business and Economic Imperative 36 / THE RACE IS ON Emerging Space Economies in Asia-Pacific 42 / Top Five Trends in Earth Observation 20 / New Synergies to Strengthen European Space 30 / Earth Observation & Data Cooperation: The EU-Pacific Partnership

A trillion dollar space economy needs investments. Governments have been bankrolling the space economy but as commercialization grows there has to be greater involvement on the part of private investors. Space applications have to move from government-to-business and govern ment-to-citizen, to business-to-business and busi ness-to-consumer.Asspacebecomes more popular it also becomes more crowded. The Kessler syndrome may just become a reality. Satellites and space stations are being moved around to avoid space collisions. Space debris is posing a huge problem, which the UN-COPUOS (the United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space) is addressing through the Long-Term Sustainability (LTS) extension of its laws and conventions on outer space. Industry is also looking at ways of cleaning up space junk and reducing the creation of more debris. Meanwhile, astronomers are up in arms as constel lations degrade their ground-based observations. Does this spell the end for Earth-based astronomical obser vations? Arecibo is dying or dead. Will the future be only Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope types of spaceFinally,observatories?theJames Webb Space Telescope is peering into space-time and revealing what the universe was like just after the Big Bang. It is also revealing to humans that in spite of all their prowess they are but inhabitants of a small, almost invisible blue dot orbiting a middle-level star in a not-so-big galaxy. This thought must temper our ambitions and our actions as we contemplate the exploitation and colonization of this small part of our galaxy.

Time to contemplate our ambitions and actions T

he 21st century has seen two distinct streams in space. The first includes the huge expan sion of scientific research in space by the US, the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, China, and India; the James Webb Space Telescope and the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter; the landing on the far side of the Moon by Chang’e 4; and the discovery of water on the moon by Chandrayaan, among other notable successes.

In the euphoria of commercial success it is easy to forget that ultimately only a few will survive a shakedown, which must happen eventually. How many satellite systems are really needed to provide communications, Earth Obser vation, and PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) globally? Also, how many launchers does the world really need?

The second is the commercial ization of space through private industry — sub-orbital flights for space tourists, crew missions to the International Space Station, reusable launchers and satellite constellations for internet service, and constellations for high resolu tion imaging of the Earth, are some of the highlights. Space activities were perhaps one of the few activ ities that did not falter due to Covid. Today, these activities are well on their way to becoming a trillion dollar economy by 2040. Space applications have made a significant impact on the GDP of various nations, leading to a surge in the establishment of space centers, definition of space policies, and operationalization of space applications by various nations. A driver for these national activities is the need to localize data and grow industries to collect and use it for each country’s needs.

In such a setting, the time has come to pause and reflect on the trajectories ahead. The world is beset by erratic weather. Is it climate change and is it being caused by global warming? Satellites are now being developed and launched to detect greenhouse gases and monitor changes in global weather patterns like winds and precipitation. Early warning of impending disasters like drought, floods, and wildfires is the need of the hour. Disaster management during and post events is heavily dependent on satellite services. Prof. Arup Dasgupta arup@geospatialworld.net

Advanced countries have begun to consider commercial exploitation of celestial bodies, space tourism, setting up of human colonies on the Moon and Mars and, regretfully, the use of space as another arena for combat between nations through establishment of separate space defense and offense forces.

4 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 EDITORIAL

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TRANSPARENT REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY Building a to Thrive and Innovate

CORNER OFFICE

The past few years in particular have seen a spectacular rise in commercial space activities. At the same time, there are more countries that are launching their own satellites and setting up their space programs. How do you view this evolving landscape?

The key mission of the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) is to further the economic and technological advancements of the US commercial space industry and position it as a leader in space. The OSC manages the licensing for private remote sensing space systems, and is also responsible for modernizing and managing the US systems for space situational awareness.

Richard DalBello has vast experience in both public and private sector commercial space. Before taking over as the Director of NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce, Department of Commerce earlier this year, he was the Vice President of Global Engagement at Virgin Atlantic, where he managed international business development for the company’s fleet of carrier aircraft and space vehicles. Prior to that, he was the Director of Space and Aeronautics in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he had a key role in the development and implementation of domestic and international space policy and program priorities.

In this interview, DalBello talks about the growing space economy, his new role, and the immediate priorities for the OSC.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 7

The department’s new stra tegic plan released on March 28 this year includes objectives to advance and promote commercial space industry innovation. The plan states that the department

The Commerce Department was recently charged with the responsibility of implementing a system to monitor both active satellites and debris in orbit to ensure spaceflight safety. We are working with our colleagues in government and industry to accomplish this goal.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), within the Department of Commerce (DOC), is one of the three civil space agencies in the United States. NOAA has been fully committed to consensus-based development of norms and best practices for many years. The exponential growth in the number of commercial satellites, primarily in low Earth orbit, has resulted in the urgent need to establish and promote norms and best practices that allow the industry to innovate while ensuring a safe environment for satellite opera tors. In November 2019, the White House published an update to the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP) document, which addressed emerging issues needing attention. Space-related licenses issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Communications Commis sion (FCC) and NOAA all contain a requirement for the applicants to demonstrate that they have orbital debris mitigation and end-of-life plans that comply with current US government guidelines.

The department’s mission is to foster the conditions for the economic growth and techno logical advancement of the US commercial space industry. One way we do this is through advocating for the US commer cial space industry. This can be anything from helping them understand how the govern ment deals with certain issues, to helping them with specific problems they encounter. Another way is by creating a regula tory environment that is open and transparent. These critical regulatory elements will allow the commercial space industry to thrive and innovate. The next step for the US is to ensure proper authorization and regulation of other commercial space missions that are not currently authorized. The goal will be a transparent and predictable streamlined regula tory approach that will help US companies thrive in the rapidly evolving global market.

The global commercial space market has seen tremendous growth over the past several years. The Satellite Industry Associa tion (SIA) reports that the global satellite industry revenue was USD 279 billion in 2021. This number shows growth across all segments of the industry, including satellite manufacturing, satellite services, and launch and ground equip ment. Also, according to SIA, 97 countries (some in consortiums) have launched their own satellites sinceWe1957.arepositive that the interna tional commercial space industry will continue to grow, and we will see more innovation in technol ogies such as satellite servicing, debris removal, space domain awareness, and other technologies that we haven’t even heard of yet. This also brings along the need for new norms and rules, and the scope for forging new partnerships. What are some of the prominent moves by the US in addressing these issues?

The Department of Commerce was recently charged with the responsibility of implementing a system to monitor both active satellites and debris in orbit to ensure spaceflight safety. My office is working with our colleagues in government and industry to accomplish this important goal. My long experience in government and the private sector will give me the insights I need to guide this program. By blending the best approaches from both the government and the private sector we can ensure the development of a world-class space monitoring system that will provide a standard for the world. One of the immediate priorities of DOC, as we understand, is helping US companies succeed in the new frontier of space commerce. What does that entail?

On April 18, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the US is imposing a self-ban on ASAT missile testing, and also seeks to establish this as

growthincreasing,whilefactureddecliningquality-adjustedequipment.navigation,turingindustry,computerperiod,GDPjustedAlternatively,importance.inflation-adgrowthinmanufacturingaveraged7.8%overthedrivenmostlybytheandelectronicproductsspecifically,manufacofsatelliteandpositioning,andtiming(PNT)TheBEAdatashowpriceswereforspace-relatedmanuproductsovertheperiod,quantitiesproducedwereresultinginstrongforthesector.

This year’s budget proposes USD 2 million in new funding for DOC’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to provide new space economy statistics that measure the impact of commercial space-related industries on economic growth, employment, and incomes. What is the department’s plan for this — in terms of approach and timelines? If BEA receives funding to develop space economy statistics, it will provide systematic measures of the contribution of space-related industries to US gross domestic product (GDP) and gross output, along with corresponding space economy employment and compensation. The statistics would build off and expand the initial research BEA has already conducted on the size and scale of the space economy, which was done in collaboration with the Office of Space Commerce, NOAA, and various domestic and international organizations. The statistics would be released in 2023 and would cover the years 20122020, including inflation-adjusted measures that reflect growth in space-related production free from the impact of inflation. There have been previous estimates regarding the value of the space economy and its A nighttime lights image from 2020 of the contiguous US from the day-nightSuomi-NPPNOAA/NASAsatellite'sband impact on economic growth.

CORNER OFFICE

You have earlier said, space safety is one of the most critical issues facing the international community today. What are some of the steps the department has taken towards addressing these challenges?

How significantly do you think things may have changed?

8 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 will grow the customer base for US commercial space goods and services. We plan to do this in part by leveraging all of our bureaus to assist US companies throughout the commercial space industry with all aspects of their competitiveness, including poten tial exports.

The Department of Commerce, through the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), provides a framework for US industry to promote standards and best practices in areas such as satellite design, operations and end-of-life disposal. Various Commerce and NOAA subject matter experts, as members of the US delegation to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), have been active participants in the Long-term Sustainability (LTS) Working Group. The Working Group produced 21 new best practices and guidelines that were adopted by the UN General Assembly. The DOC and other agencies and departments have regularly sched uled technical exchange meetings with international consortia and individual country subject matter experts to discuss additional norms and best practices.

BEA’s space economy statistics for 2012-2019 show a transi tion occurring in the US space economy. Inflation-adjusted GDP growth was positive and strong from 2012-2015 (averaging 6.5% annually) and then started to slow and decline between 2015 and 2019 (averaging -0.1% annually). Much of the declines from 2015-2019 were driven by a contraction in direct-to-home satellite television revenues, which dragged down the overall space economy due to its relative

Space Policy Directive-7 established implementation actions and guidance for US space-based PNT programs and activities for US national and homeland security, civil, commercial, and scientific purposes. What is the progress on this aspect?

The PNT EXCOM has spent years dealing with threats to GPS and the United States GPS leadership, including rising concerns about interference and jamming. The commercial space revolution has seen the emergence of several companies offering alternative PNT services that improve upon the free GPS with features like Interviewed by: Anusuya Datta cybersecurity and integrity for autonomous vehicle safety. There are also commercial space firms fielding systems that can detect and geolocate GPS interference.

The various Departments of the PNT EXCOM are making progress on many of the implementation items in SPD-7, particularly with respect to the demonstration of alternative or complementary PNT technologies to improve national resilience. Just recently, DOT hosted a public industry forum to discuss complemen tary PNT sources in addition to GPS. Within the Commerce Department, I have already described some of what NIST has done in terms of promoting GPS cybersecurity. The Commerce Department’s National Telecom munications and Information Administration (NTIA) has also continued its important work with the FCC to ensure that new commercial wireless networks do not cause harmful interference to GPS users. The OSC continues to participate in international space dialogs to promote market access for United States GPS manufac turers and service providers.

The Office of Space Commerce is promoting the consideration and use of such new commercial capa bilities to help improve resilience and address government needs.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 9 a new international norm for responsible behavior in space. What has been the response from the global community? We are aware that like-minded countries have either endorsed the US self-ban or declared their own self-ban. For more details, we refer you to the State Depart ment Public Affairs office. At Commerce, we have focused on the reality that commercial satellites and even our own NOAA weather satellites are vulnerable to attack themselves or to damage or destruction resulting from colli sions with the thousands of new debris objects created as a result of irresponsible ASAT tests.

The Department of Commerce is also involved in a wide variety of issues and activities related to the US GPS, including GPS policy and management, modernization, international GPS cooperation and GPS interference. GPS interference and jamming has come up as a major issue in recent times, and the call for GPS modernization has only become louder. What progress has been made in this area? Like most satellite signals, the GPS signals are very low power, making GPS susceptible to inter ference and jamming. In recent years, the problem of intentional and malicious disruption to GPS has gone from hypothetical to all too real, with cheap (but illegal) jammers offered for sale on the internet, and widespread jamming reported across Europe. GPS modernization is adding new signals to the system, at different frequencies and with higher effective power for robustness and jam resistance. However, we do encourage critical infra structure owners and operators to shore up their resilience with complementary PNT capabili ties that do not depend on GPS alone. That is the focus of Exec utive Order 13905, under which the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security are doing extensive work to publish and promote new guidance and frameworks for fielding resilient PNT solutions. The NIST has released PNT-specific implemen tation guidance for its widely used Cybersecurity Framework, so organizations can prevent cyber disruptions to their GPS equipment, including jamming and spoofing attacks. How can the Commerce Department play a larger role in this?

The US coordinates GPS policy issues like these across the federal government through the National Executive Committee for Space-Based PNT (EXCOM), co-chaired by the Departments of Defense and Transportation. As secretariat of the EXCOM, the Commerce Department hosts its meetings and staff offices, so we literally sit at the center of the United States GPS policy discus sions, while also representing the interests of the commercial industry in EXCOM deliberations.

10 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

Has the Bubble Burst?

August 12, 2022: Italian space logis tics company D-Orbit announced the cancellation of its plans to go public by merging with Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Earlier, in January this year, the two compa nies had entered into an agree ment that would result in D-Orbit becoming a publicly traded company with an enterprise value of about USD 1.28 billion. However, D-Or bit’s decision to now scrap the plans comes since “financial markets have changed substantially”.

COVER STORY

After two years of hectic activity marked by mergers between special-purpose acquisition corporations, or SPACs, and space companies, the tide seems to be ebbing. By Anusuya Datta

SPAC SPACE:IN

If you want to hit the market, you must SPAC it — that was the prevailing sentiment in 2020 and 2021. Year 2021 saw a whopping 638 SPAC filings, garnering a combined value of USD 143 billion, far surpassing 2020’s 246 filings and USD 73 billion raised, according to a report from CB Insights. But, come 2022, as CNN recently put it very aptly, Wall Street’s blankcheck boom went bust. In a cratering stock market, many high-profile SPACs are now either left stranded, struggling to find target companies to acquire, or have themselves pulled the plug on agreed deals in the face of forthcoming tougher regulations.

Further, according to data from PitchBook, shares of companies

March 7, 2022: US-based weather satellite company Tomorrow.io terminated its merger plan with SPAC vehicle Pine Technology Acquisi tion Corp “due to market condi tions.” According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Tomorrow.io would pay the Pine Technology USD 1.5 million as part of the termination agreement.

“This is due to the combined effect of stricter SEC regulations, disappointing results of early SPACs and degrading economic and environment conditions,” says Pacôme Révillon, CEO of Euroconsult, the leading global consulting firm specializing in satellite appli cation markets. Why SPAC? “SPACs were seen as an easier and faster way to raise large amounts of cash compared to another “SPACs are shell companies with no operations that raise capital through an initial public offering and then use the proceeds to fund one or more mergers that form the basis of the ongoing public entity,” according to Bain & Company.Simplyput, SPACs offer private companies — often startups and innovation companies — the opportunity to go public without a direct IPO. This starts with the formation of a SPAC company, which is then floated on the stock market with the sole purpose of buying another company. Since this is an empty listed company — which is why it is sometimes also known as a blank-check company — the regulatory work is much less. Once the SPAC is floated, it enters into a merger deal with a company. What is SPAC?

As a spokesperson for Spire, the US-based satellite company which hit the bourses last year, explained, the SPAC process also allowed it to become a public company in a timely manner, which quickly opened up new business opportunities.

PWCSource:

“It’s just simpler for small companies. IPO is a pretty overwhelming process,” adds Shawana Johnson, satellite imagery and GEOINT expert, and President of Global Marketing Insights, a US-based consulting firm offering expertise in geospa tial business intelligence. Space is a highly regulated sector, and naturally space compa nies have a lot of compliance issues that have to be dealt with.

Usually, the SPAC process takes a fixed time period — between 18 and 24 months — to identify and acquire a target firm or return funds to its investors. Once the target firm is merged with the SPAC, the SPAC is dissolved and the resulting company is public.

“As we evaluated the best method to go public, we decided on moving forward with the SPAC process for two reasons: experi ence and speed. Our SPAC spon sors have decades of experience working with technology compa nies. We have been able to benefit

Typical SPAC Timeline round of venture capital or regular IPO (and higher scrutiny from stock exchange regulators),” Révillon explains.

One of the most attractive features of a SPAC is the time line. A regular IPO process needs extensive preparation, lasting at least a year or more. In compar ison, the entire SPAC cycle can happen in a matter of months. Because the original SPAC company generates no revenue, the process needs less arduous regulatory review.

Therefore, for a smaller company, it is often easier to go with a SPAC and let the entity take on the qual ification and necessary documen tation, as opposed to trying to deal with all of it on its own.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 11 that went public through SPACs in the past two years are down 45% so far in The2022.space and satellite industry has not been spared either. A trend that started with Virgin Galactic taking the SPAC route by merging with Social Capital Hedosophia in October 2019, continued through 2020 and 2021, with 2021 seeing a total of 10 space companies completing their IPO via SPAC for a total value of USD 3.6 billion. This included small satellite pioneer Planet and a bunch of others. But now, the peak phase of SPAC mergers in space seems to be over. To date, only two SPACs were successfully closed in 2022 (Terran Orbital and Satellogic).

Caroline A. Crenshaw, SEC Commissioner

The SPAC frenzy According to Thomson Reuters, total capital raised via SPACs was well over USD 150 billion in 2020. This is more than four times the previous annual record set in 2019. Data from 2021 showed companies in the software, automobiles and aerospace sectors being primarily targeted by SPACs. In 2020, the total number of SPAC IPOs was 248, as compared

12 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 COVER STORY

to 165 traditional IPOs, meaning roughly 60% of all IPOs were conducted through SPACs. The frenzy continued well into 2021, as the first quarter alone witnessed nearly 300 SPAC mergers. However, it slowed down considerably in April that year, following new guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would classify SPAC warrants as liabilities instead of equity. After a brief pause, SPAC mergers again took off, finally closing year 2021 at 613. However, it was obvious by the fourth quarter that interest in SPAC deals was waning owing to the stock performance of compa nies that had already gone public, and increasing regulations around theItcorner.allcame to an abrupt halt by March this year as the SEC proposed new rules and amendments to enhance disclo sure and investor protection in IPOs via SPAC. from their experience, as well as their network of relationships, as we worked toward and since becoming a public company last summer,” the spokesperson added. Overall, the SPAC vehicle was so attractive to the companies because it was a way for them to raise money and, at the same time, become part of a larger offering, which then could be presented more holistically to the big government clients and the commercial is subject to rigorous audits by outside parties and needs to make important disclosures about our business. The additional trans parency and additional checks on our business provide a level of comfort to customers signing large contracts with us,” the spokespersonAdditionally,said.the company claims it was also able to use some of the proceeds from the trans action to acquire exactEarth late last year, further strengthening its leadership in the maritime space. Efforts to reach out to several other satellite companies, which successfully took the SPAC route, were not successful.

cies.izations,themselves,customersitsfurtherbeingtothatbehindExplainingworld.therationalegoingpublic,Spiresaidasthecompanycontinuedgrow,itbecameapparentthatapubliccompanywoulditsgrowthbyexpandingcustomerset.“ManyofourarepubliccompaniesinternationalorganandgovernmentagenAsapubliccompany,Spire

“It is clear SPACs provide an alternative to the traditional IPO model, and may offer some competitive challenges. That’s a good thing. But, perhaps, we need to be careful not to facilitate a race to the bottom in terms of public market protections. And since the boom, the Commission and its staff identified several areas of concern with SPACs. Such concerns include misaligned incentives, several points of dilution that may disproportionately impact retail investors, and a lack of liability that may be creating an unjustified advantage in this path to the public markets over the traditional IPO.”

“Rocket Lab is one of the few that have made a good showing,” points out Johnson. “But they took a very unique market stand — they went out, researched their markets very well, and were very careful before they jumped into certain locations to stand... like the spaceport in New Zealand they set up contracts ahead of time. They were just very diligent in the way they approached the market research and then the business associated with that,” sheEvenexplains.wellinto 2022, the drop in share prices of publicly traded new space companies has been signifi cant in many cases.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 13

VenturesPromusSource:

New Space Companies: Top five Share Prices Performance

The proposed new rules and amendments would require, among other things, additional disclosures about SPAC sponsors, conflicts of interest, and sources of dilution. They would also require additional disclosures regarding business combination transactions between SPACs and private oper ating companies.

SPACs in space As in other tech sectors, SPACs have been a popular tool for space companies in the past couple years, and following the broader market trend, the interest has dras tically fallen this year.

Additionally, the share prices of many companies that went public via SPACs fell significantly by end Only2021.one(Rocket Lab) among the 10 companies that went public in 2021 finished the year with its shares performing above the price when it was publicly listed.

According to Promus Ventures’s New Space Companies Top Five Share Price Performers, Spire is trading at -54.14% YTD, Archer Aviation at -30.79% YTD, BlaskSky -44.44% YTD, IonQ -68.46%, and Planet at -4.66%. This, even after scoring a significant jump in perfor mance in the past one month. Granted the fall in share prices of recently listed SPAC companies is a market wide trend. According to Renaissance Capital, of the SPAC IPOs in 2021, nearly 70% were trading below their offer price by September of that year. However, the beginning of 2022 saw the Promus Ventures New Space Index three-month performance down more than 40% as compared to about 12% dip in Nasdaq and 4.5% in S&P 500. So what went wrong? Is it the generic global recessionary trend or something to do with the sector specifically?“It’sprobably a little of both. Investors are rattled by recession fears and the space SPACs haven’t exactly outperformed their peers,” says Brian Berger, Editor of SpaceNews. “Looking in the rear view one can tell that most of the SPACs were done very early with regard to companies’ business maturity and actual revenues,” explains Révillon. He feels the reve nues forecasts advertised in during the SPAC processes were very ambitious, which are now contradicted by lower quarterly results, hence leading to drop in stockAgreesprices.Johnson: “My last statistics were that 60% of the companies were underperforming. That’s actually better than I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be like 75%, but some people squeaked out their perfor mance because they got contracts approved that looped their revenue up. So, it moved their shares up.” Why was it all so difficult? There is largely no one particular reason, because space is a complex domain.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re on the software-as-a-service or artificial intelligence and an API deliverer. You still have to go through a lot of hoops and a lot of compliance checks and regulations before you can ever get through it,” says Johnson. “So, a lot of people got excited about it. I saw several of our clients do that in 2020 and 2021. But by 2022, they said, ‘We are not doing this. Too hard’.”

It is interesting to note that while the new space stocks continued to underperform well into July this year, they surprisingly rose in August. As of August 19, 2022, the PV New Space Index was up 12.5% in the past three months. In comparison, NASDAQ was up 11.6% and S&P 500 was up 8.4%. One could attribute the sudden spike in the Promus Space Index in August to the recent government contracts worth billions of dollars.

14 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August

Also, a lot of these companies had to delay their government contracts as they were going through the SPAC process. “You’re either going to lose that govern ment contract or you’re going to withdraw from the SPAC. Most of these space/satellite companies are brought into the SPACs for their government contracts, and the review and the novation of those contracts are very diffi cult,” she elaborates. Is a bounceback on the cards?

VenturesPromusSource: COVER STORY

The primary reason is because the space and satellite industry is a heavily regulated one, the companies had to answer so many questions on the regulation side. And in many cases, they carry classified components of their“Whenbusinesses.youcarry a classified piece of your business that you work with the government, you have to then go back and get re-reviewed and reinstated. You have to have something in the government called a contract novation. Those have proven to be a lot more time-consuming to novate a contract that you already have,” says Johnson. Further, space and satellite companies require or hold licenses from one, and in many cases, several regulatory bodies. These include the Federal Communi cations Commission (FCC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In some cases, regulatory approvals may be required prior to the SPAC transactions, and may take months to complete. Addition ally, these processes are subject to scrutiny by the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and other national security agencies. But more than the lack of approval, Johnson thinks it’s the process that turned out to be tedious and complex.

Three-Month

2022 of business dwindle during these processes,” she adds.

Agrees Révillon: “The recent NRO contract awards are bringing fresh air to US companies.” This being the first year of these companies going public, the government did not novate the earlier contracts because they were still reviewing the SPAC. “And so, those contracts didn’t hit the revenue recognition line in 2021, and some of them still haven’t hit it in 2022,” Johnson says. These companies didn’t lose the contract yet, but they have not met their revenue recognition goals because Performance

“I think these smaller compa nies thought that the bigger SPAC companies they were merging with would take on more of all this procedural work. But the truth is a law firm or an ITAR specialist (which is what a SPAC company essentially employs), can only do so much, and then you must get involved in it,” she explains.“TheSPAC immediately causes six months of no work,” says Johnson. No work means no reve nues. “They’re all doing briefings and presentations to each other. And they saw their current book

For the companies that have already gone public, the cash infusion has supported the ability of several companies to finance the deployment of their first-generation constellations. This should contribute to some consolidation (horizontal and/or vertical) in the industry.

Révillon points out that the high redemption rate of several space SPACs makes it obvious that founders or early inves tors were not looking to merely raise additional funds to support their companies’ growth but were mainly looking to cash out.

What does the future hold? Révillon is firmly of the opinion that new SPAC mergers in the industry would be more difficult to organize going forward. Agrees Berger: “I wouldn’t expect to see as many space SPACs in the next year or so as we’ve seen the past year or two.” “I think, right now, it is very much the norm,” echoes Johnson. Instead, more consolidation is on the cards if some compa nies are unable to trade back to sustainable levels, but the Earth Observation (EO) sector will likely do better than the rest.

One example is Eutelsat’s recent acquisition of OneWeb. Similarly, satellite data analytics company Descartes Labs was just acquired by Antarctica Capital, a private equity firm.

Space and satellite companies require or hold licenses from one, and in many cases, several regulatory bodies. These include FCC, FAA, NOAA, and often the Department of Justice. Regulatory approvals may be required prior to the SPAC transactions, and may take months to complete.

“Synergies are also higher within EO companies compared to other space industry’s vertical or segments of the value chain, hence opening the door to consolidation opportunities,” RévillonMeanwhile,adds.

the SPAC challenge is not likely to dampen the private equity enthusiasm for space, even though it fell sharply in the second quarter of 2022, according to a report by New York-based SpaceHowever,Capital.Space Capi tal’s Managing Partner Chad Anderson doesn’t see that as a cause of worry. “While we believe the macro environment will continue to cause headwinds for some space companies, we do not believe that the space economy is at existential risk… Space technologies are next generation digital infrastructure, the ‘invis ible backbone’ that powers our global economy,” he wrote in the report.Johnson says she sees a lot of mergers and acquisitions already on the airborne and the intelli gence surveillance and reconnais sance side. “Then there is a lot of equity partner movement on the space technology side too. And I see a lot of communication satel lites’ mergers going on right now.”

“Everybody gets into space industry because it’s cool. And it is. But it is also hard work. And it’s tough putting in the right business processes and narrowing down your target market and going after those contracts. When you grow your business the right way, the big companies will come to you and want to buy you. That due diligence process and everything else you have to go through will be pretty easy,” wraps up Johnson. AmericasEditor-At-Large anusuya@geospatialmedia.net Anusuya Datta

“And that’s a big difference being acquired by an equity partner who buys distressed assets versus unsuccessfully trying to go for a SPAC three years ago,” she pointsThereout.is a thought that the space industry — more so the startups — should first put good business processes and people in place, and not run their businesses primarily with an exit strategy or the big money in mind.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 15 it’s taken the government contract side a lot longer to approve it. Now, with the contracts coming back, a bounceback is expected.

Mitigating space debris: what’s in the toolkit? Current geopolitical tensions limit the kinds of progress we can expect on this issue at the United Nations, but that does not mean that we cannot make progress. Increased public attention is a good thing. Aside from that there are four broad categories of tools and activities, which can be brought to bear immediately to improve space safety and sustainability:

Space Sustainability as a Business and Economic Imperative

While space debris and its growing threat to space safety is the most urgent aspect of space sustainability, there are other aspects that we should think about in economic terms as much as any other. Considering space sustainability within every aspect of what countries and companies undertake in space is essential for preserving future opportunities in space.

EXPERT TAKE 16 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

By Kevin M. O’Connell Space sustainability is the hot topic of the day. Long the emphasis of the technical space commu nity, space debris and space sustainability are in the news today because of much more public atten tion, whether in the fictionalized accounts of “Nope” and “Don’t Look Up!” or, sadly, the unprecedented pieces of large space debris that recently landed in Australia and Malaysia, threatening lives and property. While space clutter is mostly the result of sustained, positive space activities since 1957, security activities like Russia’s 2021 anti-satellite test add to the problem exponentially, either by creating more debris (1500 new pieces in that case) or by complicating deci sions by space operators needing to stay out of harm’s way. China’s cavalier approach to Long March re-entries doesn’t help, either.

There are many reasons to work toward improved space sustainability: social, political, and international, to name a few.

While space debris and its growing threat to space safety is the most urgent aspect, there are other aspects that we should think about in economic terms as much as any other. Considering space sustainability within every aspect of what countries and companies undertake in space is essential for preserving future opportunities in space.

Readers are well aware of the incredible benefits that we derive from space here on Earth, from communications and navigation to the unique understanding that satellite imagery and geospa tial information provide across multiple economic sectors. Newer mission areas like in-orbit manu facturing and space medicine will open up entirely new innovations in a permanent Moon presence and continued space exploration but with many returns to our lives here on Earth. All of these benefits are at risk without dedicated international attention on space sustainability, a term that lacks commonly accepted definitions and metrics.

 Establishing space traffic coordination and management

 Avoiding the creation of new space debris: This is by far the simplest and least costly measure that we can take. Future space activities can take advantage of cutting-edge technical developments from protective mesh to propulsion (for maneuverability); the Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) tool developed by a consortium (ESA, MIT, UT/Austin, Bryce Tech) and hosted at EPFL in Switzerland allows operators to evaluate their collision avoid ance process, their trackability, and their data sharing practices, among others.

Evolution of the launch traffic near LEOIADC per mission type (left) and mass category (right)

Exquisite scientific and national security sensors can be trained on specific space objects in a crisis, but those resources are limited and could never be expected to cover the millions of pieces of space debris that threaten operations. The good news, as discussed below, is that a vibrant commercial ecosystem is stepping up to play a major role, if not the major role in this area.

 Improving space situational awareness: While readers do understand the benefits of space, they might be surprised to learn how limited our ability is to detect and track things in space, and to provide very accurate, precise, and timely warnings to space operators.

AgencySpaceEuropeanSource:

In the past decades, with increasing space activities, a new and unexpected hazard has started to emerge: space debris

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 17

While we still often think about space activities as government run, the reality is that the private sector is the dominant player in the USD 469 billion global space economy (Space Foundation, 2022). Governments continue to set national priorities and strategies and dedicate public funds to space missions, but an energized private sector comprising entrepreneurs, private finance and insurance organizations, and others, is driving innovation and diversity in ways never seen before. While key aspects of space sustainability will be driven by governments, expect the private sector to play an impor tant role as Governments,well. driven by increased scientific and public attention to these issues, are spurred to action. The Biden Administration extended the principles of Space Policy Direc tive-3 (2018), for example, within the United States Space Priorities Framework (2021); the US Office of Science and Technology Policy recently published a National Orbital Debris Implementation plan. The European Commis sion released a report earlier this year outlining the European Union’s approach to space traffic management, including plans to increase their collective ability to track space objects as well as help develop international regulations for safe and responsible operations in space. Japan’s Cabinet Office recently proposed a set of efforts to help establish international orbital rules, including planning, space operations, design requirements, and rules for wellSpaceresponsibilitiesauthorizationGovernmentsde-orbiting.haverelatedandsupervisionundertheirOuterTreaty(1967)obligationsasaslegalandregulatorylevers



AgencySpaceEuropeanSource: EXPERT TAKE

Shifting government and private sector roles

in managing their space industry. The cry for increased attention to space sustainability is often partnered with a call for more regulation, but regulatory measures must be datadriven and draw upon best practices and proactive government-industry dialogue. Good intentions alone should never be the basis for regula tion, as they often have unintended consequences that could severely harm space industry sectors and many future space activities. The private sector is also responding. The good news is that a robust, privately funded ecosystem of companies has emerged rapidly, partly encouraged by government efforts, but also in anticipation of increased need and opportunity. This ecosystem not only includes unique data providers (for example, telescopes, radar, space based-op tical, other) but data architectures that incorporate analytic and visu alization tools fueled by literally trillions of dollars of private invest ment in adjacent applications and markets. While readers are excited about the uniqueness of space, in

18 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan have funded active debris removal missions, with strong indications that others may follow. While there remain both technical proofs of concept for the best ways to accomplish this (clamps, magnets, nets, harpoons) and legal/policy challenges (who can move or capture debris? on what authority?) this is an important enough tool that it is attracting an increased amount of attention.

guidelines: Just as we would have difficulty navigating our roads without coordination and management guidelines, we urgently need guidelines for operating in space. These terms are often politicized, but really refer to a set of simple “rules of the road” that operators should follow when they are at risk of collision with other active space objects or debris. Interna tional tensions are unlikely to generate near-term diplomatic progress, so the private sector is likely to generate practical ideas and best practices that should ultimately inform inter national policy and law. Active debris removal:

*Not an exhaustive list

Founder and CEO at Space Economy Rising, and former Director, Office of Space Commerce, US Department of Commerce. He can be reached at kmospace@gmail.com Kevin M. O’Connell

A similarly innovative set of startups is driving the active debris removal market, mainly as a service to be provided along the path to participating in a much larger in-orbit servicing market.

Growing concerns about space sustainability are both welcome and warranted. Virtually all the benefits we are experiencing from space commercialization are at risk unless we pay attention to this now.

Most interesting about this collection of highly innovative firms is their diversity of approach. This is one of the key benefits of private investment. While competi tion is ultimately inevitable in this space market segment, the reality is that the challenges are so great that diversity serves as a strength as we strive, initially, to improve space safety; it will then enable the creation of a much wider set of commercial services that will form the foundation for additional growth expected in the space economy. Space operators have an impor tant stake here as well. Notions that operators “don’t give a damn” about space sustainability are absurd, given plans to refresh space assets, innovate, and ulti mately drive revenue and profit.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 19 Private companies in space sustainability* Company Country Year founded Astroscale Japan 2013 NorthStar Earth & Space Canada 2015 High Earth Orbit Robotics Australia 2016 LeoLabs US 2016 Digantara India 2018 SpaceAble France 2018 SCOUT US 2019 Odin Space UK 2020 Vyoma Germany 2020 Privateer US 2021

this sense space observation and assessment, and therefore space sustainability, can quickly leverage practices from a wide range of other fields

While many are rightly worried about the so-called Kessler Effect — a cascading set of collisions within an orbital regime that could render it useless forever — we should be equally concerned about the growth of debris that dramatically raises the costs of launching to and operating in space, potentially limiting future space pursuits.

Controlling costs is always a target for space operators, so they also have an interest in understanding where collisions might happen in space and how specific objects behave to avoid them. Remember that fuel is gold in space, so any need to maneuver comes at a steep operational and mission cost. Expect them to quickly adopt new technologies that increase safety and sustainability and to leverage industry-driven best practices as government and academic research efforts continue. Toward space sustainability

What we’ve seen in the first six-and-one-half decades is nothing compared to what’s planned over the next decade. While space enthusiasts often focus on the mission or the technology, space is increasingly about economic development, talent generation, and innovation. Virtually every country wants to participate in the space economy, knowing that they could be left behind if they do not. Their interest in space sustaina bility is about preserving access and opportunity for the future. Space debris and space sustain ability, therefore, are important economic aspects that we need to consider of our space activities.

While costs will be borne both by taxpayers and by entrepreneurs, this is not a place to be penny wise and pound foolish. The attention and resources we pay to this now across all space activities will surely result in lesser costs — both actual and overall — of space activities in the future. Our rightly ambitious expec tations from the space economy are too important to view space in the same old-fashioned way.

In April 2021, the Council of the EU

New Synergies to Strengthen European Space

The European space industry is the second largest in the world, supporting the economies in the region and facilitating Research and Development and Innovation (R&D&I) by fostering new and emerging technologies. According to the Council of the European Union (EU), the European space industry, which includes manu facturing and services, currently employs over 231,000 professionals and is estimated to be worth USD 53.12 to USD 62.14 billion. The European Space Agency (ESA) esti mates that for every Euro spent, there is a benefit worth six Euros to society and job creation. When it comes to EO applica tions in particular, the EU Agency for the Space Programme’s EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report ISSUE 1 states that the global revenues of EO data and value-added services are set to double from roughly USD 2.81 billion to over USD 5.51 billion over the next decade. Together, US and European companies hold over 83% of the global market, each accounting for over 40%. The remaining market is distributed around the rest of the world.

Today, many new opportunities are beginning to unfold in the global space economy. One area where they are growing rapidly is in the European Earth Observation industry. But where exactly do these opportunities lie? And what does the future hold? By Meenal Dhande Today, satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) tech nology and applications are ubiquitous — they are being visibly demonstrated and implemented in all corners of the world. Earth Observation has now entered a new dimension, with the digital sector investing massively in the space sector, giving the latter attention, credibility, and funding. Around the globe, countries are investing heavily in space, having woken up to the immense economic and societal benefits that EO promises.

New space program

REGIONAL FOCUS: EUROPE

Thierry Breton EU Commissioner

Far from being a slogan, the burgeoning ecosystem called NewSpace is a concrete phenom enon influencing the European region, where a profound trans formation of the space landscape is taking place, maturing, and being shaped by new actors. The commercialization of the space sector has given rise to a new generation of space compa nies developing innovative and affordable solutions to access space.“The EO industry is in the middle of a perfect storm. The NewSpace approach in manufac turing provides no continuous testing, custom devices, and shorter Earth-to-space time. This paradigm disrupts the traditional space value chain and puts a solid competitive edge on traditional Large System Integrators. Smaller “Space is going through a massive transformation and rapid industrialization worldwide. For Europe to maintain its leadership, we must rethink how we do space. We must adapt to fast developments and anticipate new ones. I want to be clear: we cannot proceed with business as usual. Defining the future of Copernicus will be one of my priorities for the months to come.”

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 21 and European Parliament adopted a regulation establishing the new EU Space Programme for 20212027. The program entered into force retroactively from January 1, 2021. Supported by a whopping USD 14.91 billion budget, the EU Space Programme bolsters the European space industry and promotes the emergence of a European NewSpace ecosystem, fostering AndwhereinaboundEOnewnumbersandorologicaltionEUSPA,closelyandbaseddeveloptargetsandexistingvariousaspaceunderlinesService).GeostationaryGalileo,hasofopportunities.innovation,entrepreneurship,andnewfundingThevastmajoritythemoney,USD14.46billion,beensetasideforCopernicus,andEGNOS(EuropeanNavigationOverlayTheincreasedbudgetEUexpectationsforasaneconomicenabler,withpositivespillovereffectacrossindustries.WhilestrivingtostrengthenEuropeanspaceassetsservices,theprogramalsostartupsandSMEs,whichinnovativesolutionsonspacetechnologies,data,services.ItisimplementedwiththeEUmemberstates,ESA,EuropeanOrganisafortheExploitationofMeteSatellites(EUMETSAT),manyotherstakeholders.ThereisnodoubtthattheseandambitionsspeakofaeraunfoldingintheEuropeanindustry.Opportunitiesnowforeveryonetotakeparttheglobalspaceeconomy.Butdothoseopportunitieslie?whatmightthefuturehold?

The influencers The European EO downstream market has evolved rapidly over the past decade. Most customers of EO products and services are in the public sector. The 2021 EARSC (European Association of Remote Sensing Companies) survey of the European EO services industry found that 52.4% of revenues came from public sector sources. Another 29.2% of revenues came from the private sector, while 7% came from international organ izations. However, the market is relatively fragmented by sector. Defense and security is the sector producing the most turnover by far, and at more than 32%, agriculture and environmental monitoring each account for over 10% of sales generated. The latter two market segments, as well as others such as forestry and urban monitoring, are of most significant relevance from the perspective of the EU Space Programme, as Copernicus provides EO data to support these sectors.

22 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 satellite, firstly, means lower launch cost; shorter time of deploy ment means lower cost of deploy ment; numerous constellations (mainly in low Earth orbit) means better resolution in revisit time and geometry,” says Giovanni Sylos Labini, CEO, Planetek Italia Srl. He further explains that the increasing digital component also substan tially impacts the downstream segment of the value chain: the increased commoditization of data; lowering the cost of HPC (high performance computing); growing onboard processing capabilities; and shift from the human user to the machine user. This evolu tion will dramatically change the positioning of the EO downstream industry. Furthermore, a growing interest exists in exploiting Earth Observation data as a source of readily available information about naturalDisruptivephenomena.technologies, such as, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), IoT, Big Data, and Cloud have been around for quite some time. They are game changers and central to the fastpaced development and growth in adopting EO data. “A good infor mation service is always a combi nation of all different data sources. Cloud technology is proving to be one of the essential ingredients of a collaboration between different partners. It brings different data sources on centralized archives, making it easier to partner with a company,” says Dr. Manfred Krischke, CEO of CloudEO. Seb Lessware, Chief Tech nology Officer, 1Spatial, agrees: “If we use Cloud services, we can plug different data sources together very easily and get to work together. It’s bespoke and makes it a lot easier to get to interoperate different services.” He further explains that it is useless to reinvent the wheel: “Instead, we can make the best use of Cloud services provided by Microsoft, AWS, or Oracle.”

Polished policies

This June, the European Commis sion published draft legislation, which, if enacted, will boost the reuse of public sector open data. The new proposal offers guidelines for EU member states to publish publicly-held, high-value datasets for reuse. The new proposal will harmonize the technical, legal, and granular specifications for how member states publish data sets from six categories with high socio-economic potential: geospatial, EO and environment, meteorological, statistics, compa nies and company ownership, and mobility data. However, the initiative, like its predecessors, is still limited. The Commission should go further, eventually making publicly held data open by default, and only narrowly limiting public sector data. “The open and free data access of Coper nicus data is a mandatory policy to spread EU Earth Observation capabilities for the benefit of the citizens in Europe and worldwide, but this policy should also be sustained by the EU demand that can make it easier for our indus tries to compete on a global scale,” cautions Sylos Labini.

REGIONAL FOCUS: EUROPE

In another step in Brussels on January 25, 2022, and in the context of the CASSINI Space Entrepre neurship Initiative, the European “Europe has firmly decided to step up its ambition in space, to reflect its political and economic standing, and to take a leading role in the global community.”space Simonetta Cheli Director of Earth Programmes,ObservationESA The new proposal will harmonize the technical, legal, and granular specifications for how member states publish data sets from six categories with high socio-economic potential: geospatial, EO and environment, meteorological, statistics, companies and company ownership, and mobility data.

The regulation establishing Horizon Europe, the new frame work program for R&I from 20212027, was adopted in April 2021 with a total budget of USD 86.29 billion at current prices. The program is structured in three pillars: Open Science, Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness, and Open Innovation. Space comes under the cluster ‘digital and industry’ of the second pillar, which has a proposed envelope of USD 13.53 billion and an additional EU in space

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 23

We are keen to see the results of matchmaking and access to finance objectives, which will boost startup and SME innovation in SpaceTech,” opines Ajay Goyal, Founder & CEO, ForestSAT AS, Norway. CASSINI is a successful initiative that can help new risky ideas find patient funding. But, there is appre hension that without proper regu lation (a sort of EU Space Act) and a trade agreement with US, which opens US market to the European industry, the long-term development of this initiative can fall short with respect to investor expectations.

ParliamentEuropeanBank,InvestmentEuropeanCommission,EuropeanSource:

The objective of CASSINI — a EUR 1 billion space investment fund — is to attract more venture capital (VC) funds to become active investors in European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing space technology and digital services using space data. “CASSINI hackathons have generated consid erable interest in space innovation.

Commissioner for Internal Market signed a joint statement, together with the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank and Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund, officializing their joint commitment for the CASSINI Seed and Growth Funding Facility.

Space companies are often spin-offs of research institutions. They usually come as teams of brilliant scientists and tech experts, yet with a complete lack of experience in the private sector. The latter is crucial in a) understanding private industry actors and designing solutions tailored to particular use cases, and b) genuinely scaling the companies. Ideally, programs and incubators need to match founders from institutions with people from the private sector.

There is a huge gap between existing and future solutions from the space sector and the knowledge of these across various industries. There is a need to bridge this gap by speaking more about space in the media. For many verticals, this also means considering very long sales cycles with customers who may not be very experienced in understanding the value of EO solutions.

USD 1.35 billion from NextGenera tionEU.Horizon Europe also funds R&I for the New Space Programme of EU. Horizon Europe is a great R&D program, essential for developing early-stage activities and favoring continental cooperation. However, there is still a lack of agility with respect to the accelerating pace of innovation in space. NewSpace, VC, and private equity-backed companies, among others, can hardly cope with planning require ments from these instruments.

The European Union, European Commission, ESA, EUSPA, and member states are optimistic about the future of the EO market with emerging new verticals, albeit it is not wholly free from potential complications. Despite the crucial applications that the downstream EO sector provides, its potential is still undefined. When assessing the manufacturing in the space sector, downstream EO is not even consid ered in this classification. The reason is that its boundaries are not well defined and the downstream players lack awareness. Currently, there is no European legislative framework for the downstream market. “There is a striking gap between the potential impact of EO data and the consideration of EO data in regulations. Due to its scalability and minimum manual effort in processing data, EO could, in many cases, be the most reli able, objective source of truth. Regulations lack in accounting for this and thereby reinforce the information discrepancy between the amazing innovations in the space sector and the actual knowl edge of these possibilities in the Accessing capital

This is much more difficult in Europe compared to the US. Investors tend to be reluctant and investment volume is often only a fraction compared to US investment. Programs like the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, which provide equity investment and require startups to raise an identical amount of money from private investors, are a good step in the right direction.

Lack of commercial acumen

Hurdles in space marathon

Effort to educate customers

Barriers to commercialization of the EO sector REGIONAL FOCUS: EUROPE 24 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

EuropeanHollender.spacestartups and companies have been lagging in commercial competitiveness and innovation compared to the United States, Israel, China, and India. Goyal is, however, hopeful that “the scientific and research-based foun dations in Europe are stronger than in any other market and commer cialization through open science, open data and innovation funding can result in very fast-paced growth in the European Union.”

Note: Dr. Manfred Krischke and Seb Lessware were speakers at GeoBuiz Europe 2022.

Although European firms are competitive with innovations that have impacted the space industry, this has rarely translated into a commercial advantage within the European space sector. “These include challenges in accessing capital, lack of commercial acumen in typically tech-heavy teams, and the underestimated effort of educating customers,” adds Dr.

The way forward The European space industry, in general, and the EO industry, in particular, are exposed to global competition, mainly from the US and China. The industries of these countries are primarily sustained by their respective governments. At the same time, EU and member states have significant invest ments in the upstream segment; the government anchor tenancy demand is relatively weak. The EU should change this by estab lishing a long-term stable demand to ensure the industry’s resilience, and encourage private invest ment to help in consolidation and worldwide competition. “The EU, ESA, and the member states are evolving their approach in the right direction, pushing for commercialization and considering extending regulation that favors EO use. Also, the action for Green Deal and Digital Transition helps move EO from the area of supplyside (DG-Efis) toward a more demand-oriented Directorate like DG-Environment, DG-Connect, and the DG-INPA for international cooperation action. The clear message of ESA agenda 2025 also favors a more agile and innova tion-driven commercial EO future,” says Sylos Labini. With the fierce competition across sectors and applications, Dr. Hollender expects industry consoli dation to happen over the following years. Planet acquiring VanderSat, and Constellr acquiring ScanWorld, are good examples of such a consol idation. “Moreover, taking into account the limited availability of public funding and a solid number of space companies, I would accept one or two ‘European champions’ to emerge over the next couple of years, that is, firms backed by institutions and strategic investors to advance European leadership in the space sector,” she says. Earth Observation data and services bring value to what humans do on Earth. And it is tough for a service provider to control everything. “I am a great believer in partnerships; for example, you need to be regional with an agricul tural application. You cannot do it from a central place and develop that market. I think the real thing is to a healthy ecosystem where everybody is working together,” says Dr. Krischke.

European space startups and companies have been lagging in commercial competitiveness and innovation compared to the United States, Israel, China, and India.

Meenal Dhande Associate Editor, Europe meenal@geospatialworld.net

In her closing remarks at the recently held Living Planet Sympo sium 2022, ESA’s Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes, said, “Europe has firmly decided to step up its ambi tion in space, to reflect its political and economic standing, and to take a leading role in the global space community.” What has become clear is that the European EO sector fully embraces the digital revolu tion, tackles urgent societal chal lenges such as the climate crisis, and puts forward ambitious initia tives for the European Green Deal. However, the sector has not yet fully become mainstream or realized its potential. Greater awareness and de-mystification of the sector are crucial and policy makers and industry need a better understanding of the progress in EO solutions.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 25 wider industry and members of the public,” says Dr. Lina Hollender, Chief Commercial Officer, ConstellR GmbH.

2-5 May 2023

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

With an overarching theme, GWF 2023 will bring together all the stakeholders from a plethora of sectors and backgrounds. Brainstorming, dreaming-up new ideas, accepting creative solutions over traditional ones, seeing hurdles as the avenue of opportunities, building the bridges of open communication, and embracing diverse communities is what conference aims at.

Register today and get a chance to be part of exclusively tailored programs: • GEOBUIZ Summit Europe • GEOBIM • GEO4SDGs • National Mapping • Land Economy • Space + Spatial Value Chain • Location Intelligence + BFSI • 50 Rising Star 2023 • Women Networking, & DE&I • Mentoring Panel • LiDAR & SAR • GPR/EML andmany more... Avail an early bird discount before 10 November 2022 Scan Here Abstract submission deadline: 30 November 2022 For more info: www.geospatialworldforum.org

Theme: “Geo-Enabling the Global Village: No one should be left behind” Second United Nations World InformationGeospatialCongress 10 - 14 October 2022 | Hyderabad, India OBJECTIVES Enhance international collaboration among participants from Member States and relevant stakeholders Reflect the importance of geospatial information to support evidence-based policy- and decision-making Address the development and strengthening of geospatial information management and capacities Demonstrate the importance of international coordination and collaboration for enhancing human data and geography community To work toward a shared future and a better world. BE A PART OF THE GLOBAL GEOSPATIAL AGENDA Submit your request to participate as early as possible to avoid any delays at https://ggim.un.org/2unwgic but no later than 23 September 2022.

Earth Observation & Data Cooperation: The EU-Pacific Partnership

The Pacific region covers a very large area with a low-density population scattered over many islands. The Pacific comprises 13 Pacific Island Countries (PICs), as well as Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, and is home to around 12 million people, including over 500,000 European citizens. Common challenges across the PICs highlight the bene fits of satellite-based Earth Obser vation (EO) applications, especially for monitoring and measuring climate change such as sea level monitoring, coastal erosion moni toring, biodiversity loss, forestry and natural resources monitoring, and more. Due to their low-lying coastal nature, small landmasses, and fragile natural ecosystems, PICs are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and many of them appear in the top 15 most vulnerable countries in the World Risk Index 2021. The free and open data and services of the EU’s Copernicus program can provide significant value-added services in combating some of the challenges faced by PICs.

30 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

The recent Tonga volcanic erup tion of January 2022 showcased how rapidly the island became isolated from the rest of the world, facing a communication blackout for weeks after the submarine cable was severed by a tsunami. Satellite imagery offered the only picture of the situation. This disaster emphasized the isolation of the PICs and showed that in certain cases, satellite imagery can represent a key tool to rapidly provide intelligence in remote, disconnected islands.

REGIONAL FOCUS: EUROPE

Overall context and opportunities Despite differences in geography, size, history, culture, economic and political systems, the Pacific Island Countries face similar challenges that could be turned into opportu nities for EO usage when it comes to natural resources management and biodiversity, climate change and natural disasters.

Due to their low-lying coastal nature, small landmasses, and fragile natural ecosystems, the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The free and open data and services of the European Union’s Copernicus program can provide significant value-added services in combating some of the challenges faced by PICs.

By Alexis Conte & Simon Seminari

The full potential of EO is not yet reached in the Pacific, in part due to the current digital divide, lack of technical skills and lack of awareness about existing supply of fully free and open Copernicus data by certain PIC governments and stakeholders. While commer cial satellite supply is evolving quickly, many local governments lack the funds to purchase and fully utilize commercial imagery. Satellites offer more opportu nities than other remote sensing methods such as aerial imagery and drones, such as scaling up the process over larger areas, enabling responsiveness when a disaster occurs, and new applications using Near-Real-Time analysis. Satellites also provide change detection anal ysis through large library archives of artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated processing chains and regular revisit capabilities over a same area. Finally, satellite-based observations represent a cost-effec tive solution for covering mediumto large-sized areas (more than 1,000 sq km) or hot spots scattered across a wide Area of Interest. Satellite imagery can, in these conditions, be significantly more efficient compared to other imagery acquisition means.

Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

However, investments in capacity development must be made in order to fully exploit the value of Coper nicus data, in particular more tech nically challenging radar datasets produced by Sentinel 1. Copernicus limitations Copernicus data access and services must be enhanced to solve specific problems. Agriculture in many micro-islands is characterized by small traditional farming parcels, where Sentinel’s spatial resolution is ill-adapted to provide solutions.

For instance, effective VAS in the Pacific region requires a know-how of local farming prac tices as well as vegetative cycles that might differ from where foreign-based service companies are used to

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 31

The Exclusive Economic Zones of PICs (areas of the ocean within which the coastal nations have jurisdiction over both living and non-living resources) gather multiple use cases for maritime applications, including security concerns, illegal fishery moni toring and illegal trafficking and migrations, as well as monitoring fishery resources. Free Copernicus data with large scene size can be used to maintain an overview of the vast region, for example to regu larly monitor and detect oil spills, or fishery boats, or for maritime security. Once detected, ‘tip and cue’ can be used for the coordi nated utilization of complementary sensor systems (either commer cial satellite imagery or other) to enhance and optimize persistent monitoring over large areas. Other satellite data opportunities are related to sustainable economic development, such as 3D mining and extraction monitoring, cadaster plots and land use planning, agri culture and food security, as well as uses in rural development, deforest ation, or plantation monitoring.

While current Copernicus reso lution and revisit cannot address all needs, Pacific stakeholders can utilize its fully open and free data as a baseline system, complemented as necessary by other means such as field surveys, commercial imagery, aerial or drone imagery, etc.

Certain applications such as mining monitoring require daily revisit, but Copernicus’ pre-programmed acquisition plans are not optimized for over these areas, privileging average revisits over Europe.

Engagingworking.localcommunities is the key to success. Local practices and customs differ from island to island, so understanding practices improves product output quality and ultimately Copernicus adoption rates. Engaging local communi ties is also a key to ensure mission sustainability through improved training and knowledge transfer. When surveyed, Pacific stake holders all expressed the desire to stay engaged, own their geospatial products, and master and control outputs and right of use. Digital divide, data ownership issues, and bespoke products To increase the utilization of Copernicus in the Pacific Islands, EO access might be proposed with two complementary approaches that have to be engaged in parallel, utilizing both bottom-up and top-down approaches:  The top-down approach offers generic preprocessed data or services that are produced and centralized elsewhere and accessed through a web-portal interface or an Application Program Interface (API). These

Integration of local communities and customary practices Value-Added Services (VAS) are often required to be layered on top of raw imagery in order to deliver services answering a specific need and solving a specific problem.

Finally, despite significant invest ments by international, regional and local players in training and capacity-development, multiple stakeholders report lacking the skills to fully utilize all datasets and extract actionable insights provided by Copernicus, in particular due to the complexity of Synthetic Aper ture Radar (SAR) data processing.

Disclaimer: This map is indicative only of agreed and potential maritime jurisdictional limits within the Pacific region. It does not imply the expression of an opinion by SPREP on the legality of any boundary shown.

Alexis Conte Senior Consultant, Euroconsult a.conte@euroconsult-ec.com Simon Seminari Principal Advisor , Euroconsult s.seminari@euroconsult-ec.com on behalf of the European Commission.

32 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 REGIONAL FOCUS: EUROPE are various data cubes initiated such as SPC’s ‘DigitalEarth’ or Cloud-based SAR processing solutions, jointly developed via a public-private partnership between the New Caledonian company BlueCham and public research center, National Research Institute for Sustain able Development (IRD), already being deployed in countries in the Pacific with similar thematic issues as New Caledonia.



Disclaimer This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

 Skill transfer, as communities are engaged to produce bespoke studies and are willing to partici pate in the local economy devel opment beyond project lifecycles.

bytacklingCopernicuscatestheirdecision-makers,channelshaveUnioneffortsIncreasingchallenges.awareness-raisingtargetinglocalEuropeandelegations,whichalreadyprivilegedcontactsanddialogwithkeystakeholdersandcanalsoincreaseeffectivenessasstrongadvofortheincreasedusageoftohelpcontributetosomeofthechallengesfacedPICs.



The current governance architec ture must be strengthened. Local experts, research institutes and regional institutions are very effec tive at their work, have cultivated large networks at both local and international levels, and are keenly aware of local limitations and needs. Creating new organizations risks fragmenting the landscape. Creating additional interlink ages between institutional actors, academia and private companies is a key to success. Public research centers can drive use cases, train experts, broadcast guidelines, and inculcate good practices, while private companies scale, replicate the business, train and recruit local experts, which enables long-term development beyond a project lifespan. Today, many projects are funded by foreign agencies but when projects finish and funding is gone, the project outputs are not leveraged and are often lost. Skills and knowledge arduously devel oped are often lost as well.

Communication and capacity development Under-usage of Copernicus is explained first by a lack of aware ness by PICs’ stakeholders, and second by a lack of communication and training. Accessing physical training seminars or meetings by traveling from one island to another is costly. In addition, the dramatic time difference between the Pacific Region and Europe limits virtual meeting initiatives such as live webinars during working hours. Mapping and leveraging the region’s existing universities and training centers and providing support to develop curricula and capacity development is an effective way to both increase local stakeholders’ capacity to utilize Copernicus data sets, as well as increase awareness of the benefits of Space to resolve local



Governance, long-term training and skill development

The analysis-ready data should ease the use by the non-ex pert community and support experts in building VAS from a bottom-up approach.

The bottom-up approach leverages the analysis-ready data production from the top-down approach to solve specific problems, engaging local communities with the help of local academia, institutional and private sector stakeholders. The approach is much more service-centric, deepening the analytics and going downstream in the processing chain. This approach also contributes to skill transfers and local community integration and ownership. New skills will facilitate the process for creating ownership and co-de sign of solutions based on EO technology, and accompany the ‘last mile’ between data resources management and end-users.

This conjunction of approaches proposes to reduce at once: The information ownership issue, as communities involved in services processing chains can handle their production; The digital divide, as computer processing power and mainte nance is shifted to the Cloud; A decentralized approach that maintains, sustains and fosters local expertise, with products built by local centers of expertise that are less dependent on internet low bandwidth connectivity and electricity shutdown issues; and

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Malaysia’s space roadmaps To ensure the country is guided well as it heads into the future, Malaysia has outlined several STI-related legislations, blue prints and roadmaps. On January 25, 2022, Malaysia gazetted the Malaysian Space Board Act 2022 to regulate space-related activi ties that include the safety aspect, registration of space objects and provisions on certain space-related offences. Aside from this, several

2. Enhancement of the national research infrastructure for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal moni toring and testing; 3. Creating platforms for local firms and industries’ participa tion in the global space industry value chain; 4. Promoting partnershipsinternationalwithavision for launching an unmanned space probe and contributing to the growth of the space economy in Malaysia; and 5. Strengthening research in the fields of astronomy and Space science, including Space weather monitoring and the monitoring of near-Earth objects. To support the blueprint, the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) has developed 40 centralized and integrated space-based remote sensing and geospatial application systems and databases that have improved public service delivery through the increased use of space technology. The multi-sector Government Remote Sensing Application Systems (GovRS-Apps) contain geospatial information in various sectors such as agri culture and fisheries, natural and

In most developing countries, utilizing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for improving the economy remains a challenge. Despite various initiatives that were introduced in Malaysia, a significant number of STI-related programs remain unaligned with meeting economic needs and benefiting society at large. As such, Malaysia has been focusing its efforts to mainstream STI as the main driver of economic growth in order to remain globally competitive.

Among the key initiatives under this blueprint:

By Dato’ Sri Dr. Adham Baba, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia other roadmaps have been and are being established, including the Malaysia Space Exploration 2030 Blueprint (or Malaysia Space-X 2030), National Advanced Materials Technology Roadmap 2021-2030, Robotic Technology Development Roadmap 2021-2030, Artificial Intel ligence Roadmap (2021-2025), and Electrical & Electronics Technology Development Roadmap (2021-2030). These roadmaps will also help Malaysia develop talent by opening up opportunities to utilize people’s skillsets. Malaysia is confident about its capable talent pool and has the necessary ingredients to attract industry partners from around the world to be part of the country’s endeavor to create a better future. Space technology and geospatial applications The Malaysia Space-X 2030 Blue print aims to create a comprehen sive national space ecosystem.

34 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 GUEST COLUMN

Malaysia aims to become a high-tech nation by the year 2030. Neverthe less, while it progresses economically, Malaysia has to ensure that the nation’s prosperity is built upon environmental sustaina bility, coupled with social equity and inclusivity.Hence, beginning with the 12th Malaysia Plan, for the period 2021 to 2025, Malaysia has embarked on a new approach by linking STI to the five-year economic development plan via the 10-10 Malaysian Science, Technology, Innovation and Economy (MySTIE) Framework, which focuses on 10 technology drivers to develop 10 socio-economics sectors.

1. Development of home-grown satellites under the National Remote Sensing Satellite Program;

Mainstreaming STI for Economic Growth in Malaysia

Ground systems and facilities

The adoption of geospatial technologies has great potential to strengthen Malaysia’s compet itiveness in critical areas, such as food security, forest management, physical development planning, and national defense and security. Geospatial technologies, such as airborne laser scanning and GNSS, are also used together with drone applications to enhance the management of the country’s forest, conserving biodiversity and assisting in disaster management.

Further, the MYSA mission control facility, which has been oper ational since May 5, 2005, handles communications for both uplink and downlink with orbiting spacecraft, and has provided support to other international agencies, such as Euro pean Space Agency (ESA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), for various space missions.

Sustainable Development Goals for planetary health Blessed with a vast array of ecosys tems, Malaysia is recognized as one of the 12 mega-diverse countries in the world. It has an immense variety of flora and fauna — terrestrial and marine life. Hence, it is crucial for Malaysia to adopt advanced and precision technologies and inno vations, such as drones connected to artificial intelligence, machine learning, sensor technology and others, to help conserve and preserve the ecosystem, especially in the face of climate change. Malaysia has to envision Sustain able Development Goals (SDGs) in a bigger way to support planetary health, which has become more important than ever before. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) will lead in the formation of a national action plan on planetary health, using STI to manage our environment. The country has just embarked on a pilot project on precision biodiver sity, entitled the ‘Digitalization and Internet of Things (IoT) Programme for Biodiversity’, commissioned to the Academy of Sciences, Malaysia. Through the pilot project, the Government is exploring the possi bility of using robots and drones integrated with satellite tracking and GIS to replace conventional methods of capturing data on flora and fauna. The application of these technologies not only eases up manpower needed for forest management but also provides more precise and accurate data for research and decision-making.

Collective actions towards sustainability Malaysia welcomes further coop eration and partnerships on space science programs, both in the bilateral and multilateral spheres. It is time for global communities to collectively address common challenges and take affirma tive actions that are science and evidence-based, in order to achieve sustainable development. Together, countries around the world should pursue concrete actions and establish solidarity to achieve sustainability, through science diplomacy.

1. A 5.0m diameter antenna for Telemetry, Tracking and Command operating in S-band frequency range; and 2. A 7.3m diameter antenna for Image Receiving and Processing System (IRPS) operating in X-band frequency range, which is in accordance with the standard and guidelines set and monitored by the International Telecommu nication Union and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, at the national level.

The Paddy Geospatial Infor mation System, for example, is a geospatial and ICT based system that can be used to perform online monitoring of cultivation activities in rice granaries on a regular basis. This has enabled a faster and more accurate monitoring method compared to a manual method that would require verification in the field. This system has benefited more than 197,000 farmers in 12 rice granaries in the country, whereby preliminary estimates of the rice yield can be made as early as 80 days of paddy age.

The facility is equipped with two antenna systems:

The MYSA is also equipped with an Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) facility, which can provide testing conditions for a spacecraft and its payload. The AIT facility offers a wide spectrum of test services, such as vibration and acoustic test, thermal and vacuum test, electromagnetic compatibility test, mass properties and align ment and measurement, as well as radiometric calibration and char acterization, all under one roof.

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environmental resources, disasters, security and national sovereignty.

The comprehensive space economy ecosystem is targeted at contributing about 0.3% or about USD 737 million to the GDP of Malaysia and creating 5,000 highskill jobs by the year 2030.

THE RACE IS ON Emerging Space Economies in Asia-Pacific

At present, Space capabilities in the Asia Pacific region are largely dominated by the superpowers — China, India and Japan. However, in recent years, other nations in the region have also started embracing Space, motivated mainly by socio-economic developments and the aspiration to become self-reliant in terms of national security. While some countries may be more ambitious than others, a Space race is definitely on amongst all these nations. By Sarah Hisham Space activities underpin much of modern life. From advancing our understanding of the Earth, the universe and humanity, to enabling national security, space activities provide crit ical data, products, and services that drive innovation in our everyday lives. Access to and use of space are now a matter of national interest and, in some parts of the world, space is even considered a part of critical nationalToday,infrastructure.thespacesector is going through a historic period. Globally, space activities are accelerating rapidly, resulting in new opportunities in multiple sectors of the socio-economy. In the West, this revo lution is driven by the commercial sector, thanks to high-profile NewSpace entrepreneurs. In the East, however, space programs are still largely govern ment-driven.TheAsiaPacific nations are no exception. Coun tries like South Korea, Taiwan (R.O.C.), Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singa pore, Australia, and New Zealand are developing and expanding their indigenous space capabilities, following in the footsteps of the region’s space super powers: China, India, and Japan.

SPECIAL FEATURE

THEOS-1 was launched in 2008, in collaboration with the Government of France, to monitor agricultural areas, get updates on flood situa tions, and look at various aspects of natural resources management.

The second generation satel lite, THEOS-2, is expected to be launched in late 2022 or early 2023.

The South Korean government recently announced USD 619 million investment in space in its 2022 budget, which includes the development of a spaceport, building a satellite-based naviga tion system and a 6G communica tions network. Launching a lunar orbiter and landing an unmanned spacecraft on the moon by 2031 are also part of the country’s ambitious spaceOveragenda.theyears, the country’s KOMPSAT series of Earth Observa tion satellites has been successful in providing very high resolution optical and SAR satellite imagery to the national and international user communities. The latest generation KOMPSAT-6 is currently awaiting launch.

In June 2022, South Korea launched its Nuri rocket, deploying six satellites into orbit, making it the seventh nation in the world to have successfully launched a great er-than-one-ton payload on a fully indigenous space launch vehicle.

Thailand was one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to launch its own EO satellite.

At present, only China, India, and Japan have comprehensive end-to-end space capabilities and possess a complete space infrastructure: space technology (communication, Earth Observa tion (EO) and navigation satellites), satellite manufacturing, rockets, and spaceports. Other nations in the region have to rely on inter national cooperation to deliver their respective space programs. This is expected to change to some extent in the coming years though as many nations in the region are developing indigenous space capacity as part of their latest apace strategies.

“Space technologies are critical prosperity.ourthatcapabilitiessupportpeople,ourplanetandourSpace as a sector is a imperativenational that should be considered by all developed countries as a key area investment.”of Enrico Palermo Head, Australian Space Agency Similar to South Korea, Taiwan also announced an ambitious USD 900 million investment to develop its space sector over the next decade. This includes launching ten domestically made satellites into space by 2028 and the development of a launch site. The Republic of China has launched a series of EO satellites through its FORMOSAT programs. The latest FORMOSAT-8 mission has six satellites that are expected to be launched between 2024 and Australia,2029.on the other hand, has been heavily reliant on EO data from the international commu nity. The Australian Civil Space Strategy 2019-2028 highlights the country’s ambition to strengthen its Earth Observation sovereignty, positioning, navigation and timing capability, and explore its potential as a commercial launch site.

EO for benefitssocio-economic

The THEOS-2 project does not focus only on procuring a satel lite from the main contractor but also on enhancing Thailand’s own capability for developing a small

The space programs of countries in the Southeast Asia region are relatively modest compared to their more developed counterparts. Since the region suffers from a long list of recurrent large-scale environmental challenges, including storms and flooding, forest fires and deforesta tion, and crop failures, their space programs are more focused on addressing these challenges and generating socio-economic benefits.

Space as a national imperative

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Enrico Palermo, Head of Australian Space Agency, opines: “Space technologies are crit ical capabilities that support our people, our planet and our prosperity. Space as a sector is a national imperative that should be considered by all developed coun tries as a key area of investment.”

Tatiya Chuentragun Deputy Executive Director Geo-Informatics & Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) Thailand satellite. This would happen by cooperating with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) for satellite design and development. The project would also focus on human resource development in this field and on constructing AIT (Assembly, Integration, and Testing) buildings and other facili ties as infrastructure to support the space economy in the country.

Vietnam too, in collaboration with the French government, launched its first optical Earth Observation satellite, VNREDSAT-1, in 2013, to better monitor and study the effects of climate change, predict and take measures to prevent natural disasters, and optimize the management of its natural resources.

“In Thailand, space technology, industry, and related activities can be considered as a space economy — one of the new S-curve industries to support all major national strat egies and plans such as National Strategies (2018-2037), the concept of Thailand 4.0, and also the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan (draft), which focus on the country's sustainable development in all dimension from innovations to high value-added industries and services,” says Tatiya Chuentragun, Deputy Executive Director at Thailand’s Geo-In formatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).

to significantly contribute towards amplifying Vietnamese space capa bilities to address national needs, contribute to economic develop ment and advance knowledge for societal well-being.

“The capacity of space to inspire current and future gener ations of innovators in addressing today's pressing challenges and in building for the future must not be discounted. Investments in these capabilities support the creation of new knowledge that drives the scientific enterprise, boosts the local knowledge workforce and inno vations, and fosters international cooperation,” says Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., Director General of the Philippine Space Agency. National space agencies In any country, the space ecosystem is a complex network of stake holders, which includes organ izations and businesses central to space-related activity and

“In Thailand, spaceindustry,technology,and related activities can be considered as a economyspace— one of the new S-curve industries to support all major strategiesnationalandplans."

38 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 SPECIAL FEATURE

The Strategy for Development and Application of Space Science and Technology to 2030, was approved in 2021 with the aim of developing space science and tech nology capacity in the country.

Vietnam and France signed another bilateral agreement in 2021 for the develop ment of the follow-up VNREDSAT-2 program. The program is expected

In 2021, the Thai government, in collaboration with academia, introduced the Thai Space Consor tium (TSC), comprising 12 space technology-related agencies and research institutions in Thailand, to jointly develop and boost the country’s space capabilities. The Consortium aims to produce a total of five small satellites, completely made locally, between 2023 and 2027. A pilot satellite named TSC-Pathfinder is expected to be launched in 2023 for EO purposes. Another Earth Obser vation satellite, TSC-1, will be launched in 2025.

There have been a lot of interesting developments with respect to the formation of national space agencies in the region in the last five years.

Other Southeast Asian coun tries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore have launched a series of micro-satel lites, mostly products of research and development through govern ment-academia cooperation.

Also in 2019, the Malaysian Cabinet approved the merging of the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA) with the National Space Agency (ANGKASA) into one focal organization — the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA). This was done to ensure that the development and management of the space sector in the country is undertaken in a strategic, organ ized and comprehensive manner.

Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. Director General, Philippine Space Agency value creation (from upstream to downstream); facilitators of such activities; and the ultimate benefi ciaries or end-users. The ecosystem requires a focal point to guide and create a framework that could drive space activities and values. There have been a lot of interesting devel opments with respect to the forma tion of national space agencies in the region in the last five years.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 39

The Philippine Space Act 2019 established the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) as the central government agency addressing all national issues and activities related to space science, tech nology and applications. The Philippines, too, did not have a space agency until then.

In 2021, the Indonesian government took a bold decision to liquidate over 40 of its minis terial and state research agencies and create the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) as its sole national research organi zation. One of the liquidated agen cies was the National Institute of In the future, regional space collaboration will be fundamental to reducing the gap in space capabilities and enhancing security.

The Australian Space Agency was established in 2018 to coordi nate civil space matters within the government and support the growth and transformation of Australia’s space industry. Australia did not have a space agency until then.

“A primary role of government in this context is to provide an environment that enables the components of the domestic space value chain, both in the upstream and downstream, to grow and gain in strength. Where these components are not present or are nascent in industry or the private sector, the government can contribute to the ‘heavy lifting’,” explains Marciano.

South Korea enacted its Space Development Promotion Act back in 2005. However, in 2021, the country’s National Assembly Science and Technology Committee announced the proposal to amend the Act to include the establish ment of a national space agency with budgetary and R&D discre tionary authority to promote the development of the South Korean space industry.

Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), which had a long history of authority in the field of aerospace and space in Indonesia. In March 2022, the Indonesian Space Agency (INASA) was formed as a special body under BRIN, for Indonesia to carry on space politic functions, including coordination in space policy, political lobby, and international partnership.

Vietnam in collaboration with the French government, launched its first optical EO satellite, VNREDSAT-1, in 2013 TechnologyandScienceofAcademyVietnamSource:

Encouraging private sector participation Looking further, the only way the emerging economies can ensure a sustainable space sector is by encouraging the private sector to participate in the investment and creation of value-added prod ucts and services. Creating an enabling regulatory environment is crucial in this regard. In 2018, the Australian Space Agency amended Australia’s previous Space Act, which had rigid and outdated legislation that would not support the current fastmoving and highly commercialized space

“Thesector.immediate challenge that we had to overcome was to remove barriers for industry participa tion so we could foster growth and innovation across the sector, while ensuring safety and national interests could be appropriately managed,” says Palermo.

ibility for the Australian space sector to access space for commer cialThailandpurposes.is currently drafting its National Space Act to create a framework that will guide and encourage more players and businesses to participate in the industry. According to Chuen tragun, it is the first time that Thailand has initiated policy and law mechanisms to promote the space economy in the country: “To clarify roles and responsibilities, and to convince stakeholders that the Act and the master plan will be beneficial for the country’s devel opment as a whole, has been a long and complex process. However, The agency would fall under the control of the President and be responsible for the muchneeded coordination of the different entities involved in the management of national space policies and efforts. Presently, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) oversees research and development while key decisions and policies are handled mostly by the National Space

Similarly,Committee.theSpace Develop ment Act, which passed its final reading in Taiwan’s Legislature in May 2022, mandated the reor ganization of the National Space Organization (NSPO) into the National Space Center, a non-de partmental public body. The Act covers activities such as registra tion of launch and space vehicles; approval of launch projects; estab lishment, operation and manage ment of launch sites; and the use of data obtained during missions.

40 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 SPECIAL FEATURE

The amended Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018 now provides more clarity and flex As the region covers a unique and diverse group of economies, the space focus and strategy for each economy is naturally diverse as well. However, rising government investments, backed by enabling space policies, are a step in the right direction for these emerging economies to maintain substantial positions in the modern space landscape.

David Tan Executive Director, Office for Space Technology & Industry, Singapore it is under way now and we are nearing our goal.”

Future prospects With continued advancements in technology, as well as the emergence of new business models and commercial appli cations, the long-term pros pects for the space industry in the region are bright. These include potential opportuni ties in emerging domains such as In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) and on-orbit servicing and assembly, in addition to traditional domains of satellite communications, navigation andAsEO.the region covers a unique and diverse group of economies, the space focus and strategy for each economy is naturally diverse as well. However, rising government investments, backed by enabling space policies, are a step in the right direction for these emerging economies to maintain substantial positions in the modern space landscape.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 41

Singapore’sprogram.spaceindustry has grown steadily over the years. There are over 50 companies, including many startups, engaged in a wide range of space-related activities from the design and manufacture of space compo nents to the provision of satel lite-based“Throughservices.ourSGD150 million (USD108 million) Space Tech nology Development Programme, we seek to grow Singapore’s space ecosystem and industry by nurturing local researchers and space-based companies to serve national priorities and be internationally competitive,” says David Tan, Executive Director at the Office for Space Technology & Industry, Singapore In 2019, the New Zealand government signed an agree ment with its American partner, MethaneSAT LLC, to build a satellite designed to detect global methane emissions.

“Through our SGD150 million (USD108 million) SpaceProgramme,DevelopmentTechnologyweseektogrowSingapore’s space ecosystem and industry by nurturing local researchers and space-based companies to serve national priorities and be internationally competitive.”

The second challenge is the content of the National Space Act and the master plan that needs to be more supportive rather than controlling and depriving; the Act should also develop a clear and common frame for everyone. This is important to attract more inves tors, manufacturers, SMEs, and startups to enter the space industry and business, adds Chuentragun.

The satellite is scheduled for launch in October 2022 and is New Zealand’s first govern ment-funded space mission.

Although presently each economy is focusing on national development, in the future, regional space collaboration will be fundamental to reducing the gap in space capabilities and enhancing security. This is how the region can claim its stake in the upcoming trillion dollar global space industry. The space race may not be equal as of now but it could lead to a totally new space landscape in the years to come. Asia Pacific is definitely a region to watch. Sarah Hisham Director, Product Management & Associate Editor, Asia Pacific Sarah@geospatialworld.net

In 2017, Rocket Lab, a public American aerospace manu facturer and launch service provider, successfully launched its first test rocket on the Mahia Peninsula, making New Zealand one of 11 countries currently able to launch satellites into space from their own territory.

Compared to other nations in the region, Singapore and New Zealand are dominated more by commercial activity rather than being driven by a large govern mental space

There are three specific drivers for these developments:

EO TRENDS 42 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

Sovereign Earth Observation Leveraging on the advancements in the space industry — such as decrease in cost of access to space, increase in miniaturization of satel lite systems and subsystems, and introduction of innovative business models such as ‘space-as-a-service’ — several countries are investing in EO constellations as part of their national space strategy. This includes an announcement by Australia earlier this year to design, construct, launch and operate four new EO satellites; an announce ment from the UAE on their SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) constellation, as well as plans from commercial EO companies to contribute to the Earth Observation data policies of their respective governments, such as LatCon nect60 in Australia and Nara Space Technology in South Korea.

Top Five Trends in Earth

The war in Ukraine has pushed countries around the world to strengthen their strategic assets, one of which happens to be the use of satellites for Earth Obser vation, for national security reasons. This, combined with the climate crisis and particularly the need to invest in environmental monitoring tools, has provided the fundamental rationale for countries to invest in EO.

The global Earth Obser vation (EO) sector is growing at a rapid rate, with hundreds of satellites expected to be launched in the coming years by both commercial companies as well as public insti tutions.

 Strategic interests for sover eignty and data independence: Although there are hundreds of EO satellites in orbit from both institutions and commer cial companies, and thousands planned to be launched in the coming decade, most countries are interested in making sure that they are data independent for sovereign purposes. This has led to a few EO national constel lations being announced by some countries, even if they are The Earth Observation sector is growing at a tremendous pace, with several private and government players set to launch dozens of satellites in the near future. Here is a summary of five interesting developments related to satellite data and its applications globally. By Aravind Ravichandran Observation

 Global trends, including climate change and evolving geopolitics:

One can analyze several technology and market trends related to this sector from the different types of sensors to be launched onboard satellites to the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in processing and making sense of satellite data. However, five highlevel yet equally important stra tegic trends stand apart as they would eventually lay the founda tion for the growing EO sector and increase its prominence within the wider space industry.

‘Backwardverticals.Vertical Integra tion’ is an emerging trend among organizations deciding to develop their own EO capabilities as a function of their business. This could mean companies investing in building their own in-house EO functions and leveraging data from existing commercial and institutional sources (also known as ‘data strategy’). But this could also refer to companies that are

Vertical integration models are increasingly becoming common in EO — not just from a space segment perspective, where a company decides to design, build, and launch satellites through in-house capabilities, but also going down the value chain into the down stream industry. We are seeing two trends of vertical integration in EO — forward and backward.

The emergence of the ‘as-a-service’ models What makes the trend of sover eign EO possible and somewhat easier to implement is the emer gence of the ‘space-as-a-service’ and, more recently, ‘satellite-as-aservice’‘Space-as-a-service’models.

While these two models are often used interchangeably, there are obvious strategic and financial differences between them. Some countries choose one of the two models based on their budgets and specific needs. However, it should be noted that traditional satellite manufacturing contracts are not going away as yet. For instance, Airbus recently got EUR 160-million contract for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) FORUM satellite to measure heat emitted from the Earth into space. FORUM, which is short for Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring, will be the first satellite to observe Earth in far-infrared, and provide unique measurements of the planet’s outgoing energy to help improve understanding of the climate system.

While this depends on whether there are existing capabilities within, there is considerable pressure to have a roadmap towards indigenous capabilities, through the private EO sector.

Backward and forward vertical integration models

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 43 not significantly different from those already in orbit. 

deliverannouncedmicrosatelliteexample,are‘Satellite-as-a-service’guaranteed.modelsarecentdevelopment.ForICEYE,theFinnishSARplayer,recentlythatitwoulditsnewofferingoffully

‘Forward Vertical Integra tion’ is the most common kind, where organizations are not only vertically integrated in the space segment, but also choose to own the development of products based on data from satellites. Some companies do this in an oppor tunistic way, whereas some have a strategic rationale as seen from the development from Planet, which announced ‘planetary variables’ leveraging on their acquisition of Vandersat. Planetary Variables are pre-processed, accurate data feeds that measure conditions on the Earth’s surface of the Earth to capture and quantify the changes in dynamic systems and render that information to deci sion-makers on the ground.

operational SAR satellites in the coming months. This model allows countries and companies to acquire readymade satellites from manufacturers like ICEYE, thus ensuring that the assets are fully owned by customers such as them selves. Interestingly, it is also now possible to acquire EO satellites already in orbit, as seen in a recent announcement from NanoAvi onics wherein the company said managed to sell one of its orbital satellites to an unnamed buyer.

models allow governments to contribute to the EO mission by supplying the critical payload, while essen tially ‘outsourcing’ the rest of the space segment to the commer cial companies. These include companies such as Spire and Loft Orbital, which are responsible for payload integration, assembly, and testing, launch service agree ments, and satellite operation. This model enables the private sector to contribute to the design of the mission, as well as the manufac turing of payload, thus ensuring that the economic rationale for the EO mission is

The socio-economic rationale for EO: As much as EO is strategic from a global perspective, for each country, investing in the sector guarantees advancement of skills for the local population, as well as thousands of jobs.

This means that Planet is not only attempting to own and control business activities that go beyond the acquisition and distribution of EO data, but also verticalizing within agriculture, that is, focusing on developing capabilities for a specific vertical as opposed to offering horizontal capabilities for solving problems across

 The GTM for EO companies Several EO platforms are under development, both by big tech companies such as Google,

The evolution of go-to-market strategies

Informationsource:TerraWatchSpace

44 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 choosing to invest in building their own EO constellations, either from scratch or through willthatintegratingtriesbuildniesisthePalantirTomorrow.io,PlansexamplesvegetationHitachi’sHusqvarna’s(alsoexistingpartnerships/investmentsstrategicwithcommercialEOplayersknownas‘spacestrategy’).IntellionandVegetationManager,bothmonitoringtools,areoftheformerapproach.fromcompaniesincludingExxonMobil,andaredifferentversionsoflatterapproach.AstheEOindustryevolves,itexpectedthatmoreEOcompawilldecidetoverticalizeandproductsforspecificindusandusecases,thusverticallyforward.SomeothersareoutsidetheEOindustrychoosetonotonlyacquire

One of the biggest questions in the development of a commercial EO sector is whether there will be enough anchor customers for companies that are developing EO data capabilities solely for use across various industries.

The past few years have seen a rapid expansion of the go-to-market (GTM) strategies employed by commercial EO companies as they scale. Depending on the segment of EO, they differ as explained below, but it is significant to note that there is no right approach, given that the commercial EO market is still in a very nascent phase. Most companies offering EO ‘data-as-a-service’ from their satellites hope to win several longterm, indefinite quantity contracts, as well as subscription-based contracts. But often, anchor customers play a key role in the development of both the company and the sector, as seen from the US National Reconnaissance Office’s multi-billion contract for BlackSky, Planet and Maxar to acquire Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) satellite imagery for meeting increasing customer demands.

Product Data Layer Description BusinessModel Examples Platform Platform-as-a-Service(typicallydata-agnostic) (someData-as-a-Service*alsoofferproducts) THE OBSERVATIONEARTHSTACK Convertsatellitedataintoactionableinsightsdeliveredaswebormobilebasedproducts,typicallyforspecificindustryorusecase oftoBuildandlaunchsatellitescollectdifferentkindsdatafromspacewithdirectlicensing Offer infrastructureaccessenvironmentComputingallowingtoaggregateddata,algorithmsandfocusedonanalysis-readydata EO TRENDS

data from existing EO players but complement that with their own EO capabilities, either with a ‘data strategy’ or a ‘space strategy’.

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 45 Amazon and Microsoft, and also from within the EO industry — such as Open Cosmos, Earth Blox, and Astraea, which were in the news recently. Although platforms will play a key role in improving the accessibility, fusibility and usability of various types of EO data, my belief is that for building scalable EO applications for use across governments and enter prises, some of the platforms will become thematic in nature. This means that although they will continue to support various generic use cases, some of them will verticalize to offer in-depth domain-specific data and develop expertise for specific markets.

The GTM for EO platforms is straightforward — to acquire as many as possible, ideally with as many users as possible, who will pay subscriptions for access to the platforms. But platforms are just tools; they need business cases built around them by the organi zations that use them, for them to become successful.



This refers to companies that offer software products built by leveraging satellite data focusing on a specific use case or use cases within industries. Apart from a direct GTM approach where companies try and distribute their products straight to the customer, two of the most interesting GTM strategies for EO products are: Based on partnerships and core integrations with the large enterprise software companies (SAP, Oracle, IBM, Salesforce etc.) or the market leaders within the specific verticals, as seen from the announcement from flood mapping startup Cloud to Street to partner with Raincoat, a parametric insur ance provider, and Munich Re Group to launch a flood insurance product in Colombia. The national program will make flood insurance policies available to 100,000+ Colom bian farmers for the first time. Based on strategic partner ships with the large consulting companies of the world (BCG, Aon, PwC, Deloitte, Accenture, etc.), as seen from the announcement from Jupiter Intelligence, one of the largest independent sellers of climate risk information, to enter into a new strategic partnership with Boston Consulting Group to help its corporate ESG practice and clients, the company first told Axios.

The era of commercial weather satellites Today, we have several satellites monitoring the weather and acquiring data about various geophysical variables to help us understand and predict the weather on Earth. Most of these satellites are owned and operated by government agencies in USA, Japan, Europe, China, Russia, and South Korea, among others. The role of the private sector in weather has been largely focused on improving the modeling capabilities based on data already collected from the government satellites, which are, in most cases, incremental improvements. However, in the last few years, companies like Spire and GeoOptics have started to offer GNSS radio occultation data and Orbital Micro Systems through microwave radiometers. Last year, Tomorrow.io announced that it will launch a constellation of precipitation radars and later this year, added microwave sounders to their plans. Acme AtronO matic, a vendor of the popular MyRadar mobile app, announced plans to launch a constellation of 250 one-unit cubesats equipped with hyperspectral, thermal, and visible cameras. More recently, Spire announced that it is adding

The GTM for EO products

Current space-based portion of the WMO's Global Observing System, plus additional space weather and environmental satellites NOAASource:

As global crises such as the pandemic, climate change and the war in Ukraine create new demand for EO data and prod ucts, it is imperative that we start looking at solving problems through an objective and holistic lens. Eventually, the issue is not about a specific type of sensor (hyperspectral vs infrared vs SAR vs Lidar), not about a specific medium (satellite vs aerial vs in-situ), not about EO vs weather vs GNSS, and certainly not termi nologies such as geospatial or spatial or location intelligence. We need to be focused on the impact of EO on the customers, how it helps them get their job done, and in that process contributes to solving larger environmental, soci etal, and economic challenges.

The five-year agreement includes comprehensive weather fore casts, alerts to notify aerostat site operators in case of bad weather forecast, weather training for site managers and site leads, and a contact center offering weather information 24x7. The goal is problem solving

Game-changinggo.esri.com/ImageryInTheCloud tech, world-changing possibilities Unlock the full potential of your imagery microwave sounders from RAL Space to its constellation to augment its weather observations. As climate change becomes part of the economic, social, polit ical, and defense narrative, the commercial weather sector, which can be included within the EO industry, will play a huge role in the development of climate adap tation and resilience tools. NOAA, for instance, has allocated almost USD 1 billion for “climate data and services” over the next five years. Much of that will depend on the advancements in the private sector, not only with respect to launching advanced sensors, but also the modeling, processing and dissemination of weather and climate information. Spire’s multimillion dollar contract with TCOM is an example of the kind of adoption of commercial weather services from the defense sector.

Founder of TerraWatch Space, a strategic advisory and commu nications firm in the space industry, specializing in the Earth Observation sector. By working within the intersection of those who are building, investing in and adopting EO systems, he hopes to demystify it for those outside the ‘EO bubble’, while ensuring that we are continuing to work towards making satellite data mainstream. aravind@terrawatch.space Aravind Ravichandran

EO TRENDS

INTERVIEW

Using Geo-Data to Understand Ocean Phenomena and Build Coastal Resilience

According to a recent report, more than 1,000 rivers account for 80% of annual global riverine plastic emissions into the ocean, ranging between 0.8 and 2.7 million metric tons per year, with small urban rivers being the most polluting. Plastic litter also causes severe economic losses through damage to vessels and fishing gear, negative effects on the tourism industry, and increased shoreline cleaning efforts, costing up to USD 1.26 billion per year for the Asian-Pacific Rim alone.

Academia, governments, the private sector, NGOs, and philanthropic organizations must all join hands to provide discovery and access to our ocean geo-data and resources, to increase our understanding of the ocean and restore its health, says Louis Demargne, Data and Knowledge Management Officer at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO).

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Concerned about mounting threats to the ocean, the United Nations has declared 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. What is the role of geo-data in building coastal resilience? Geospatial and hydro-spatial data are fundamental building blocks for understanding ocean science and for developing sustainable solutions that address the serious July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net

Climate change and pollution argu ably present the greatest threat to the ocean’s health. They upset the fragile balance of oceanic ecosys tems and have huge consequences on weather, biodiversity, ocean circulation, and coastal communi ties, to name a few. However, much of the ocean remains invisible and unknown to Geo-referenced bathymetric map of the seabed, Fugro

Why is it important to revive ocean health?

INTERVIEW

Tell us about some of the partnerships that the Educational,ofOceanographicIntergovernmentalCommissiontheUnitedNationsScientificand Cultural Organization (IOCUNESCO) has established with private companies? IOC-UNESCO has received the mandate from the UN General Assembly to coordinate the implementation of the Ocean Decade, inviting the global ocean community to work together in ocean science and technology to co-design and co-deliver the ocean we need, for the future we want. Fugro, a Netherlands-based company that specializes in collecting and analyzing geological data, both on land and at sea, is one of the companies working with IOC UNESCO. Fugro is providing loaned personnel to the IOC-UN ESCO Secretariat in Paris to help establish and administer two working groups focused on theandourtoandgovernment,mustthesestandingtoequitablewillatOceanutingOceanprivatecoordination/interoperabilitydataandsectorparticipationintheDecade,aswellascontribin-kindresourcestotheUNDecadeteam.Withthehelpofindustrylarge,theUNOceanDecadeplayakeyroleinprovidingaccesstooceangeo-datahelpboostscientificunderoftheoceantotacklemultiplechallenges.Wealljoinforces—academia,privatesector,NGOsphilanthropicorganizations—providediscoveryandaccesstooceangeo-dataandresources,increaseourunderstandingofoceanandrestoreitshealth.

48 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022 threat posed by declining ocean health and climate change, thereby improving the resilience of the ocean, the climate and coastal communities. From satellite remote sensing to vessel-based bathymetric surveying, from floating measurement buoys to live streaming in-situ data, increasing the volume and accuracy of ocean geo-data is essential to diagnose and understand ocean phenomena and improve our predictive capa bilities. In our search for solutions to unlock ocean knowledge, we must also look for innovative combinations of data from multi disciplinary sources, including socioeconomic data, local and indigenous knowledge, and so on. This is key for developing longterm sustainable solutions, which we need to return to the clean, healthy, productive and resilient ocean we all want and need.

The ocean plays several critical roles in our lives, which many of us aren’t even aware of. To start with, the ocean covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface and is responsible for 50% of the oxygen on Earth. It captures somewhere roughly 25% of all human-made CO2 emissions. It is also one of the most efficient carbon sinks on the planet and a key ally in the fight against climate change. It provides food and livelihoods for over 3.5 billion people. If we don’t take care of the ocean’s health, then all these critical components that we take for granted will be even more severely disrupted than they already are today, with potentially catastrophic consequences for humanity. In a nutshell, the ocean is our planet’s life-support system. Without a healthy ocean, our very existence is threatened — it’s as simple as that! What are the major contributors to this crisis and how can they be eradicated?

July-August 2022 | www.geospatialworld.net | 49 us. To date, only 23% of the ocean floor has been mapped through direct observation, and that is an astonishing fact. We use sensors to measure ocean variables typi cally in the first 100 m to 200 m of depth, yet the average ocean depth across the world is roughly 3,700 m. We know more about the surface of the moon and Mars than we do about the bottom of the ocean, which makes up approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface. With such a vast knowl edge gap, it is hard to find ways to manage the ocean responsibly. To tackle these challenges, we need to give ocean science a boost, not just to discover and understand the ocean but also to develop solutions that allow us to responsibly develop ocean resources for a sustainable ocean economy. Science and technology can help us achieve that. This is the mission and vision of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Develop ment (Ocean Decade) launched in 2021, of which Fugro is a partner. We also need a step change in our relationship with the ocean. If we feel inspired by and connected to the ocean, we will be more inclined to take care of it. Accidents such as oil spills are often covered by news outlets, because they are so spectacular, in a negative way. With close to 90% of global trade transported by sea, and growing, it’s hard to see how accidents will drop, despite improved regulation, enforce ment and monitoring in the last 30 years, including through the use of satellite remote sensing. However, while devastating for local wildlife and coastal commu nities, oil spills are the tip of the iceberg in terms of ocean pollu tion. The pollution that enters the ocean from land via rivers has a far greater and more long-term impact on ocean health. How is climate change affecting the ocean and coastal communities? How serious are the problems and if left unchecked, what are the consequences? Climate change is disrupting the ocean in several ways. The planet’s increasing temperature is heating up the ocean, which is leading to several critical issues. First, the ocean is expanding. Melting glaciers and polar ice caps are a major source of expanding oceans and rising sea levels and this will challenge the very existence of coastal communities and island nations around the world. Beach and cliff erosion, flooding and so on — all these events will damage coastal property, habitats and infrastructure, and inevitably lead to loss of life. The ocean also acts as a gigantic conveyer belt. It carries heat from one end of the planet to the other through a series of surface and deep water currents, thereby regulating our weather patterns. Any disruption to these currents caused by a warming of the seas could lead to cata strophic weather events, such as increased frequency and inten sity of storms leading to heavy floods and severe droughts, even far inland. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle that occurs every three to five years in the Pacific is an example of what can happen when ocean circula tion is disrupted.

Lastly, climate change is also leading to acidification of the seas, which is disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems and biodiversity around the world, especially in coral reefs. This can deeply affect local communities that rely on healthy coastal ecosystems for their subsistence and livelihoods — from tourism to fisheries. How can ocean pollution and other ocean stressors be prevented? Pollution does not come from one single source. Unfortunately, it is spread out across the entire globe, which makes it difficult to tackle — difficult, but not impos sible. Plastic pollution tends to get a lot of attention because it is quite visible; we often see plastic objects lying on the beach and it’s not a pleasant sight. Less visible and just as harmful is the pollution that comes from micro-plastics, as well as inorganic chemicals used in land activities such as agriculture, as these drain into the ocean via rivers, impacting marine life.

Pollution is a multifaceted problem that requires a combi nation of approaches: legisla tion, enforcement, monitoring, lobbying from advocacy groups and consumers, and so on. But perhaps most important of all, tackling pollution requires a behavioral change. By changing people’s perceptions and understanding of the ocean, we can encourage behavioral changes that can have a global impact. This could be as simple as further reducing single-use plastics or growing food with fewer chemicals.

Interviewed by: Nibedita Mohanta

The book is organized under thirteen major heads, which cover all aspects from a historical perspective — through Causes, Drivers, Processes, Impact, Remote Sensing Techniques, Vulnerability Assessment, and Combating Strategies.

Notably, the issues of desertification and land degradation are not something new. These processes have been going on since ancient times but the rising population and consequent pressures on land have now accelerated the problem. The book clearly brings out the various causes and drivers — natural, anthropogenic and administrative, which contribute to these processes.

By Arup Dasgupta

The processes are dealt with in great detail. Their impact on the natural environment and on society is well covered. This includes a very inter esting chapter on Ocean Biological Deserts, which may initially appear to be out of place in a book on land degradation. However, oceans are a source of food for coastal communities, and human activ ities on land are known to have destroyed ocean resources leading to a desertification effect on oceans and seas as well.

Authors: Ajai and Rimjhim Bhatnagar Publisher: CRC Press Year of Publication: 2022

The book proceeds beyond this and covers the indicators that signify in advance the possible onset or extension of land degradation. This is very important because these indicators have to be detected through mapping and monitoring, using various techniques such as remote sensing. These techniques are further used to assess the vulnerability of natural features and communities, which then leads to the evolution of combating strategies. Here, several case studies from all over the world have been given as examples. The book concludes with a chapter on international initiatives and the move towards Land Degradation Neutrality. This is important because degradation transcends national boundaries.

Overall, the book is an excellent exposition of the issues and their possible amelioration. It should be essential reading for all those working towards a sustainable future.

ne of the most precious resources we have is land. It is limited in its extent and it has to meet multiple competing and conflicting demands; as a result there is continuous degradation of this critical resource. The book “Desertification and Land Degradation Concepts to Combating” addresses this situation in an excellent and comprehensive manner.

BOOK REVIEW

50 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

CombatingConceptsDegradationandDesertificationLandto

What’s for you in the GeoBuiz Report? GeoBuiz 22: Global Geospatial Industry Outlook Report For More Information: LAKHYAJIT BARUAH Manager- Sales and Business lakhyajit@geospatialworld.netDevelopment GLOBAL INDUSTRYGEOSPATIALOUTLOOKGEOBUIZ22Producedby PRICING FOR GEOBUIZ REPORT 2022 GeoBuiz Report 2022 Subscription: Only Online SCAN HERE *Once the report is purchased, it will be sent to you in 3 working days 1 License$3500 3 $4500License 5 $5000License The GeoBuiz 22 report will allow your company and yourself to discover the latest market opportunities, analyse your competitors' strategy, exploit emerging trends and understand your potential in the USD 1.44 trillion geospatial market (2030). It contains level of insight that you simply won't find elsewhere at such a competitive price: Global Geospatial Technology Market Overviewincluding size and analysis of key market segments and regions, growth drivers, industry trends and complete view of the geospatial market environment up to year 2027 Technology Trends and Directions – including technology trends, business trends and market trends expected to drive the geospatial industry Business Environment information on the most preferred business model by the different subsegments of the geospatial ecosystem, and the latest mergers and acquisitions and partnerships driving innovations in the geospatial industry Innovation to Impact Matrix Identify where your competitors stand in the Innovation to Impact matrix – who are the leaders, challengers, innovators and augmenters.

This new St. Louis ‘Innovation Precinct’ joins Geospatial Intel ligence (GEOINT), Fintech, Med Tech and other technology enter prises in ‘placemaking’ and “revi talization’ of the entire northern portion of Downtown St. Louis — including North Tucker Blvd, the entire Washington Avenue Tech Corridor, and the America’s Center ConventionFoundingComplex.anchorsand civic entrepreneurs in this ‘collaborate to compete’ economic and entre preneurial development hubs are:



Scale also shared its plan to open an office at the nearby Globe Building in the near future. Valentine further noted, “my goal would be to get us to around 500 employees over the course of the next couple years.” Their St. Louis-based employees will work closely with some of Scale’s highly valued federal customers — including the US Department of Defense Joint AI Center, US Army Research Lab, and US Air Force Research Lab.

St. Louis As Global GEOINT Hub E

FEATURED 52 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-August 2022

Scale AI, the data platform founded in 2016 by Alexandr Wang that helps its customers incorpo rate artificial intelligence into their operations, recently announced that it will open its St. Louis office and an initial 215 jobs in the District on Washington Avenue.

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Scale becomes the second high-profile Silicon Valley company this year to open a hub in St. Louis — following the cyberse curity firm Netskope’s expansion.

Maxar, Sweden-based T-Kartor’s U.S. head quarters, Ball Aerospace, General Dynamics, Square, CashApp, Geospatial World, and Stereotaxis already making their homes in the new District — along with the national security ecosystem and infrastructure to support GEOINT needs — yet another national GEOINT high-tech industry leader has announced that they will make St. Louis their home.

Apropos of St. Louis’ focus on Geospatial Intelligence and proximity to the new NGA/West Interior of the dramatic new space for up to 1,400 employees of Square and CashApp in the former St. Louis Post-Dispatch HQ High-tech unclassified space for Geospatial Intelligence firms at The Globe Building

arlier this year, Geospatial World Magazine featured the announcement of the newest ‘Innovation District ’ in St. Louis; namely, the Downtown North Insight District — located at the Heart of America, in St. Louis’ central business district and just several blocks from the now under-construction USD 1.75-billion new western headquarters for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the surrounding 1,500acre NorthSide Regeneration mixed-use development.

New District Advances

Mark Valentine, Head of Federal at Scale AI, observed, “The office’s location is near the Next NGA West campus, as well as T-REX and NGA’s geospatial accel erator, Moonshot Labs.”

The 226,000-squareadaptively-renovatedfootformer HQ for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper, as the new home for up to 1,400 employees of Square and CashApp; and,  The T-Rex nonprofit innovation, entrepreneur, and workforce development organization with affordable flex pace for some 200 entrepreneurial firms and inno vation support organizations, and home of NGA’s Moonshot LabsWithAccelerator.firmssuchas

Innovation

The 720,000-square foot historic Art Deco Globe Building (formerly one of the City’s two railroad terminals), becoming a ‘location of choice’ for national GEOINT and other tech firms;

US Senator Roy Blunt (Missouri) commented, “As more companies and government agencies begin to utilize the power of artificial intelligence, the new Scale AI office will put St. Louis at the center of an exciting and rapidly evolving field,” noting that “the Scale announcement strengthens St. Louis’ position as an emerging technology hub, and I look forward to seeing continued growth and economic develop ment in the region.”

Suchaccessibility.”innovation hubs actively advance a “collaborate to compete’ agenda to some of the world’s (and cities’) most complex challenges. Such “collaboration to compete’ is clearly evident by the civic partnership between The Globe Building owner Steve Stone; Star wood Development partners Jim McKelvey (Co-Founder of Square) and John Berglund; and T-Rex CEO PattyTheHagen.Global Institute aptly describes the key aspirations driving St. Louis’ Downtown North Insight District when they note “drawn together by transit, powered by clean energy, wired for digital technology, and fueled by caffeine, innovation districts are ambitious in their efforts to strengthen local and regional competitiveness, grow new jobs with living wages, create new firms, and strengthen inclusive growth and equity across the region.”

St. Louis is focusing on geospa tial in four industry sectors — national security; digital/precision agriculture; logistics; and health careSo,delivery.asconstruction of the NGA/ West HQ continues on pace for a 2026 opening — keep an eye on St. Louis’s companion evolution as a Geospatial Intelligence Hub

Richard C.D. Fleming CEO, Community Development Ventures, Inc., St. Louis regionalstrategy@me.com The 1,500-acre NorthSide Regeneration Mixed-Use Development, with NGA/West HQ at its center, several blocks north of the new Downtown North Innovation District HQ — the Global Institute on Innovation Districts is “actively advancing strategies that support geographies uniquely positioned to drive new waves of innovative, inclusive, and sustainable growth: Innovation Districts.”

St. Louis has identified five overall business and civic initiatives in the GeoFutures Plan to fulfill its potential to become a global geospatial hub: 1 Scale up talent/workforce devel opment; 2 Raise innovation capacity; 3 Accelerate entrepreneurship; 4 Support the advancement of public/private partnership devel opment in GEOINT-related inno vation districts and surrounding neighborhoods; and, 5 Brand and position St. Louis as a national & international GEOINT thought leader (and position the St. Louis Hub through initiatives such as the new Downtown North Insight District).

The Global Institute further observed “Innovation districts are the ultimate mash-up of anchor institutions, companies, startups, and ecosystem building interme diaries in hyper-local geographies that leverage density, proximity, and

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Geospatial World CEO and Founder Sanjay Kumar docu mented the scale and scope of growth in this sector in the recently published Global Industry Outlook Report, which noted that the “geospatial industry is the next ‘big opportunity’ for technology companies both as an ‘advancing market in itself’ and ‘augmenting business processes’ of mainstream IT, engineering, and autonomous industries.”Thelong-term project involving multiple public/private partnerships is the 1,500-acre NorthSide Regeneration (NSR) Mixed-Use Development, at the heart of which is NGA’s new 100-acre HQ. The fully built-out NSR development will include 3 million square feet of office, 2 million square feet of retail, 1 million square feet of advanced manufacturing and tech space, and up to 2,500 residential units. Within it, GEOINT Village directly across the street from the new 100-acre campus of NGA/West, will include over a half million square feet of office space for GEOINT firms, a hotel, an incubator/ accelerator, national security-re lated infrastructure components, restaurants and shops, parking, and a central park (as depicted in the attached Master Plan for the 1,500acre mixed-sue development).

Geospatial Intelligence sector underscores the immense poten tial for St. Louis and the Downtown North Insight District to become a center piece of St. Louis’ emer gence as a Global GEOINT Hub.

GEOINT projected to grow to USD 1.44-trillion by 2030 The magnitude of growth of the defense and commercial July-August 2022 www.geospatialworld.net

710 N. Tucker Boulevard, Suite 100, St. Louis, Missouri 63101 jsalvatori@globebuilding.com | www.globebuilding.com 314 241 0450 • Home to General Dynamics, Maxar, Ball Aerospace, T-Kartor—USA and more • Blocks away from the new NGA West campus • Featuring Tier 1-carrier class-ﬁber and power infrastructure • Located in the emerging Downtown North Insight District GEOINT LOCATION OF CHOICE IN ST. LOUIS BIG SPACE • BIG FIBER • BIG POWER

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Geospatial World July-August 2022

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DesertificationandLand DegradationConceptsto Combating

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