The UK Space Agency is to provide more than £2.5m of funding for five new projects to use satellite data to improve public services.
The projects bring a number of innovative space companies together with public sector partners ranging from major government departments to local councils.
They will use data from existing satellite networks for a wide range of different purposes, from monitoring movement in buildings for safety purposes to helping improve natural diversity.
Harshbir Sangha, director of Missions and Capabilities at the UK Space Agency, said that the projects demonstrated that “space technology delivers practical benefits here on Earth”.
The following projects have been accepted for the funding.
CORE: COrner Reflector Enabled Remote Sensing
Developed by Geospatial Ventures in Nottingham, the project will use special radar systems and AI to identify and monitor tiny movements in buildings and other infrastructure such as bridges. This aims to provide early warning of any potential safety issues and will be particularly useful in sites that are difficult or expensive to check manually.
THICKET: a biodiversity mapping tool
The THICKET tool aims to help farmers support wildlife on their land by using satellite imagery to show what habitats are available in these areas and which plants and animals are present. The detailed imagery will allow for more informed decisions on land use. The system is being developed by AAC Clyde Space.
Government GHG service
London’s GHGSat UK will develop an advanced analytics platform that the government can use to turn satellite data on greenhouse gases into actionable information. This will allow the government to make informed decisions on reducing these gases.
FANTOM – Future Analytics
This project, by Earth-i in Guildford, will use satellite images to provide useful analytics to the Rural Payments Agency, which manages farming subsidies and environmental schemes.
EO4Biodiversity
EO4Biodiversity aims to use Earth Observation data to track changes in biodiversity, to inform the decisions of landowners, developers and public bodies. The project is being run by HR Wallingford in Oxfordshire.
The UK Space Agency is also due to launch a climate funding call, providing small grants of between £40,000 and £80,000 per project to help UK organisations develop new services using Earth Observation satellite data.
These projects will be aimed at “tackling climate change, protecting nature, or helping society make more informed decisions for the planet”.
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