Could Space Technology be the Climate Change Solution?

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The 'never-ending' energy source
Space technology companies Earthwave, SpaceSolar and Thales Alenia Space suggest ways to create sustainable energy from a extraterrestrial perspective

There are over 150 satellites orbiting Earth, helping to monitor our world’s wellbeing. These complex pieces of technology prove to us that global warming is happening, being closely monitored for the Paris Agreement.

This technology is pivotal in monitoring indicators relating to climate change, these being:

  • Ocean temperature 
  • Rising sea levels
  • Deforestation
  • Emission tracking
  • Forecasting natural disasters
Satellites can weigh anywhere from 1-1000Kg, depending on their purpose.

Significance of solar

Solar panels use natural and artificial light to create a renewable energy.

They reduce greenhouse emissions due to using natural sources and being recyclable. Air quality is improved due to the lack of harmful chemicals used, leading to a small carbon footprint.

Solar panels work by conducting light energy across a system of mirrors. These are converted into high frequency radio waves which are then beamed down to a receiver on Earth to create electrical energy.

Using solar panels in space is an innovative approach as it makes a vast amount of sense to place them in out of orbit where they're much closer to the universe's largest light source.

Not only is this tactical, it provides a huge amount of energy on such a sustainable level that it will be unparalleled to other methods of clean energy.

SpaceX

SpaceX: Can space technology support sustainability?

Space technology could be essential in the battle towards climate change, or so says space technology company SpaceX.

SpaceX has a value of US$200bn and an innovative approach to spacecraft design, manufacturing and operations that has disrupted the aerospace industry, significantly reducing launch costs and advancing the commercialisation of space activities.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and companies including EV giant Tesla, says: “Climate change is the biggest threat that humanity faces this century, except for AI.

“I keep telling people this...This view is shared by almost everyone who’s not crazy in the scientific community."

Residential solar panels produce on average 250-400Watts per hour

Earthwave: Satellite data for sustainability

Since the start of space exploration, companies and governments have explored the possibilities of using space-related technology and capabilities to reduce global warming.

Earthwave is a data science company that specialises in using satellite data to predict and prevent the repercussions of climate change. With the help of AI, this company is able to improve the accuracy of data from satellites.

Some of Earthwave's notable projects include:

  • CryoTEMPO-EOLIS: Developing high-resolution altimetry products from CryoSat-2 satellite data
  • DeepESDL: Working on ESA's Deep Earth System Data Laboratory
  • Digital Twin Antarctica: Contributing to ESA's Digital Twin Precursor of Antarctica project
  • 4D Earth Experience: A visualization tool that brings together real-world data to show environmental changes in innovative and relatable ways

The company works with multiple different datasets to determine the deformation, elevation and topography (land surfaces) in order to quantify the environmental changes. A key example being the insight on ice cap melting. 

The Arctic is melting twice as fast a global average...

Earthwave has projects that are dedicated to the understanding of ice-ocean interactions in Antarctica, the ice-shelf changes and glacier mass balance in the surrounding area.

Space Solar: Renewable energy

Space Solar is a UK technology company dedicated to enabling net zero and energy security. 

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By launching a solar power station-carrying satellite into space, sunlight will be converted into sustainable energy.

This method of sustainable energy is bright in more ways than one, the sun provides continuous light energy, leading to an ‘unlimited’ clean energy supply.

SpaceSolar plans on delivering affordable, scalable and sustainable energy within 12 years, ultimately wanting to create safer and cleaner energy sources.

A developing system called CASSIOPeiA (Constant Aperture, Solid-State, Integrated, Orbital Phased Array) is being produced by the company, this satellite-based solar power station is designed to:

  • Capture solar energy in space where it's stronger and uninterrupted
  • Provide continuous clean energy by rotating as the Earth moves around the sun

Thales Alenia Space (TAS)

 TAS is a global space manufacturer that has been providing high-tech solutions for over 40 years. 

This company has three sites in the UK, providing:

  • High-tech solutions for telecommunications 
  • Navigation 
  • Earth observation 
  • Environmental management
  • Exploration, science and orbital infrastructures

The significance of TAS is evident in the vast contribution in 11/12 of the Copernicus missions conducted by the European Space Agency, projected to monitor the environmental changes.

TAS builds satellites, imaging spectrometers, and radar altimeters in order to record climate change, severe weather changes and potential natural disasters.

The TAS Arctic weather satellite launched 19/08/24.

What is next for space-driven sustainability?

Space technology has emerged as a clear asset in the fight against climate change, providing sustainable energy and invaluable data.

As boundaries are pushed by companies and governments, tools for environmental monitoring continue to address the challenges posed by global warming.

With continued advancements, space technology offers hope for a sustainable, energy-secure future, playing a crucial role in achieving the near reaching net-zero targets of the Paris Agreement and protecting our planet.

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