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Monitoring Wildfires from Afar

Some of the same satellite-based sensors that helped to track Superstorm Sandy and generate maps of the resulting blackouts were used to monitor the devastating wildfires that affected many parts of the United States a few months earlier. Between January and September 2012, a total of 48,258 fires burned 36,000 square kilometers (8.8 million acres).

It’s Tricky: Snowboard Video Game Courses Used NASA Topographic Maps

EA Sports’ SSX snowboarding game used data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite. The ASTER Global Digital Elevation Map was a joint project between NASA and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; the map was released into the public domain in 2009.

Weather Satellites Tracked Hurricanes and Saved Lives

Imaging and remote sensing satellites have become indispensable in both consumer and government applications by virtue of their unique vantage point and global coverage. While optical imaging sensors are among the most common in remote sensing applications, some satellites carry specialized instruments that are able to collect a variety of geophysical data, such as local gravity, soil moisture, or atmospheric properties.

ESA Tech Helps Cross the “Uncanny Valley” in Cinema

Expertise derived from space programs can also be applied in cutting-edge entertainment applications. IKinema, an ESA spinoff company, found a way to apply components of satellite guidance software to the challenge of rendering realistic human movement for movies and computer games. Calculating fluid, human motions can require significant computing power and therefore requires very efficient computer programs.

See Your Speed While Shredding the Slopes

Another innovative use of GPS technology that yielded an unconventional product is Recon Instruments’ head-up display (HUD) for skiers, called MOD Live. The display mounts into conventional ski goggles and provides useful information within the user’s field of view.

GPS Watches Help Athletes

GPS technologies continue to evolve, and several companies are energetically marketing GPS receivers embedded into products and platforms beyond phones or dedicated devices. For example, recent advances in miniaturizing GPS modules have allowed GPS watches to more closely resemble regular wristwatches in overall size and feel, while at the same time providing more features.

Touring India Using GPS and 3D Maps

The integration of GPS receivers in smartphones has resulted in a surge of travel and navigation applications that can be used to enhance a travel experience. A startup company called My IndiEye Travel Companions has developed a GPS-enabled tourism application that can be used as an on-site tour guide at landmarks in India.

Eliminating Broadcast Interference for 2012 Summer Olympics

Space products and services provide people with new and more convenient ways to enjoy themselves at home or when traveling. Entertainment programming relies heavily on the global reach of satellites, particularly for major events such as the 2012 Summer Olympics.

2012 – Suborbital Payload Launch

Virgin Galactic announced at the 2012 Farnborough Air Show that, in addition to providing a passenger service, it would be developing a low-cost satellite launcher using the WhiteKnightTwo carrier plane. By replacing SpaceShipTwo with a small two-stage rocket, called LauncherOne, the company predicted that it could send payloads of up to ## kilograms (## pounds) into LEO for less than $## million.

2012 – Building Space Infrastructure and Achieving Mission Objectives Within Reduced Budgets

Today, nations are under pressure to replace aging satellite infrastructure while continuing to deploy new satellite systems and achieve the related mission objectives within the constraints of tighter budgets. The…