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Disaster Charter Provides Timely Imagery to Response Teams

One of the key challenges in a flood involves getting timely and accurate information regarding flood-affected areas. Satellite imagery can mitigate the magnitude of flood damage by providing response teams with an overall image of the flooded area.

Tagging Disaster Areas in Satellite Imagery

Scandicraft, a Norwegian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) service provider, has developed a system that “geotags,” or marks the physical location of, aerial images from a disaster area and uploads the images via satellite link within minutes.

Locating Oil Well Locations Using Gravity

In support of the oil and gas industry, a U.K.-based company has used technology from an ESA gravity mission to develop a gravity strength sensor, or gravity gradiometer, to help find the most appropriate locations for drilling and to plan further exploration.

Earth Observation Assets Documenting Changes in the Gulf of Mexico

In 2008, NASA presented new efforts to use remote sensing data to improve the Gulf of Mexico coastal environment. NASA is working with the Gulf Coast Alliance, a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, using seven NASA and internationally controlled Earth-observing satellites with direct coastal coverage.

OCO Failure to Launch

Environmental monitoring satellites provide decision-makers with critical information on climate change and natural disasters. The loss of a single satellite can cause significant gaps in Earth observation capabilities, as was the case in February 2009 when NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) was destroyed in a launch failure.

Observing Ocean Effects on Fisheries from Space

Remote sensing satellite data is used increasingly by the fishing industry to understand ocean conditions and their effect on fisheries. Remote sensing satellites provide real-time data on sea surface temperature and surface winds.

Olympic Swimgear Redefined

Perhaps the highest visibility for a space technology spinoff in 2008 was the migration of technology used for space shuttle drag research into the design of the low-friction swimwear worn by a number of Olympic competitors, including multiple gold medalwinner Michael Phelps.

Spacecraft Bookings Accepted For Near Future Flights

In 2008, RocketShip Tours began booking passage to the edge of space onboard an XCOR Lynx spacecraft. The Lynx vehicle will carry a pilot and one passenger in a front seat position, offering a unique perspective during flight.

Virgin’s WhiteKnightTwo Flies Successfully

During 2008, Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic unveiled and conducted the maiden flight of a new airplane, WhiteKnightTwo, a “mother ship” designed to carry SpaceShipTwo into the upper atmosphere, launch the spacecraft into a suborbital trajectory, and return to base. SpaceShipTwo has room for six passengers and two pilots.

The Convergence of “G” Phones and GPS

Smartphones are advanced mobile phones with features similar to personal computers. Devices released in 2008 such as the Apple iPhone 3G and the T-Mobile G1 put the power of space products and services into pockets everywhere.