Drones and other ways of bringing space down to Earth

When we talk about space, most people still think that anything higher than the flightpath of a plane or weather balloon is so distant that it’s practically in the realm of fiction. Even in the age of the International Space Station, companies such as Space X, and movies like Gravity, the majority of us spend little time thinking about what is happening above our heads every second and the important role that this other world – which lies just 100 km above us – plays in our daily lives.

But we should be thinking more about this other world because it is in fact an integral part of ours – it’s as vital to us and our way of life as the oceans and the forests. That may not have been the case before the 20th century, but it certainly is now that our lives are fully interconnected and dependent on the infrastructure that lies in the Earth’s orbits, through more than a thousand active satellites.

Just how much space affects our daily lives is something we’ve explored in a recent report, Bringing Space Down to Earth.

The bulk of traditional satellites (Earth observation, global navigation positioning, communications) provide a range of services, including assuring critical financial transactions, providing precise GPS signals, monitoring climate change, documenting possible war crimes, providing critical and timely disaster response and remote internet access.

These space technologies have a big effect down here on Earth. For example, providing internet access in remote areas can change the lives of millions of people and give a boost to the global economy. It can also help provide quality education to those who previously could not access it.

While the majority of satellites require backing from government or large corporations, in recent years development of much smaller nano-satellites, that are the size of a mobile phone – effectively drones in space – has allowed even start-ups and individuals to get involved in space.

Looking to the future, some scientists propose using the Earth’s orbits to place large numbers of solar panels in space, which could potentially provide enough power for us all. A few companies are looking at the possibility of creating Earth-orbiting hotels, setting up asteroid mining operations or using the orbit as a starting point to send exploration missions to Mars.

But the orbits around Earth needed for all current and future activity are much more fragile than some think. Space debris saturation is increasing and we must invest more in cleaning up the cosmos. Solar storms pose threats to satellites as well as to infrastructure on Earth.

Spectrum congestion and radio frequency interference can interrupt or block services, while increasing militarization and lack of international consensus when it comes to regulation in space pose serious threats to their proper functioning and sustainability of the orbits in which satellites operate. Bringing Space Down to Earth addresses all these topics in detail and urges us to pay more attention to space.

It has been more than half a century that humans conquered our planet’s gravity and stepped off our little blue rock. Unfortunately, as with other global commons, we are facing a looming crisis and need to ensure that we protect and take care of the space that surrounds our planet and that we now fully rely day to day. We need to start thinking more about space here on Earth.

To draw attention to the importance satellites play in our daily lives and to highlight the need to protect the orbits in which they operate around the Earth, the Global Agenda Council on Space⁽¹⁾ has published a report called Bringing Space Down to Earth, which accessibly outlines the numerous benefits that satellites have.

This article is based on the work of members of the Global Agenda Council on Space in drawing attention to the role satellites play and the importance of protecting the orbits in which they operate. 

Author: Nikolai Khlystov is a Senior Partnership Manager at the World Economic Forum with responsibility for the Global Agenda Council on Space. Twitter: @nikolaikhlystov 

Image: The space shuttle Discovery is seen with Earth in the background as the shuttle approaches the International Space Station for docking in this February 26, 2011 photograph by an Expedition 26 crew member released by NASA. REUTERS/NASA