Earth observation is entering a new era

A trend that will continue in 2018 and beyond

December 29, 2017

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s 2018 makes its big entrance we are also delighted to share more about our mission and why 2018 will see a continued growth of the new generation of earth observation companies.

First and foremost 2017 has made it more clear than ever that climate change is real. The earth’s water cycle is at the center of this change, and heavily impacts economic and social development: it is vital to maintain health, grow food, generate energy, manage the environment, and create jobs. Water-related hazards, including floods, storms, and droughts, are responsible for 9 out of 10 natural disasters. Climate change is expected to increase this risk, in addition to placing greater stress on water supplies.

“Build the best satellite products to solve the global water and food crisis and always keep innovating”

With VanderSat we aim to do our part in mitigating climate change. Our mission to build the best satellite products to solve the global water and food crisis is real. Do we think we can do it on our own? Obviously not, but we do believe that using satellites to observe the very complex natural processes taking place in water and temperature adds to the solution. What we also believe in is that a fully operational service with high resolution data like soil moisture and land surface temperature will help.

We come from an academic background with roots at ESA and NASA and want earth observation data to be used for good. VanderSat was born out of this idea. This year alone we have helped insurance companies launch new index based products lead and thereby closing the protection gap. We have helped agricultural firms reduce pesticide use and have launched initiatives with the Red Cross and other NGO’s to improve flood forecast models, and much, much more which we will happily demonstrate in 2018.

“This time around it is not just public institutions and climate scientists using the remote sensing communities insights, but also multinationals”

Luckily we are not alone in this emerging space. It seems that earth observation is entering a new era with the launch of cubesats, ESA’s sentinel constellation, and more companies using this data to change things for the better. This time around it is not just public institutions and climate scientists using the remote sensing communities insights, but also multinationals that see that there is a business opportunity here that creates positive social and environmental impact.

At VanderSat we believe this is one of the important drivers behind the growth of the commercial earth observation industry. An ecosystem we are proudly part of and which will continue it’s growth and positive impact in 2018.

Wishing you all a great 2018!

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