On July 23, 1972, Landsat 1 was launched-the world’s first observation satellite with the purpose of studying our planet’s landmasses. Since then, the Global Satellite-based Earth Observation Market has grown into a US$2.31 billion industry.
The technology itself has evolved as well. Today’s earth observation satellites are smaller, cheaper, and equipped with advanced features such as image-enhancing technology, high-resolution cameras, and remote-sensing technology. These features have drastically enhanced the quality of earth observation images, making observation satellites a perfect companion for a number of industries outlined below.
It’s highly unlikely that 40 years ago, the more-than-300 researchers who worked with Landsat 1 could have imagined the plethora of applications of 21st century observation satellites but the future is now and the evolutionary impact of this technology reflects positively on the Earth Observation Market.
Whether it is being used to provide information on disasters, weather forecasting and climate change; or employed by defense sectors to gather information on military activity on other countries, there’s no denying that observation satellite technology is truly a global game changer. Developers are discovering even more applications at a fast rate and as they do, there’s absolutely no doubt that the Global Satellite-based Earth Observation Market will continue its rapid expansion.
For more information, view our 2012-2016 report on the Global Satellite-based Earth Observation Market.
