Via Satellite: The space segment has been undergoing a major transformation for a number of years now. Earth Observation (EO) is moving towards a constellation approach, populating new orbit inclinations and altitudes and diversifying sensors. Connectivity focused space systems are now invading Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) along with broadband constellations, and payloads in all orbits are offering more capacity and a higher flexibility.
Right in the middle of the equation to transmit, collect, and distribute data, the ground segment is also making its own revolution. New value creation and CapEx efficiency are at the heart of this journey, which shall see a transformation of the solutions and of the ecosystem at large.
Several drivers are currently reshaping and preparing for the future growth of the $4.8 billion Earth Observation industry. These include: a massive increase in data collection from a larger number and diversity of sensors; a higher data availability, based on a much more frequent data collection of the same locations, and of a reduced time from the data collection to its transmission and distribution (i.e. a lower latency); a ramp-up in the use of automated data treatment, analytics, cloud platforms and storage; and an overall lower cost of data production enabling subscription-based models and the rollout of new value added services.
