In-Orbit

Mobile network operators tend to stick to the regions that make business sense. There are more commercial opportunities in densely populated cities, and therefore more connectivity.

But for rural and coastal regions, a good connection is also a matter of public safety. The RNLI, police, and coastguard all require resilient and robust network coverage to locate and deliver support when called upon. 

Addressing these issues, the multi-award winning 5G RuralDorset project is bringing the latest generation of connectivity to the Dorset community. Coastal cliff monitoring, footfall counters, and connected buoys, are just some of the technologies being developed to improve public safety. In doing so, the Dorset team are setting a new benchmark for connectivity in rural and coastal communities in the UK.

We're joined in studio by Dave Happy on behalf Dorset Council and James Thomas of JET Engineering Systems Solutions, and joining us remotely from Dorset, Daisy Curtis from the University of Exeter, and from Scotland, Greig Paul from the University of Strathclyde.

Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Website
5G RuralDorset: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
Dorset Council: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
JET Engineering System Solutions: Website, LinkedIn
University of Exeter: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
University of Strathclyde: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

Produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

Bold space aspirations can create prosperity, drive sustainability, and enable security around the world.

For years, the space sector was a well-kept secret, the preserve of the super powers: few people knew we had a space industry – let alone one that was commercially successful on a global scale. 

Britain has played a pivotal role in transforming the space landscape, enabling multiple industries, as well as Government, to exploit the benefits of being in orbit – whether empowering our journey towards a Net Zero future, making healthcare more accessible, or introducing truly universal connectivity.

This podcast is brought to you by the Satellite Applications Catapult, a UK technology and innovation company driving economic growth through the commercialisation of space, and hosted by Sarah Cruddas.

Across this new series of 8 episodes we’ll be in conversation with some of the most innovative minds in the country, exploring the ways that the UK is using space to make huge differences to our everyday lives, as well as gaining a better understanding of its role in shaping – and sustaining – our planet for the future.

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To many people, the concept of being able to make things in space will sound like something straight out of a science fiction movie. But the truth is, a lot more happens up there than we might realise.

Take the International Space Station for example. It has been in orbit for just over two decades, and is a hive of activity, home to numerous experiments that can’t be done on Earth. But are we using space enough?

Space tourism is often in the headlines, as companies such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and others compete to be leaders in the emerging market. However, the opportunities that are being unveiled in manufacturing could be what have the most significant impact and benefit to planet Earth.

As we explore different ways to achieve net zero, and push to become more of a greener society, we cannot deny the fact that the increasing demand being placed on manufacturers, is part of what is causing us the most damage. Could using space to its maximum potential be the key to saving the planet?

Episode Guests:

• Mike Curtis-Rouse - Head of Manufacturing for Space / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Lisa Denzer - Human and Robotic Exploration / European Space Agency
• Elizabeth Seward - Senior Strategist for Space Systems / Airbus
• Josh Western - CEO & Co-Founder / Space Forge

Get in Touch

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• European Space Agency: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• Airbus: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• Space Forge: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website

From the invention of the seed drill to the introduction of steam engines, technology has always played a big part in agriculture. Now, during the time that has been coined “the 4th agricultural revolution”, the digital innovation that has transformed society and economies is now changing the shape of agriculture. 

With the most advanced technology at our disposal, it’s a chance to answer some of the biggest questions and tackle some of the biggest challenges that we have faced for generations – How can we feed a growing population and reduce waste, whilst respecting the earth’s biodiversity? How can we empower farmers, increase productivity and ensure sustainability?

Episode Guests:

• Mark Jarman - Head of Agriculture / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Paul Febvre - CTO / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Richard Tiffin - Chief Scientist / Agrimetrics
• Simon Pearson - Founding Director / The Lincoln Institute of Agri Food Technology at The University of Lincoln

Resources

• Visit our Projects Hub for some real-world examples of space data impact in the agri industry:
  • COLCO – Delivering change for cacao in Colombia
  • ForestMind – Actionable insight for a sustainable forest-commodity future
  • IFSAC – Improving Food Security and Agricultural Competitiveness
• Find out more about one of expert guests, Agrimetrics, in our company spotlight blog.
• Delivering Agricultural Innovation Worldwise.
• Agriculture & Space: The UK Landscape & Beyond.
• Discover more about the role of Ubiquitous Connectivity in Agriculture in this blog piece.

Get in Touch

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• Agrimetrics: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• The Lincoln Institute of Agri Food Technology: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website

If someone had told you in the middle of 2019, that you would have more remote consultations with your GP or consultant than face to face interactions by the end of 2020, would you believe them? Or that with the help of satellite technology, we could see a vast improvement in early detection of bowel cancer, without the patient even stepping foot into a hospital? 

In medicine, our reliance on tech is nothing new. But COVID-19 has forced many sectors to evolve much faster than they probably would have, leading to technological innovation that we might not have thought possible just five years ago. 

But what does health and wellbeing in a post COVID world look like? How much of what we have adapted to during this pandemic, will prove to be beneficial in the long run? What part will space play in our mission to save the NHS?

Episode Guests:

• John Vesey - Business Manager for Health / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Adrian Smith - Head of Digital Transformation / NHS Arden and Gem CSU
• Emily Gravestock - Head of Applications Strategy / UK Space Agency

Resources

• The Healthy Living Lab: We are working on developing a Healthy Living Lab to drive innovation using communications in the emergency healthcare sector. The Lab is located on Westcott Venture Park, alongside our 5G Step-Out Centre and Business Incubation Centre. Click here to find out more about the Living Lab and how businesses and end-users will be able to benefit from this opportunity.
  • Visit our YouTube channel to hear Health Business Manager John Vesey talk through the Living Lab concept and how you can get in touch.
• Innovating the New Normal of Health & Wellbeing Blog Series
  • Part One
  • Part Two
  • Part Three
• 5G Satcomms and Health – Read more
• Supporting Vulnerable People with Reliable Connectivity – Read more

Get in Touch

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• NHS Arden and Gem CSU: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• UK Space Agency: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website

The sectors responsible for our highest emissions are energy supply, by generating electricity from burning fuels, business, by commercial use of electricity, residential, via heating homes, and transportation. 

In total, these account for approximately 78% of current emissions. In the quest to become a greener society the relationship between our extractive industries and how they collaborate with space could be key. Another key part of the puzzle could be Lithium, which can be mined right here in the UK. 

Lithium is a vital component of “next-generation” batteries which will be used in electric vehicles and for the storage of renewable power. As a result of such developments, global demand for lithium is forecast to grow by around 400% by 2025. Lithium has now become a vital metal for technologies that enable a rapid transition towards a low carbon economy. 

This research project focused on the development of new and innovative satellite-based techniques that have the potential to reduce the cost of lithium exploration substantially. Such remote sensing techniques can also reduce the environmental impact of exploration by enabling better targeting of prospective areas.

Episode Guests:

• Lucy Crane - Senior Geologist and Business Development / Cornish Lithium
• Jacqui Murray - Deputy Director / Faraday Battery Challenge and Innovate UK
• Steve Spittle - Co-Founder & CTO / GlobalTrust

Resources:

• Find out more about Cornish Lithium on our Projects Hub.
• Visit our Extractive Industries market page to explore our focus areas and find related blogs and events.
• MineSense Community – The Satellite Applications Catapult, European Space Agency, and United Nations Crime Institute (UNICRI) together established the MineSense group to provide a platform for stakeholders of the mining and space industries to collaborate and discuss new technologies, opportunities, and solutions to solve challenges of mining industry using space technology. 
  • Find out more
  • Visit the LinkedIn group

Get in Touch:

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• Cornish Lithium: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• Innovate UK: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• GlobalTrust: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website

Small Island Nations are on the frontline of the devastating impacts of climate change. With nearly a third of the population living on land less than 5m above sea level, they are vulnerable to the threat of rising sea levels, degrading their coastlines, their communities, and their livelihoods. IPP CommonSensing is an ambitious project to use satellite remote sensing capabilities to support the Governments of Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu in their efforts to build resilience to the devastating impacts of climate change and improve access to climate finance.

In this episode of In-Orbit we’re going to introduce you to the negative impacts of climate change – the climate change we’re all contributing to – and the havoc it can wreak on these thousands of islands. We’re also going to show you how, somewhere far above our heads, satellite technology is doing something to help.

Visit the CommonSensing website >>

Episode Guests:

• Lucy Edge - COO / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Christophe Christiaen - Innovation and Impact Lead / Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme
• Einar Bjorgo - Director of Satellite Analysis and Applied Research / UNITAR-UNOSAT

Get in Touch

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• CommonSensing: Twitter, Website
• UNITAR-UNOSAT: UNITAR Twitter, UNOSAT Twitter, LinkedIn, Website

In this episode, we’ll be talking about the possibilities for Ubiquitous Connectivity – where people and devices have consistent and uninterrupted access to the internet and to others. 

Can you imagine life without your smartphone, and not having access to the world in the palm of your hand? We are now more connected than we have ever been, relying on 4G and WiFi networks to help us communicate, socialise and even navigate our journeys. But of course, we have merely scratched the surface of what can truly be achieved. Enter 5G. 

Not only is 5G set to improve our day to day connectivity, it is also a huge asset to industries such as transportation and healthcare. But like all tech advances, especially those with the potential to shake things up, taking the time to get it right is crucial.

For example, in a future where autonomous vehicles have the potential to become commonplace, we need to be confident that issues such as moving across country borders where they will switch from one terrestrial network to another, do not result in incidents like collisions. At the Satellite Applications Catapult, we’re involved in projects identifying these potential issues, exploring bridging this gap with satellites to ensure seamless connectivity.

Episode Guests:

• Kieran Arnold - Director of Ubiquitous Connectivity / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Ashweeni Beeharee - Head of Communication Systems Engineering / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Johanna Tzanidaki - Director of Innovation and Deployment / ERTICO ITS Europe
• Nikolaos Tsampieris - An Expert in 5G & Connected Vehicles / ERTICO ITS Europe

Resources

• Find out more about 5G MOBIX in Ashweeni’s own words – ‘5G-MOBIX: Cross-Border Connectivity Trials‘
• Visit our Projects Hub to explore some of our projects utilising Ubiquitous Connectivity:
  • 5G MOBIX
  • 5G RuralDorset
• Click below to discover the roles Ubiquitous Connectivity, 5G, and Satcomms play across a variety of our focus areas:
  • Ubiquitous Connectivity for Agriculture
  • Supporting Vulnerable People with Reliable Connectivity 
  • Innovating the New Normal of Health and Wellbeing with Ubiquitous Connectivity

Get in Touch

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• ERTICO ITS Europe: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website

This episode is all about Geospatial Intelligence, and what can be done with the data that is captured via Earth observation Terms like ‘Earth Observation’ and ‘Geospatial Intelligence’ may not make it into casual conversation for most people, but when accessing things like maps, weather information, traffic information, and air quality data, we are actively engaging with information that has been obtained via these means. There is a lot of work being done to evolve this technology, but we have barely even scratched the surface. To know what it is truly capable of, we need to understand it on a fundamental level.

Referred to as Geospatial Innovation at the Catapult, it is the analysis of data that has either a geographic or location element to it. For example, a satellite image that has a longitude and latitude reference system to it, or even a postcode. The data in its various forms, has been used to make sectors like agriculture, transport and even extractive industries, perform more efficiently and effectively. But the technology still needs to be adopted more widely.

Episode Guests:

• Peter Beaumont - Director of Geospatial Innovation / Satellite Applications Catapult
• Owen Hawkins - Product Development Director / Earth-i
• Alexandre Lacoste - Research Scientist / Element AI
• Richard Flemmings- Partner and CTO / 4 Earth Intelligence

Resources

• How can the integration of geospatial data into business processes make operations more effective and enable the creation of new products? Find out about the rapid advancement of EO in our ‘Geospatial Innovation in 2020’ report: Click here to download
• Visit our Projects Hub to explore some of our projects utilising Earth Observation and Artificial Intelligence
• Find out more about how Geospatial Intelligence is used in the Agriculture industry, including the acquisition of weather, optical, or SAR data, all of which can assist decision making in food production, in one of our recent blogs.

Get in Touch

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• Earth-i: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• 4 Earth Intelligence: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website
• Element AI: Twitter, LinkedIn, Website

Where traditionally large satellites have paved the way for some incredible innovations we use every day, such as GPS and weather forecasting, these small satellites are enabling even more of a space revolution, with their lower costs, closer proximity to earth, and fast build times. From internet connectivity anywhere on earth to 3D printing satellites, the future of satellites in space technology is an exciting place to be.

In our first episode, we’re exploring what the small satellite revolution means for satellite manufacturing and the data we can receive from space. With reduced cost and quicker development time, small satellites open up the space industry to a new range of organisations.

Resources:

• The Satellite Applications Catapult Small Satellite Market Intelligence update is a quarterly report that follows the fast growing interest in small satellites with the intention to make data on the sector free and accessible. Click here to access.
• Visit our Projects Hub to find out more about our first two IOD launches:
  • IOD-1 GEMS
  • IOD-5 TARS
• Visit the Horizon Technologies News page to keep up-to-date on their activities
• Find out more about AMBER on the Horizon Technologies YouTube page.

Correction: Since the time of recording we have launched our second IOD satellite – IOD-5 TARS

Get in Touch:

If you’d like to contact us about any episode of In-Orbit, collaboration opportunities, or to find out more about how we can help your business, please email [email protected]

• Satellite Applications Catapult: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• Horizon Technologies: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
• AAC Clyde Space: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn