News
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Better Satellite World Podcast: Profits & Justice in the New Space Society
In this episode of the Better Satellite World podcast, SSPI’s Lou Zacharilla and Tamara Bond-Williams speak with Actor/Producer Cas Anvar about the future of society in space and how we must strive to balance financial viability with creating a safe and open home for humanity beyond the stars. Cas Anvar is an actor and producer who has been working in the industry for the past 20 years. He founded The Shakespeare company in Montreal, Canada called Repercussion Theatre. Cas recently finished his last season on the hit Amazon show The Expanse, in which he played Alex Kamal, a martian-born transport pilot. He has starred in a variety of other movies and TV series, including the Oscar-nominated Room & Argo and The Operative. For his roles in The Lie and How to Get Away with Murder, Cas was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2020. He also starred in The Strain TV series. This podcast is also available in video format: SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners -
Better Satellite World Podcast: Opening the Final Frontier - We're There. Now What? - Episode 5 - The Top 3 CIS-Lunar Opportunities & Why They Will Transform Commercial Space
Space really is the final frontier. Since Star Trek first crossed TV screens in 1966, we have believed that humanity’s destiny lies among the stars. And in the third decade of the third millennium, we are closer to that dream than ever before. Today, after decades of imagining the future, enterprising companies in partnership with governments are putting into place the practical foundations and critical components of a thriving space economy reaching from LEO to cislunar space. This podcast series will bring you the voices of some of these amazing partners on the journey to the final frontier. The fifth episode, based on October’s edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable, features a conversation with multiple experts about cislunar opportunities and commercial space. Following a Significant Digits report by SpaceNews, this episode features a special report from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the introduction of the anti-satellite missile testing norm presented by USA Vice President Harris as a possible UN resolution and its potential impact on ensuring greater international security for space and the cislunar economy expansion. Speakers include: Hussain Bokhari, Senior Analyst, NSR (an Analysys Mason company) Negar Feher, Chief Revenue Officer, SpaceRyde Holly Shorrock, Intelligence Analyst, Office of Intelligence and Analysis Economic Security Mission Center at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Matthew Taylor, Associate Director, Environmental Intelligence and Civil Space, Raytheon Intelligence & Space This podcast series is underwritten by The Opening the Final Frontier campaign is underwritten by SSPI’s Better Satellite World campaign is made possible with the support of our corporate partners -
Joseph Dudley & Dr. Heidi Thiemann of Space Skills Alliance Named as the SSPI-UK Satellite Personalities of the Year
(16 November 2022 – London, UK & New York, NY, USA) – SSPI-UK, the UK Chapter of Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), is delighted to announce the recipients of the SSPI-UK Satellite Personality of the Year Award: Joseph Dudley & Dr. Heidi Thiemann of Space Skills Alliance. Heidi and Joseph are thought leaders at the heart of the skills challenge in the UK space sector. They founded Space Skills Alliance in 2019, the UK’s Think Tank on all-things-space-skills. Access to the right skills and the right people is one of the primary challenges to business success and growth. Space Skills Alliance is on a mission to help educate and inform the government, industry and academia about these challenges, as well as to offer proactive solutions and advice about what needs to be done to solve some of these critical issues. Space Skills Alliance implemented the 2020 Space Census, the first activity of its kind, analysing the demographic make-up of the UK’s space sector, publishing a number of highly informative white papers on the results in relation to demographics, women and pay. Their joint efforts in this area did not start here, as they were responsible for building the SpaceCareers.uk website while working with UKSEDS, the UK’s national student body for space, has grown to become the main resource for early-stage careers in our sector. Both Heidi and Joseph have made a massive impact to date on the discourse around space skills, especially in UK government, and their work continues to be of critical importance to the health and benefit of our sector. Betty Bonnardel-Azzarelli MBE, SSPI UK Chair, congratulated the winners: “Heidi and Joseph work on a critical pillar of our industry: space skills. The creation of a space census, as well as the mapping of the space sectors’ skills and competences in the UK provide valuable information. I look forward to the next generation of space professionals.” Dr. Heidi Thiemann and Joseph Dudley said: “No one can go to space alone. It requires people with all types of skills and backgrounds, knowledge and perspectives, to work together towards common goals. Space is the great example of the power of collaboration to overcome incredible obstacles and to achieve great things. Our work in the Space Skills Alliance is driven by the belief that the foundations of the space sector are being laid today, and the decisions that we make about the kinds of values we embody and the people we include will profoundly and permanently shape our future among the stars. We are delighted to receive this award, and we hope that it will further highlight the importance of skills and recruitment to the continued success of our sector.” Join us to celebrate the winners, not only of this Award but the winners of 2022 from other categories ASTERRA, Spire Global and Viasat, as well as our 2021 winners Hellas Sat (Christodoulos Protopappas), Speedcast and Willka Yachay and UltiSat. About the Satellite Personality of the Year Award The Satellite Personality of the Year Award is an award from the UK Chapter of SSPI that celebrates an individual for their achievements in the promotion and development of the satellite sector in the UK. The Award is presented each year at the Better Satellite World Awards Celebration, which honours organisations or individuals who have demonstrated the use of satellite to make a significant contribution to human welfare, good governance, safety, peace and security, improved education and other measures of global good. The first award was presented at the 2016 Better Satellite World Awards Dinner. About SSPI Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all. Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future. For More Information Victoria Krisman Communications Manager Space & Satellite Professionals International vkrisman@sspi.org -
ASTERRA, Spire Global and Viasat Named Recipients of 2022 Better Satellite World Awards
(1 November 2022 – New York City & London) – Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) announced today the recipients of the industry’s eighth annual Better Satellite World Awards. The awards honour established companies along with disruptive innovators who make the world more prosperous, healthier, better-educated, sustainable and inclusive. An international jury selected ASTERRA’s underground potable water leak detection technology, Spire Global’s use of weather and Earth Intelligence data to predict and mitigate environmental disasters and Viasat’s provisioning of high-speed connectivity to refugees of the war in Ukraine as recipients of this year’s awards. They will be honoured at the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner on 5 December in London along with the SSPI UK’s chapter Personality of the Year. The selection was made by an international jury consisting of a broad cross-section of Industry thought leaders and distinguished professionals. This year, the jury elected to extend an honourable mention to Iridium Communications and the Smithsonian Institute’s Movement of Life Project for advancing understanding of how all living things move across a changing landscape. “Each year we watch with awe as the commercial space and satellite community continues to play a greater role in addressing the major challenges of the human community in more significant ways,” said SSPI’s Director of Innovation and Host of The Better Satellite World podcast Louis Zacharilla. “We look forward to being back together in London for the celebration of these remarkable companies.” The Better Satellite World Awards Celebration, a festive networking event and dinner will be held at Whitehall Place on 5 December. It is produced by SSPI and its UK and Isle of Man Chapters. The UK Chapter is chaired by Betty Azzarelli, CEO & Founder, AB5 Consulting. The 2022 Better Satellite World Award Recipients: ASTERRA Potable water systems around the world suffer an average of 15-20% leakage rate, resulting in wasted energy usage, contamination or, in the worst cases, critically low availability of drinking water in already stressed areas. ASTERRA (formerly Utilis) developed and patented a new technology that uses reflected signals from L-Band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) to detect potable water underground up to 2 meters. Using ASTERRA’s proprietary algorithm, potable water can be distinguished from naturally occurring or salt/brackish water. The technology can penetrate foliage and asphalt roadways, allowing detection of water leakage from utility pipes. Once the leaks are identified, field leak inspectors can pinpoint where to search for the source of the problem to repair the damage quickly and with the least possible waste. ASTERRA’s new technology, called Recover, is a low-cost alternative for finding potable water leaks that is available even to small and rural water agencies, where they frequently had few options. The company works with small and rural utilities to provide custom packages to meet their needs, as these organizations often do not have GIS programs or a formal leak detection program. Since its inception, ASTERRA’s technology has helped utilities worldwide save over 210,000 million gallons of water, 527,000 MWH of energy and 135,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions by finding and repairing leaks more quickly and efficiently. It does so by identifying leaks at a 40% lower cost than traditional point-to-point inspection methods and a 90% lower cost than fixed base acoustic leak detection systems. The technology is based on a remote pre-location inspection program, so it can be deployed anywhere in the world without requiring capital investment. ASTERRA’s technology also identifies leaks on the customer side of the meter, resulting in direct benefits for customers. Based on the technology’s success, the company developed a system to detect wastewater leakage and exfiltration from sewer lines. For its achievement, ASTERRA received the 2021 American Water Works Association Innovation Award. Spire Global Climate change continues to be a major and developing threat around the world. Spire Global has responded by using space-based data and analytics, provided by its constellation of over 100 multipurpose satellites, to help governments and the private sector monitor, adapt to and reverse the effects of climate change in several ways. Spire’s Earth Intelligence data provides crucial information on environmental factors, including sea ice levels and soil moisture, which can be used in climate change research and development of solutions. For example, the company’s data is currently being used to monitor soil moisture in Scotland’s peatlands. The peatlands cover 20% of the country and are one of the most efficient carbon stores in the world; they currently contain roughly 140 years of the nation’s total current greenhouse gas emissions. When the bogs are damaged, however, they become carbon emitters instead. Restoring the peatlands is crucial to prevent such emissions, and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is using Spire’s data to map wetlands and monitor their dynamics, providing necessary information on which areas most require restoration and protection. In addition to Earth Intelligence data, Spire is able to provide advanced weather predictions in a constantly changing climate using weather data collected by its satellite constellation. Spire’s weather data and forecasts provide organizations with real-time information to prepare for extreme weather conditions such as wildfires, storms and cyclones and mitigate their effects as much as possible. For example, sectors such as agriculture and renewable energy generators can increase efficiency and reduce operational costs by using Spire’s data and forecasts to prepare for and mitigate disruptions caused by extreme weather. Spire also provides its data to maritime and aviation customers to help with route optimization and emissions monitoring. This lets these customers optimize fuel efficiency, lower their carbon footprint and keep their crews safe from hazardous weather conditions. For its collection of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to track vessels for maritime customers, Spire Global was named the Data Solution of the Year for Transportation in the 2021 Data Breakthrough Awards Program. Viasat When the war in Ukraine began and the immediate resulting refugee crisis occurred, Viasat partnered with the regional government of Košice, Slovakia to provide free high-speed internet access to Ukrainian refugee sites across Eastern Slovakia. Viasat utilized its satellite-enabled Community Wi-Fi system to connect the areas most in need of connectivity. Once these areas of need were identified by the Košice regional government, Viasat’s Community Wi-Fi systems were installed in a matter of days to provide critical connectivity available to thousands of refugees. Viasat focuses on unlocking the opportunities provided by internet connectivity for everyone, wherever they are, through its network. During the COVID-19 pandemic, internet played a crucial role in enabling people and businesses to continue daily tasks and operations. Viasat provided a reliable connection to enable many functions including staying in touch with loved ones, working-from-home, selling products, managing projects, processing payments and more. Satellite connectivity provided seamless access when businesses needed it most, particularly when their ground-based primary connections suffered outages due to strain. Viasat provides a full spectrum of home, business, enterprise, and mobility services offering high-speed internet connections virtually anywhere, enabling people across a variety of landscapes to connect with the people and services they need, whenever and wherever they need them. About the Better Satellite World Campaign Working with partner associations and supporting companies around the world, Space & Satellite Professionals International’s Better Satellite World campaign (www.bettersatelliteworld.com) is changing the global conversation about satellites and their influence on the economy, business and societies everywhere. The campaign was launched in Washington, DC during SATELLITE 2015. It has since become a cornerstone and a viral effort that is successfully communicating the incredible power of satellites for human good. SSPI has published a series of stories and videos that dramatize the immense contributions of the “invisible infrastructure” of satellite to life on Earth, which are widely shared by individuals, companies and the media. The Better Satellite World campaign is available for repurposing by any organization or person who wishes to use the content to help promote the industry at www.bettersatelliteworld.com and through the Twitter hashtag #bettersatelliteworld. About SSPI Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all. Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future. For More Information Victoria Krisman Communications Manager Space & Satellite Professionals International vkrisman@sspi.org
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December 5 - 1 Whitehall Ct, Westminster, London SW1A 2EJ, UK
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December 14 - Grevenmacher, Grevenmacher
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December 15 Online
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Better Satellite World: Water Wars
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Featured Podcast
BETTER SATELLITE WORLD
Opening the Final Frontier: We’re There. Now What?
Space really is the final frontier. Since Star Trek first crossed TV screens in 1966, we have believed that humanity’s destiny lies among the stars. And in the third decade of the third millennium, we are closer to that dream than ever before. Today, after decades of imagining the future, enterprising companies in partnership with governments are putting into place the practical foundations and critical components of a thriving space economy reaching from LEO to cislunar space. The Opening the Final Frontier podcast series will bring you the voices of some of these amazing partners on the journey to the final frontier.