What's up in Space?
07-04, 10:30–11:00 (Europe/Tallinn), GEOCAT (301)

There is so much happening on Earth but also in Space, New Space, new constellations of Satelltes with Optical and SAR capabilities, Earth Observation Open Data Programs, Platforms facilitating access to petabytes of data, ESA Network of Resources, ESABIC, Europe's future Space ports preparing to launching rockets and so much more.

In this talk, I want to share what is happening today in the New Space Industry, which companies are launching Satellites and developing new sensors, how "space buses" are supporting reducing Satellite costs and making Space Data costs even more accessible, how Platforms are a way to facilitate the access of all this Data available and also how these sensors have a variety of applications of EO. In the last five years, I have collaborated doing Partnerships with more than 80 Satellite and Geospatial organizations and I would like to share some things I have learned.

Last year in the talk I gave in FOSS4G Kosovo, "Unlocking the potential of Earth Observation combining Optical and SAR data" I realized how useful it could be a talk about the current state of Earth Observation, most of the FOSS4G attendees were very knowledgeable about the Copernicus and Landsat programs but there is so much more happening in the New Space Industry where several commercial companies are also committed with Open Data programs so they can help organizations to build more solutions and keep supporting startups, research and education in this brilliant field.

Working in space has been a dream since my childhood when I was living in the middle of the rainforest in Veracruz, Mexico I fell in love with Space by watching Carl Sagan's Cosmos TV series and a local kids' TV show with a Planetary rocket named "Popotito 22" which traveled through time and Space. Several decades later I still remember Carl Sagan's words speaking in Mexican Spanish and explaining the wonders of our Pale Blue Dot, this love took me to the Earth Observation field which I am grateful to be part of every day.

See also: Whats_up_in_Space

Miriam is passionate about how Geospatial data and Earth Observation technologies can change the world. She is doing Partnerships between Space and Geospatial organizations at UP42, an organization that aims to democratize data accessibility from Space and Geospatial industries and support companies to derive insights to solve challenges on Earth. For the past years, Miriam has been involved in different Geospatial initiatives such as Geochicas where she promotes more women participation and knowledge sharing in the Geospatial spaces. Promoting OpenStreetMap and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap (HOTOSM) in the one she is Voting Member and was President of the Board of Directors 2019-2021. She participates in these initiatives by giving workshops, conferences and coordinating efforts among Open Data key players and most recently is part of the FIRE project (Forum for Innovation and Research in European Earth Observation) as an EO Evangelist in the Energy sector. Currently, she is involved in Earth Observation, Data Analytics and Open Data initiatives.

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