Sam Houston State University - Institute For Homeland Security’s Post

Very proud of our latest policy paper: "Trust in Earth Observation Data: Dependencies, Risks and Opportunities for Australia". Earth observation data is where it's at!! 🛰 We draw from a range of in-depth reports, including the very recent Risk Report on "Continuity of Earth Observation Data for Australia", to provide a snapshot overview of how critical data from Earth observation satellites is to a range of Australian sectors and government departments, as well as the risks we face due to our choice to remain entirely dependent on foreign providers of that data. Importantly, we highlight the opportunity there is for Australia to recognise our existing world-leading strengths in "ground" and "data" as sovereign capabilities. 📡 Australia can become a key contributor to the global infrastructure that underpins climate response, disaster response, agriculture and food security, mining and critical minerals, defence and national security...rather than just being heavy users of other peoples' EO data. Check it out 👇

What does trust have to do with space debris? I had a chance to think about this last week, when I represented Avanti Communications and the Space Data Association at the roundtable on “𝘋𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺” in Riyadh. The roundtable was organized by the وكالة الفضاء السعودية | Saudi Space Agency and the World Economic Forum during the conference “𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘦𝘴”. The workshop focused on identifying critical issues associated with space debris mitigation and on discussing potential policies that could address them. Unsurprisingly, one of the main issues identified is the insufficient sharing of operational data, not just among satellite operators but also among providers of space situational awareness (SSA) services. All satellites share the same space, but no one currently has access to the whole set of data that would be needed to properly coordinate all space traffic. While building the data infrastructure to allow this would be challenging but doable, building the 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 needed to share the data would be harder. SSA service providers are usually institutional, so data sharing is often taboo in a polarized geopolitical environment. Trust is key. So where do we start building trust between space-faring nations? Here’s some personal thoughts: 1️⃣➡️ Already now, operators can rely on the Space Data Association to aid space traffic coordination. The SDA is a non-for-profit non-governmental organization that acts as an honest broker of operational data for all its participants. 2️⃣➡️ In the short term, we could consider how to build a global database of contact details of all satellite operations centres (phone and email). This would need to be placed in 'neutral ground', so perhaps it could even be facilitated by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), whose tireless diplomatic work is invaluable. This exchange of information would already be useful to facilitate communications and derisk proximity operations. 3️⃣➡️ In the medium term, we could take advantage of the communication channels established in [2] to slowly weave the level of trust needed to start considering sharing operational data like ephemerides or manoeuvre plans. This would not solve the wider problem of space debris but, together with other measures, it might aid its mitigation. Thank you Mishaal Ashemimry and Nikolai Khlystov for the invitation to the roundtable, and for leading such a thought-provoking workshop. Looking forward to collaborating again on addressing these global environmental challenges. #ConnectingFromTheSkies #SpaceSustainability #SpaceSafety #SpaceDebris #SpaceTraffic #SpaceEnvironment

The Australian Centre for Space Governance is pleased to announce our latest policy paper titled 'Trust in Earth Observation Data: Dependencies, Risks and Opportunities for Australia.' With Australia’s reliance on Earth observation (EO) data from satellites contributing $3.2 billion to our GDP, we find ourselves entirely dependent on foreign providers. This raises important policy concerns: data quality management from commercial providers, geopolitical risks, and the challenge of ensuring independence of data used in national security and crucial sectors like urban planning, maritime surveillance, and disaster response. Co-authored by Dr. Cassandra Steer and Dr. Aleksandar Deejay, this policy paper is an essential read for policymakers, government representatives, and industry leaders engaged in critical infrastructure using Earth observation data. This paper provides an overview of the risks but also of the opportunities, with a particular focus on bringing about a whole-of-government approach. Australia has world-leading capabilities in EO ground infrastructure and data management, which can be maximised to ensure we are not just heavy users of EO data, but key contributors to the global EO infrastructure.  For more information, contact: contact@spacegovcentre.org    #spacegovernace #earthobservation #earthobservationdata #spacelaw ANU Institute for Space | InSpace School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) Australian Space Agency Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Department of Industry, Science and Resources 

✍ Read our President Tirunelveli Ramachandran's article titled "Satellites aren't Earthly" in the 📰 The Economic Times below: ✨ Opposing the recent efforts by certain vested interests to reopen the settled issue of allocation of spectrum for satellite services, he highlights the differences between #Satellite and Terrestrial Services as well as the industry size. He writes about the importance of satellite services in connecting remote areas, furthering #inclusive development.

Historically, earth observation satellites have been utilized for defense and security purposes. With increasing pressures from rapid urbanization and climate change, economic and infrastructure development underscores the need to leverage Earth observation (EO) satellites for sustainable practices and infrastructure resilience. https://lnkd.in/gFFjJuNC

Protecting the Future of Global Navigation. Did you know that GPS signals face threats like interference and spoofing? Sierra Space is advancing its Resilient GPS (R-GPS) program, designed to safeguard critical infrastructure and ensure secure operations in key sectors like navigation, logistics, and financial markets. Backed by the U.S. Space Force and featuring an innovative small satellite architecture, this program promises to revolutionize GPS resilience against global challenges. 👇Discover how these technologies are redefining security and connectivity worldwide. Read the full article on our website (link below). https://lnkd.in/e6G7dneC #SpaceTechnology #GPSInnovation #TechnologicalResilience #SierraSpace #SpaceEconomy

⚡ The Space Force is preparing to deploy new antenna systems to replenish and strengthen its Satellite Control Network (SCN) infrastructure in support of critical space operations worldwide.

Northern Lights Imperiled Infrastructure From Power Grids To Satellites: An anonymous reader quotes a Bloomberg article, written by Jason Leopold: The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a colorful display in the night sky that comes from geomagnetic storms in space. When charged particles from the sun smash into the Earth's upper atmosphere, they create bright, kaleidoscopic ribbons of light, typically in polar regions. Really big solar action can interfere with GPS systems and power grids. That's exactly what happened on May 10, when there were three "coronal mass ejections" (my future metal band name) that produced one of the most powerful solar storms in 500 years, hence the dazzling, polychromatic sky visible even from South America. Turns out, the extreme space weather also disrupted life on Earth. Six days after the northern lights, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request with NOAA. I was curious how the agency reacted to the atmospheric event and whether the public deserved to be concerned. I asked NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center and National Weather Service for a wide range of records, including emails, photographs, satellite images and threat assessments. A couple of weeks ago, NOAA turned over some interesting documents. The short version is, while we marveled at the light show, scientists were concerned. According to one internal memo, the geomagnetic storm was an "extreme," rare event and if NOAA scientists hadn't been on their game it could have been catastrophic. A May 14, three-page after action memo disseminated by Clinton Wallace, the director of the Space Weather Prediction Center, described the storm's impact and explained the celestial phenomenon. He said "Solar Cycle 25," a phase of solar sunspot activity that began in December 2019 and continues through 2030, "has been more active than anticipated, with an intense surge in solar activity marking the beginning of May." "A large group of unstable sunspots on the Sun's surface unleashed several powerful solar flares, immediately affecting the Earth's outer atmosphere and causing disruptions in high-frequency (HF) radio communications," he wrote. "This had significant implications for trans-oceanic aviation, which relies heavily on HF radio for communication over long distances." On May 9, a day before the northern lights extravaganza, staff at the Space Weather Prediction Center "activated" the North American Electric Reliability Corp. hotline to make sure the regulator was prepared. Wallace's memo said NERC gave about 3,000 electric utility companies a six-hour head start to get ready. The space weather officials also advised the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on preparedness. Wallace wrote in his memo that the storm caused "significant disruptions across multiple sectors, including navigation, power grids, aviation, and satellite operations." He also noted tha

🌍 Leveraging Earth observation data for stronger infrastructure I recently had the opportunity to share my thoughts with Newsroom NZ on how satellite technology is crucial in strengthening our infrastructure's resilience. The piece "Eyes in the Sky: Could Bolster Infrastructure Resilience" discusses the transformative potential that satellite imagery and data analytics hold for public and private enterprise. It offers proactive solutions to monitor the health of our critical infrastructure and how satellite data can be leveraged to predict and mitigate issues before they impact our communities. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gee2k7JD Let's continue the conversation on how innovation in satellite technology can make a significant difference here on Earth. #InfrastructureInnovation #SpaceTech #EarthObservation

Dear LinkedIn Community, Have you read SR Hoplon’s latest article; C H A P T E R   N ° 18  Space Weather and The Rail Transport Sector? In this article, we explore why the rail transport sector should be interested in space weather. Through studies conducted by Professor Jim Wild and Dr. Cameron Patterson, and Atkins, we discuss why and how the sector is vulnerable to space weather impact. Additionally, we provide a short introduction into the discussion on mitigation measures. -       SR Hoplon wishes you a pleasant read and hope to see you again soon! #SpaceWeatherAwareness #CriticalTerrestrialInfrastructures #Rail #Satellites #RailTransportSector #MitigationMeasures #GeomagneticallyInducedCurrents #GIC #GlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem #GlobalPositioningSystem #Railways #CommunicationSatellites #SpaceWeather #CriticalSpaceInfrastructure