February 4th, Morning
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
What is the future of the observation market in terms of technology, platforms, standards and services? From the many applications such as forecasting weather, mapping, tracking biodiversity and wildlife trends, measuring land-use change (such as deforestation), urban development, monitoring and responding to natural disasters, managing natural resources, such as energy, freshwater and agriculture, addressing public health, maritime safety and lastly but very importantly military observation and monitoring, smallsats provide an opportunity to observe our planet in considerable detail. What smallsats bring to these marketplaces will be discussed in detail. Given that the four major players at the moment, Planet, DigitalGlobe, Spire and BlackSky, are constellations, in what applications are constellations essential. What are the useful functions that independent smaller observation platforms can serve? What are the main observation operators’ market share by vertical and by region and how will pricing of imagery evolve by type and by resolution? What model for data purchase will dominate and how are downstream players changing the way imagery is bought and sold?
