Space isn’t just a distant frontier—it’s already a functional part of how we observe, understand, and respond to life on Earth. Hosted by Antonio Duduianu from the Satellite Applications Catapult, this session brought together voices from urban planning, climate science, and environmental analytics to explore how satellite data is becoming foundational across industries.
As Antonio framed it: “Before we talk about what satellites do, we have to ask—what actually is space?” That question set the tone for a wide-ranging discussion about shifting perceptions, growing use cases, and the emerging responsibilities that come with ever-increasing access to data from orbit.
Rethinking Space and Satellite Use
Traditionally, space has been seen as the domain of astronauts, rockets, and deep exploration. But today, it’s becoming increasingly intertwined with life on the ground. With over two-thirds of the UN’s essential climate variables measurable only via satellites, and petabytes of Earth Observation data arriving daily, the focus has shifted from what’s up there to how we apply it down here.
The session explored this transition—from governments to commercial users, from infrastructure to insight—with a shared emphasis on practicality. As Antonio noted later in the session, “Every day, people find new ways to use satellites that we didn’t expect.” From biodiversity mapping to city visualisation to early indicators of mental health risks, the message was clear: space is already part of the public realm—it just needs to be better understood and better used.
From Raw Data to Real Insight
Satellite data’s strength lies in scale and consistency. It offers a bird’s-eye view of trends too large or too granular to easily monitor from the ground. Chris Burnett, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Map Impact, explained how his team uses open-source imagery and machine learning to assess wildfire, drought, and urban heat risk down to a 50-metre resolution. “Satellite data will never replace ecologists—but its power is in the scale and consistency,” he said. Their goal is to make national environmental insights usable by insurers, developers, and landowners at the local level.
For VU.CITY, the challenge is turning complex, layered data into something people can use. Christopher Wandel, Key Account Manager Public Sector, described how their 3D city models—accurate to 15cm—combine planning consents, terrain data, and satellite feeds to simulate future urban scenarios.
It’s like flying a helicopter—if you haven’t gamed before, navigating a 3D model can be disorienting,” he noted. Despite the interface challenge, these immersive models offer huge value to planners, architects, and city authorities and our new reboot makes exploration a lot easier.
Meanwhile, Krupa Nanda Kumar, Manager of Space4Climate, works to ensure that satellite-derived data is actually used by policymakers, finance professionals, and industry leaders. “If you can’t measure something, you can’t manage it. And two-thirds of climate variables can only be measured from space,” she said. Her organisation connects over 85 UK stakeholders, helping translate EO data into actionable strategies for climate risk and environmental accountability.
Five Key Takeaways
1. Space is no longer a sector—it’s an infrastructure layer.
Earth Observation data underpins decisions in planning, insurance, transport, and climate resilience. It is becoming as foundational as broadband or GPS.
2. Making data usable is as important as collecting it.
Whether through immersive 3D models like those developed by VU.CITY or localised environmental scoring by Map Impact, satellite data only matters when it can be interpreted and trusted by its users.
3. New use cases are emerging every day.
Krupa highlighted how banks are beginning to assess nature-related financial risks using satellite data, while Chris discussed work on predicting algal blooms based on tourism footfall and water quality indicators. The frontier isn’t technical—it’s in the application.
4. Ethics, privacy, and policy are still catching up.
As Christopher explained, revealing future city plans too publicly can raise tension among developers, citizens and councils. And as Krupa noted, there are currently no standardised guardrails for how EO data should be shared, protected, or governed.
5. The future is interactive, real-time, and public.
Krupa described a near future where EO data can be queried conversationally. Christopher sees citizens engaging in city design through web-based tools. Antonio summed it up: ‘Every day, people find new ways to use satellites that we didn’t expect.’
Final Thought
“There’s so much more to space than what you see in the tabloids.” – Krupa Nanda Kumar
This session reframed space not as a destination, but as a tool—one already shaping how we plan, govern, and adapt. From flood predictions to city models, from environmental monitoring to public wellbeing, space is no longer separate from daily life. It’s infrastructure. It’s insight. And it’s only getting closer.
Thank you to our sponsors Invest Bristol & Bath for supporting all of Space Day events.
