With more business entrepreneur like Elon Musk investing in advancement of space technology and more countries focusing to build their own spacecrafts and state of the art launching system, your mind would be wondering and pondering over the benefits of space technology. Yes, space technology is no more hidden under large fictious realm tomes but is real, happening and kicking. There are a plethora of everyday benefits of space technology. So here let us discuss a few fascinating uses of space technology and their related benefits to Earth and Earthlings!
- WEATHER FORECASTING: Wondering how your phone or any electronic device lets you know about the weather of a fortnight in advance! Space technology and satellite observation becomes quite crucial for retrieving such info. From government, industries to personal decisions of venturing out depends upon weather forecast. We come to know about the adversity or wrath of nature in advance. The floods, hurricanes and volcanic eruption can be predicted in advance which make the government to plan in ahead for relief. This saves thousands of lives. It also helps us to study the ecosystem of Earth which furnishes us with vital knowledge of Earth.
- COMMUNICATION SERVICES: Satellite navigation has been able to revolutionise banking, finance services, telecom industry, radio and television services and day to day communication services. Had it not been for development of space technology in recent past, services like satellite televisions, radio, video calls, international phone calls, streaming media and numerous of comforts would have not found any existence.
- OBSERVATION OF EARTH'S RESOURCES: The mapping of Earth's surface provides us an ample opportunity to use the hidden resources of Earth. Approximate calculations of the present resources will help leaders to make future policies accordingly which will be safer to Earth and its people. It has proven to be a boon for agriculture, fisheries management, forest management, freshwater management and mining. Best of all it can also be used to keep a check upon animal poaching, smuggling, illegal felling of trees, forest fires etc.
- POSITIONING, NAVIGATION AND TIMING SERVICES: It helps us to pinpoint a location to a few meters! This has helped in enhancing the land and sea navigation, precise agriculture, electric grids, military operations and logistics. Spaced based location services and our lives have been so intertwined that cessation of such a useful service might bring a catastrophe. It helps us to share our location multiple times with our friends, relatives and kinsman. The best example of it is Google Maps which uses the location of the users to know the traffic of various routes and address of various places.
- GREATER JOBS: Advancement of space technology seems promising and in the next few decades it will emerge out to be one of the greatest employers when space travelling becomes people. It will not be limited to few rich countries and entrepreneur. Space technology will support many small business and aerospace engineering will emerge out be a lucrative job.
Role of space technology doesn't ends here. There are still many potential areas to do research and project works. I am listing a few for your reference.
SPACE ACTIVITIES WHICH HAVE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE LIVES:
- Space Tourism
- Space Manufacturing which are very difficult to make on Earth
- Prevention of asteroid impact in near future
- Space Solar Power
- Mega constellations
- Space mining for critical and rare elements on asteroid surface
- Space based data centers
- Waste and garbage disposal in space
- Construction of a space-based sunshade to prevent global warming
Thanks for reading!