Satellites 'critical to solving' climate change-related challenges, says Open Cosmos CEO

Earth observation is "critical to solving global challenges," Rafel Jordà, the CEO of Open Cosmos, a Catalan company that makes satellites, said in a recent interview with Catalan News.

These, he explained, have a full range of capabilities, and the data they collect is key to successfully dealing with pressing issues, from efficient crop management to plastic and oil spills in oceans, wildfires, or flooding.

"They can tell you how healthy a particular crop is or how much water is going to be needed," he listed among the satellites' many applications.

With regards to wildfires, an ever more frequent problem in southern Europe given the rising temperatures and ongoing drought, satellite data can also provide information on how the fires are spreading, thereby assisting firefighters in real time.

Rising sea temperatures mean "we will probably see big storms in the south of Europe," Jordà said. These could cause dangerous flooding, but thanks to satellites, more accurate weather forecasts are possible, warning us ahead of time.

"Most satellites do not require scientific expertise to use the information derived from them either," the maker of the Catalan government's 'Enxaneta' and 'Menut' said; his company's Data Cosmos platform provides users with imagery and analytical tools that make it easier for them to make decisions.

Not enough public funding

Because of how "critical" satellites are to addressing climate change-related problems, Jordà argues that the Catalan government should prioritize funding them.

Although Catalonia "is a pioneer in this industry in Europe," the CEO criticized the authorities for "not allocating much to it in the budget."

"What we can get with the amount of data in terms of services to citizens, monitoring ports, water resources, and fires is so great that it would be worth it if funding were at least on par with the benefits it brings."