AWS Public Sector Blog

Category: Aerospace & Satellite

Satellite image AWS Ground Station

Earth observation using AWS Ground Station: A how to guide

Over the past decade, a crop of new companies focused on Earth observation (EO) have made valuable EO data more accessible to a broad audience than before. As a result, we are seeing a dramatic increase in EO science. The value of EO data is the ability to monitor change. Recently, new instrumentation aboard satellites such as radar now allow us to “see” through clouds, allowing observation of any part of the Earth. The reliable, repeatable, and accurate data now flowing from satellites is opening up the reality of operational services powered by satellite imagery. Learn how to get started with EO data using AWS Ground Station.

Circular Fields in Morrow County, Oregon (from PLANET)

The true value of Earth Observation data…now

A picture of our entire Earth’s surface is taken every day. Such a possibility—or even the concept—would have seemed unfeasible and unaffordable just ten years ago. With continued technology improvements, we are witnessing a rapid increase in the number of miniature satellites capturing Earth observation (EO) data. This data is now accepted by many industries including agriculture, insurance, utilities, and urban planning to deliver actionable insights.

A snapshot of the Water Observations from Space (WOfS) continental-wide data product from DE Africa for the Bintang Bolong River in The Gambia. Derived from USGS Landsat data, blue and purple colors indicate persistent observations, while red and orange colors indicate more sporadic observations.

Digital Earth Africa: Enabling insights for better decision-making

As part of the Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is supporting Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa). DE Africa is enabling African nations to track changes across the continent in unprecedented detail by making Earth observation (EO) data more easily accessible. This will provide valuable insights for better decision-making around prevention and planning in areas including flooding, droughts, soil and coastal erosion, agriculture, forest-cover, land use and land cover change, water availability and quality, and changes to human settlements.

Announcing Cloud Grants to Improve Understanding of Our Planet

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) announced the 21 projects from 17 developing countries that will be awarded $1.5 million USD worth of cloud services, grants, and technical support through the Earth Observation Cloud Credits Programme. Under the Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative (ASDI), this programme will enable Earth observations and applications to support sustainable environmental development including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Apply for AWS credits to build Earth observation applications that support environmental and development goals

To help countries realize the potential of Earth observations for sustainable development, we are teaming with the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) to provide $1.5 million worth of cloud services for projects that improve understanding of our planet. Eligible government agencies and research institutions can apply for up to $100,000 of AWS Promotional Credits to build Earth observations applications that support environmental and development goals, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Satellites Help Make Agricultural Systems Transparent and Sustainable

GREENSPIN is a startup company from Würzburg, Germany, that works in the area of data analytics for better agriculture. In this blog post, Dr. Sebastian Fritsch tells us how GREENSPIN is using Earth Observation data available via the Registry of Open Data on AWS to improve agricultural practices. Check out the Q&A with Dr. Sebastian Fritsch from GREENSPIN.

Exploring Earth and Space with the Cloud

Join us for a unique Earth & Space on AWS experience Tuesday, June 19, 2018. Hear from customers and thought leaders who are unearthing new discoveries through cloud technology and public-private partnerships. Choose from nine breakout sessions highlighting innovations with geospatial data, satellite technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing, and much more.

Open Earth Observation Data for a Changing Planet

A guest post by Steven Ramage, Group on Earth Observations (GEO) The environment is measured with precision through Earth Observation (EO) satellite and in-situ – and the global community is leveraging this investment by accessing the information for free. The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), developed over the last decade, makes more than […]

Exploring the Possibilities of Earth Observation Data

Recently, we have been sharing stories of how customers like Zooniverse and organizations like Sinergise have used the Sentinel-2 data made available via Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3).  From disaster relief to vegetation monitoring to property taxation, this data set allows for organizations to build tools and services with the data that improve citizen’s […]

A Minimalistic Way to Tackle Big Data Produced by Earth Observation Satellites

The explosion of Earth Observation (EO) data has driven the need to find innovative ways for using that data. We sat down with Grega Milcinski from Sinergise to discuss Sentinel-2. During its six month pre-operational phase, Sentintel-2 has already produced more than 200 TB of data, more than 250 trillion pixels, yet the major part […]