Myth-busting Space infrastructure for climate resilience: 10 misconceptions holding teams back

The global space economy reached $613 billion in 2024, with Earth observation satellites now contributing over $700 billion to climate resilience efforts worldwide and capable of cutting annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2 gigatonnes (World Economic Forum, 2024). Yet persistent misconceptions about cost, complexity, and capability continue to sideline engineering teams from leveraging this transformative infrastructure. This article dismantles ten myths holding UK teams back and provides evidence-based guidance for integrating space-based climate monitoring into resilience strategies.

Why It Matters

Climate change is accelerating at unprecedented rates. The year 2024 marked the warmest on record, with global temperatures reaching 1.60°C above pre-industrial levels according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Antarctic sea ice hit record lows in November 2024, while CO₂ concentrations reached 422.1 ppm—both historic benchmarks. Against this backdrop, over 50% of Essential Climate Variables can only be measured from space, making satellite infrastructure not optional but essential for any credible climate resilience strategy.

The UK, with its strong heritage in satellite manufacturing through Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) and leadership in organisations like the UK Space Agency, is uniquely positioned to benefit from space-based climate infrastructure. However, engineering teams often operate under outdated assumptions that prevent them from accessing increasingly affordable and sophisticated Earth observation capabilities. The satellite data services market alone is projected to grow from $12.8 billion in 2024 to $69.7 billion by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of 18.7% (Allied Market Research). Teams that fail to adapt risk falling behind competitors who leverage these tools for enhanced measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capabilities.

Key Concepts

Essential Climate Variables and Satellite Coverage

The World Meteorological Organization maintains a list of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) that define the critical parameters for understanding climate systems. These include atmospheric variables (temperature, precipitation, cloud properties), oceanic variables (sea surface temperature, ocean colour, sea level), and terrestrial variables (soil moisture, albedo, land cover). Satellites provide the only practical means of monitoring many of these variables at global scale with consistent methodology.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Technology

SAR satellites represent a paradigm shift in Earth observation capability. Unlike optical satellites that require daylight and clear skies, SAR systems actively transmit microwave pulses and analyse the returned signals to create detailed imagery regardless of weather or lighting conditions. This technology enables continuous monitoring of infrastructure integrity, flood extent, ground subsidence, and ice sheet dynamics—all critical for climate resilience applications.

Space-Based MRV Infrastructure

Measurement, Reporting, and Verification systems increasingly depend on satellite data for credible climate claims. Carbon markets, climate finance, and regulatory compliance all require transparent, auditable data that space-based systems can provide at scale. The shift toward satellite-enabled MRV represents a fundamental change in how organisations demonstrate climate action.

Sector-Specific KPI Table

KPI	Benchmark Range	Best Practice Target	Data Source
Satellite revisit time	1-16 days	<24 hours for critical assets	Planet Labs, Maxar
Spatial resolution (optical)	30m-50cm	<3m for infrastructure monitoring	Commercial providers
SAR resolution	10m-1m	<5m for subsidence detection	ICEYE, Capella Space
Data latency (acquisition to delivery)	24-72 hours	<6 hours for disaster response	Tasking agreements
Cloud-free observation frequency	20-60% annually	Use SAR for critical applications	Location-dependent
Annual data subscription cost	£10,000-£500,000	Varies by coverage and resolution	Provider negotiation

What's Working and What Isn't

What's Working

Commercial constellation economics have transformed accessibility. Planet Labs now operates over 200 small satellites providing daily imagery of the entire Earth, with clients ranging from the United Nations to the World Bank. The company's subscription model has democratised access to satellite data that previously required government-scale budgets. In September 2024, Planet Labs secured a three-year contract with the German Space Agency for environmental monitoring data, demonstrating growing institutional confidence in commercial providers.

Public-private partnerships are accelerating capability. The European Space Agency's Copernicus programme continues to provide free, open-access data through Sentinel satellites, while commercial providers offer enhanced resolution and revisit rates. This tiered ecosystem allows engineering teams to prototype applications using free data before scaling with commercial solutions. The October 2024 ESA order for six satellites from Thales Alenia Space for the Italian IRIDE constellation exemplifies how national programmes are expanding Earth observation infrastructure.

AI-powered analytics are unlocking value from satellite data. Machine learning algorithms now process terabytes of Earth observation imagery to detect changes, classify land use, and predict climate risks automatically. ICEYE's March 2025 partnership with Juvare enables real-time satellite disaster response capabilities that would have been impossible with manual analysis. These developments mean engineering teams can access actionable intelligence rather than raw data.

What Isn't Working

Spectrum congestion threatens future growth. A 2024 ITU study highlighted that satellite proliferation is creating interference challenges, particularly in crowded orbital regimes. Engineering teams relying on satellite data must monitor how spectrum allocation decisions might affect data availability and quality.

Orbital debris remains an unresolved challenge. With approximately 18,500 small satellites expected to launch between 2024 and 2033 (Euroconsult), the risk of collision cascades increases. While not an immediate operational concern for data users, debris-related service interruptions could affect long-term planning assumptions.

Classification barriers limit data sharing. Despite advances in commercial availability, certain high-resolution datasets—particularly those with dual-use military applications—remain restricted. The US Department of Defense's decision to withhold certain sea ice data exemplifies how security considerations can constrain climate research applications.

Key Players

Established Leaders

Planet Labs operates the world's largest Earth imaging constellation with over 200 satellites, providing daily global coverage at 3-5 metre resolution. Their analytics platform enables automated change detection critical for climate monitoring applications.

Maxar Technologies delivers high-resolution imagery (30cm) for infrastructure monitoring and disaster response, with the UK government among its strategic customers for national security and climate applications.

Airbus Defence and Space provides the Pléiades constellation and Copernicus contributing missions, combining European engineering excellence with global commercial reach.

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) represents UK leadership in small satellite manufacturing, having built over 70 satellites since 1981 and pioneered many technologies now standard in the commercial space sector.

Emerging Startups

ICEYE specialises in SAR satellites providing all-weather, day-night imaging with revisit times measured in hours rather than days—critical for flood monitoring and infrastructure assessment.

Spire Global operates a constellation of multipurpose satellites collecting weather, maritime, and aviation data, with applications in climate prediction and supply chain resilience.

Satellogic offers hyperspectral imaging capabilities that detect material composition changes, enabling applications in agricultural resilience and environmental monitoring.

Key Investors and Funders

UK Space Agency provides funding through programmes like the National Space Innovation Programme, supporting UK companies developing climate-focused satellite applications.

European Space Agency operates the Climate Change Initiative and invests in Copernicus expansion, offering co-funding opportunities for UK-based projects despite Brexit adjustments.

Breakthrough Energy Ventures and other climate-focused venture capital firms increasingly invest in space-based climate tech, recognising the sector's potential for scalable impact.

Examples

UK Environment Agency Flood Monitoring: The Environment Agency integrates satellite-derived flood extent mapping from Sentinel-1 SAR imagery into operational response procedures. During 2024 winter flooding events, this capability enabled damage assessment across thousands of square kilometres within hours of water recession, supporting insurance claims processing and infrastructure repair prioritisation. The system demonstrates how government agencies can operationalise space-based data for climate resilience.
Ordnance Survey Ground Motion Service: Ordnance Survey launched a national ground motion monitoring service using InSAR (Interferometric SAR) data, detecting millimetre-scale ground subsidence across Great Britain. This capability identifies infrastructure at risk from climate-related ground movement—particularly relevant as drought-induced clay shrinkage damages an estimated 10,000 UK properties annually. Engineering teams can access this data to inform climate adaptation planning for critical infrastructure.
National Grid Asset Monitoring: National Grid piloted satellite-based vegetation encroachment detection along transmission corridors, reducing the inspection burden on field crews while improving fault prediction. By correlating satellite imagery with historical outage data, the programme demonstrated 40% improvement in identifying high-risk corridor segments, enabling targeted maintenance that enhances grid resilience against climate-related extreme weather.

Action Checklist

Audit current climate data sources and identify gaps that satellite data could address, particularly for assets without continuous ground-based monitoring
Register for Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem access to explore free Sentinel data for prototyping applications
Evaluate SAR data providers (ICEYE, Capella Space, Umbra) for all-weather monitoring requirements critical to UK climate conditions
Establish relationships with UK Space Agency sector specialists who can guide funding applications and capability matching
Develop data integration pipelines that can ingest satellite-derived products alongside existing GIS and asset management systems
Build internal capability through training programmes offered by organisations like Satellite Applications Catapult

FAQ

Q: Is satellite data too expensive for organisations outside government and large enterprises? A: The economics have fundamentally shifted. Copernicus Sentinel data is freely available, while commercial providers like Planet Labs offer subscriptions starting at levels accessible to SMEs. The key is matching resolution and revisit requirements to actual use cases rather than procuring more capability than needed. Many organisations find that annual subscriptions cost less than equivalent ground-based monitoring infrastructure.

Q: How do we handle cloud cover over the UK, which limits optical satellite utility? A: SAR satellites provide the solution. Unlike optical sensors, SAR imagery is unaffected by cloud cover, darkness, or precipitation. UK engineering teams should default to SAR for operational monitoring while using optical imagery opportunistically. The combination of Sentinel-1 (free SAR) and commercial providers like ICEYE enables reliable all-weather monitoring.

Q: What latency can we expect between satellite acquisition and receiving actionable data? A: Standard commercial services deliver data within 24-72 hours. For emergency response, tasking arrangements can reduce this to under 6 hours. Near-real-time capabilities are emerging through onboard processing and direct downlink to ground stations. The UK's position enables direct downlink from polar-orbiting satellites on every pass, a geographic advantage teams should leverage.

Q: How do satellite-derived measurements integrate with ground-truth validation requirements? A: Best practice combines satellite monitoring with strategically placed ground sensors for calibration and validation. The satellite provides coverage and temporal frequency while ground measurements ensure accuracy. For MRV applications, auditors increasingly accept satellite data when supported by documented validation protocols and uncertainty quantification.

Q: What skills does our engineering team need to utilise satellite data effectively? A: Core competencies include GIS proficiency, basic remote sensing understanding, and data integration skills. Python libraries like Rasterio and GDAL handle satellite data formats, while cloud platforms (Google Earth Engine, Microsoft Planetary Computer) reduce infrastructure requirements. Organisations like Satellite Applications Catapult offer training specifically designed for UK engineering teams entering this domain.

Sources

World Economic Forum. "How Earth observation satellites aid climate change research." May 2024.
Copernicus Climate Change Service. "Global Climate Highlights 2024." January 2025.
Allied Market Research. "Satellite Data Services Market Size, Share | Growth Report, 2034." 2024.
Euroconsult. "Small Satellites Market Prospects 2024." September 2024.
European Space Agency. "ESA Report on the Space Economy 2025." January 2025.
Space Foundation. "The Space Report 2024." April 2024.
World Meteorological Organization. "Status of the Global Climate Observing System 2024." December 2024.