Industry news, Insights and Investigations: Monthly Recap of Groundstation.Space | April 2022 edition

In the second issue of our monthly digest we will lead you through industry news, tips and insights, as well as investigations we did this April. Everything we talked about this month is in one place!

Observing Ukraine from Space – You Can Help!

The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than two months now. We continue to bring you the latest news on the use of space data during the war. By early April, the world was shocked by what happened in the suburbs of Kyiv. Satellites were among the witnesses of the killing of civilians and the destruction of Ukrainian cities.

Observations of Ukraine from space have become one of the main topics that we cover in our articles. We are also investigating the use of satellite data as evidence in war crimes prosecutions.

Every year in April, the world remembers the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which is still recognised as the largest ever man-made disaster. We outlined how satellites observed this area during the invasion of Russian troops.

We also keep monitoring the work of SpaceX Starlink in Ukraine. We have devoted several articles to this topic, and we will continue to inform you about it.

Agriculture is one of the most important areas of ​​applications of satellites. With food security on the line, the war in Ukraine is putting a number of countries at risk of grain shortages.

Thankfully there are ways the space community can help. Several initiatives are requesting your help in Ukraine, for agriculture, but also for refugees, as well as to those who remained in a country engulfed in war. Please join the #EUSpace4Ukraine initiative!

Satellite images reveal the horrors of war

Space for Ukraine: the Latest News about Satellite Data Technology During the War

Using satellite data in court, not as evident as it seems

Observing Chornobyl from Space

The Latest News about Starlink in Ukraine

EUSpace4Ukraine: the EU’s space tool for the Ukrainian people

#EUSpace4Ukraine Initiative: Opportunities for Helpers and Innovators

How Space May Help Save the 2022 Agriculture Season in Ukraine

Open Calls, Tips and Sources

Recently, ESA launched a call for proposals to deliver operational services that support efforts in response to humanitarian crises. This is just one of several new funding opportunities that we posted this month. The Copernicus programme has opened a call for tender for rapid mapping solutions under its Emergency Management Services (EMS), while the European Commission opened a call for expression of interest for In Orbit Demonstration/Validation (IOD/IOV) experiments.

This month, the Dutch science and technology support organisation ‘Rathenau Instituut’ published an extensive study of the position of Dutch research, education and industry in the EU Horizon 2020 programme.

We have also conducted some research ourselves. This month we:

• Collected the top tools used for ocean monitoring,
• Shared beginner’s tips for interpreting satellite images,
• Did a comparative study of the five Copernicus DIAS services,
• Listed a selection of free training courses in Earth Observation,

Furthermore we continue to inform you about the work of the projects that Groundstation.Space is participating in, including the SKIES project (career training for astronomy PhDs).

Another project in which we participate, Water-ForCE, held another webinar. This month’s speakers and participants looked at how European and international regulations enable Copernicus water applications.

Applications for LDE NL Space Campus Summer School opened in April. We are looking forward to this event and will tell you all about the adventures of the lucky participants this summer!

ESA Funding Opportunity: Space in Response to Humanitarian Crises

Call for Tender for Copernicus EMS

Horizon Europe: Call for IOD/IOV Experiments

The Netherlands and Horizon 2020

Best 8 Ocean Monitoring Methods

5 Tips for Interpreting Satellite Images

Comparing Copernicus DIAS Services

Free Training Courses in Earth Observation

SKIES: Closing the Skills Gap for Young Researchers

Public-Private Partnerships for Copernicus Water Services

More News We Shared this Month

Also in April, our ‘Groundstation.Water’ team was announced as one of the three finalists in the SCOREwater project Water Challenge competition! Even though we didn’t win the competition in the end (one of the leading Dutch water engineering companies did), we learned a lot and had fun in the process!

Also this month, the European Commission announced the 100 EU cities that will participate in the EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, the so-called Cities Mission. Additionally, the European Commission launched the Destination Earth initiative, to help tackle climate change.

Earlier this year, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the world’s leading space advocacy organisation, celebrated its 70th anniversary. 

We also reported that last year was a record breaking year for space startups (and we have the feeling that 2022 and 2023 may break that record once again)

This month, The Copernicus Climate Change Service released its annual ‘European State of the Climate’ report, examining climate variability of 2021 in Europe and globally. Europe experienced its warmest summer on record in 2021, accompanied by severe floods in western Europe and dry conditions in the Mediterranean.

Last, but not least, we have started to explore the applications of satellite data technologies in agriculture, in a new series of articles around this topic, that is now making headlines with the farming crisis in Ukraine.

Groundstation.Water Team Makes the #WaterChallenge Finals!

Europe’s 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Announced

Royal Visit to NL Space Campus

Destination Earth – new digital twin of the Earth for climate change

70 Years of the International Astronautical Federation

ESPI: Another Record-Breaking Year for European Space Startups

European State Of The Climate Report: 2021 Warmest Summer Ever

Agriculture from Space

This was our second monthly recap. If you want to receive it directly into your mailbox every month, then please subscribe to our newsletter here!

Featured image credit: Freepik