Tiny Satellites Show Us the Earth as it Changes in Near-Real-Time
You may be asking, “…and why is this video a self-help guide?” If we can gain a little insight as to our real makeup, our creative beginnings and what we are continually, dynamically a part of– this living universe, we may also allow beneficial change to be a part of our own personal lives and at the same time how we can aid beneficial change for others and our global responsibilities. – Self Help Guides
Post #840
Friday Video: TED Talk – Satellite imaging has revolutionized our knowledge of the Earth, with detailed images of nearly every street corner readily available online. But Planet Labs’ Will Marshall says we can do better and go faster — by getting smaller. He introduces his tiny satellites — no bigger than 10 by 10 by 30 centimeters — that, when launched in a cluster, provide high-res images of the entire planet, updated daily.
Why you should listen
In his Twitter bio, William Marshall calls himself a “quantum physicist cum space scientist in search of world peace and harmony.” And when you hear about his job, it falls into place: He and his co-founders at Planet Labs want to show the earth what it looks like, in almost real time, via a new network of compact, capable satellites. They hope that up-to-date images will inform future humanitarian and commercial projects all over our planet and will help to enable people to make the best decisions for earth.
Before co-founding Planet Labs, Marshall was a scientist at NASA/USRA, where he helped to formulate the Small Spacecraft Office at NASA Ames Research Center. He worked on lunar orbiter mission LADEE, lunar impactor mission LCROSS and the groundbreaking PhoneSat project, building satellites out of consumer parts.
What others say
“By giving people a view of the Earth in near real-time, we intend to spur people, companies, and governments to action.” — Will Marshall
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