Satellites in Global Development
From the webpage:
We have better systems to capture, analyze, and distribute data about the earth. This is fundamentally improving, and creating, opportunities for impact in global development.
This is an exploratory overview of current and upcoming sources of data, processing pipelines and data products. It is aimed to offer non GIS experts an exploration of the unfolding revolution of earth observation, with an emphasis on development. See footer for license and contributors.
A great overview of Earth satellite data for the non-specialist.
The impressive imagery of 0.31M resolution, calls to mind the danger of relying on such data without confirmation.
The image of Fortaleza “shows” (at 0.31M) what appears to be a white car parked near the intersection of two highways. What if instead of a white car that was a mobile missile launch platform? It’s not much bigger than a car so would show up on this image.
Would you target that location based on that information alone?
Or consider the counter-case: What reassurance do you have that what appears to be a white car in the image at the intersection is not a mobile missile launcher, but is reported to you on the image as a white car?
Or in either case, what if the image is reporting an inflatable object placed there to deceive remote imaging applications?
As with all data, satellite data is presented to you for a reason.
A reason that may or may not align with your goals and purposes.
I first saw this in a tweet by Kirk Borne.