When Shipping Meets Satellite Technology

In a bid to promote economic growth in the UK’s space sector, the University of Portsmouth has announced a new centre of excellence for satellite data, focusing on maritime, marine and autonomous systems.

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The South Coast Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications (SCCESA) intends to use data from thousands of man-made satellites which orbit Earth to tap into satellite technology that could improve products and service.

Some satellites take pictures of the planet that help meteorologists predict weather and track hurricanes. A group of more than 20 satellites make up the Global Positioning System (GPS).

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David Brown, Professor of Industrial Systems at Portsmouth University, said: “Satellites looking towards Earth provide information about clouds, oceans, land and ice.

“They give us insight, collect and distribute vast quantities of data and give us a detailed picture of what is happening in our world such as allowing us to monitor and protect our environment, manage resources and respond to humanitarian disasters.”

In a previous PTI report on how marine technology will look in 2030, Tom Boardly, Marine Director at Lloyd’s Register, said: “Shipping is likely to evolve quickly now. That evolution is likely to be uneven but while 2030 is not far away, we think that shipping is likely to have changed significantly.”