Hello everyone, I’m Joshua Kutryk, Canadian Space Agency astronaut.
And today, we are going to be talking about observing the Earth from outer space.
Space gives to us a unique vantage point
from which we can look back at the Earth.
This is a picture that was taken by my friend David Saint-Jacques
while he was living aboard the International Space Station.
Taking pictures of the Earth was one of his favorite activities during his free time.
To observe the Earth full time and help us solve many of our planet's challenges,
Canada has created powerful tools capable of collecting information from space.
And we call these tools Earth observation satellites.
Each of these satellites gathers specific information about our planet.
And together, they provide essential information about our oceans,
about the ice in the northern regions,
about the environment and about the atmosphere.
Let’s look closer at how satellites benefit our lives every day here on Earth.
We know that we can all do our part to help protect the environment.
And we hope that we will. Satellites can help us in this important endeavour.
Think about it for a minute…
how can we look at places that are difficult to access such as the Arctic?
Or how can we look at substances that are difficult to see with just the naked eye,
substances such as greenhouse gases?
Well, it turns out that satellites can do that for us!
With satellites, we can see the big picture of our land,
our waters and the atmosphere.
And we can better understand how they interact and change over time.
Satellites tell us about our planet’s past, about its present
and about its projected future.
And they help us understand and to adapt to climate change.
The Canadian Space Agency has been observing Earth from space
for over two decades now.
Canadian satellites and instruments monitor climate change impacts, ice dynamics,
air pollution, ozone depletion and greenhouse gases.
RADARSAT imagery is also used to monitor signs of coastal erosion,
which can be caused by melting of ice or rising sea levels,
two known effects resulting right now from climate change.
Monitoring changes in Canada’s coastline is especially important,
because our country has one of the longest coastline in the world.
And it is a coastline that is home to unique biodiversity and to a host of natural resources.
Satellites also have an important impact over the food that we eat.
Imagine that you are a farmer and that you have a very large field.
It is impossible for you to know which part of your field needs more water or less water
because you cannot see the entire field at once from the ground.
So you probably need some of the tools that we are talking about, some tools to help you out.
By using applications that analyze data from space,
farmers can know more about the soil moisture content
and about the general health of their crops.
They can make better decisions about the amount of water, fertilizer or pesticide they use.
And so satellites help both their operations
and the environment as farmers go about their important jobs.
Satellites also help us to stay healthy.
Satellites cannot see viruses or bacteria
or the very causes of a disease,
but they can see the conditions or the environment or the climate
– for example land cover, the humidity, the air pollution –
conditions like that, that can lead to certain diseases,
certain infectious diseases and other problems.
Satellites help to identify where the risks are
and where favorable conditions may exist for a disease to be present or to multiply.
It is particularly useful for vector-borne, waterborne and airborne disease control.
Think about, as an example, Lyme disease.
This is something that is caused by ticks that can happen to us when we’re outside,
doing outdoor activities in nature.
Information from satellites is currently used to help prevent and monitor this type of disease.
Satellites can also help to guide ground interventions during major epidemics.
For example, satellite data was used extensively during the Ebola epidemic outbreaks in Africa
to locate roads and locate areas that were at risk
and to support the deployment of services such as temporary hospitals.
Satellites help to keep us safe during natural disasters,
during disasters such as floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and hurricanes.
Firefighters and paramedics use information from satellites
to identify the areas affected and to find the fastest routes by which they can save lives.
Data from satellites help us to understand how climate change is affecting the great north.
Satellite data shows us how ice is moving
and how its thickness may be changing.
Satellite data can show permafrost melting.
It can demonstrate its impact on infrastructure.
Permafrost is a type of soil found in cold regions,
especially near the poles, that is constantly maintained at a temperature of 0°C or less
for at least two consecutive years.
Melting permafrost releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere
and this is something that can destabilize the surrounding lands.
Understanding these changes can help us look after the environment in the Canadian north
and in northern communities.
To better understand how satellites are essential for those who work or live in the great north,
take the story of ship’s captain Michael Stokes.
He transports food to northern communities and he uses ice maps created from satellite data
to help navigate in the Arctic.
Satellite data helps him to make decisions so he doesn’t get jammed in ice.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Satellites help to keep our oceans clean.
The RADARSAT Constellation Mission helps to detect potential vessel oil spills
and other pollution events in Canadian waters.
This information enables response organizations to quickly contain
and to mitigate the damage, reducing impacts on the health of marine birds,
mammals and ecosystems.
And this is only a glimpse of what satellites can do for us today.
Satellites are not just useful in terms of connecting us to the Internet
or in terms of helping us to communicate with our family and friends.
They’re also useful to the information that they send back to Earth
and to the various ways in which they help to improve our lives each and every day.
And in the future, satellites are going to be able to do even more than they do today!
If we think about combining information from satellites
with new technologies such as artificial intelligence or powerful computing,
we could go as far as predicting natural disasters before they happen,
so that we can mitigate their consequences.
We could also create powerful and detailed maps that would tell us where
our endangered species are, so we would be better able to help protect them.
And that’s why it’s so important to keep developing creative
and innovative technologies:
not only do they improve our lives today,
but they also help us to find solutions for future challenges too.
If you enjoyed learning about Canadian satellites and observing the Earth from space,
visit the Canadian Space Agency website.
There you’ll find more information about these topics and lots of fun activities!