Yorkshire’s journey into space

The Government wants to grow the UK as a space nation and is investing £10 billion in space activities over the current decade.

To many people, the space industry is rockets and launch pads. But it is much more than that. 

There are thousands of satellites orbiting Earth, providing communication links, navigation or monitoring what is going on in deep space or on the surface of the Earth.  

The data captured by those satellites is driving technological innovation, through the creation of new services, products and high skilled jobs.  

The University of Leeds is a world leader in what has become known as geospatial intelligence.  

Space Hub Yorkshire, which was created and is hosted at the University, has recently launched a major initiative to map and nurture the UK’s growing geospatial industries.

This is the story of Yorkshire's journey into space.  

Could satellites be used to make the UK greener and more sustainable?  

That is the key question being investigated in a new regional initiative at Space Hub Yorkshire, created by the University of Leeds and its partners to help promote and nurture the UK’s growing space industry.  

Satellites are in constant orbit around the Earth and are equipped with sensors that can image the surface of the planet. The technology is becoming so advanced that some satellites can capture features on the ground that may be just 50 centimetres or 20 inches in size. 

Developments in the sensitivity of sensors mean satellites will be able to record the fluorescence or energy emitted from photosynthesis, and this can be a marker of plant and crop health.  

Analysis of satellite images can reveal changes on the Earth’s surface from climate change, flooding, urban expansion, illegal logging, fly-tipping and pollution incidents.  

Researchers at the University have shown how satellite data can reveal a world that may have been seen but not observed.  

Professor Anna Hogg, an expert in Earth observation in the School of Earth and Environment and the founder of Space Hub Yorkshire, and her colleagues have used satellites to show the impact of climate change on the world’s sensitive polar regions:  

• How the movement of glaciers in Antarctica has accelerated.  
• The fact that 40% of Antarctica’s ice shelves got smaller over 25 years.  
• The use of AI to track the development of cracks in the Thwaites Glacier ice tongue.  

Other Leeds researchers have analysed satellite data of the Amazon Forest to reveal that deforestation is warming land surfaces up to 100 km way.   

Geospatial intelligence is also being used by scientists at Leeds to help improve food security in East Africa.  

Closer to home, researcher Emily Dowd spotted a large leak of methane - a potent greenhouse gas – from a pipe operated by a utility company in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on a satellite image. Emily is studying for a PhD at Leeds as part of the SENSE programme, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council. 

Location knowledge or geospatial intelligence has revolutionised research. Now the technology is being harnessed to help with sustainability and climate change issues in the UK.  

The Satellite Applications Catapult, which works in partnership with Innovate UK and the UK Space Agency, announced in late 2023 that Space Hub Yorkshire, together with its partners, is to develop a new Earth Observation Network for Sustainability.

Also known as UK-EONS, it will bring together industry, researchers and experts in satellite data, to spark a revolution in the use of geospatial intelligence.  

The network will fulfil a central objective of Space Applications Catapult’s Sustainable Earth mission, which looks to use space capabilities to enable safe and just outcomes for those affected by climate change.

Professor Anna Hogg said: “The creation of UK-EONS provides the UK with a fantastic opportunity to lead the world in monitoring the planet by satellites and to help mitigate the effects of climate change and to promote sustainability.  

“UK-EONS will involve industry and academia and will act as a catalyst to develop international opportunities and partnerships.  

“Being selected to lead this project is a massive vote of confidence in the work of Space Hub Yorkshire. It will unlock space for the people and businesses of Yorkshire.”   

Huge opportunity

On the board of UK-EONS is industry partner Phil Baldacchino-Steward, the commercial director at Tracsis Geo Intelligence which provides Earth observation services and analysis to governments and industry.  

He recognises the economic potential that data from satellites can unlock but says there are also obstacles that need to be overcome.  

“There are industries that have not yet grasped how satellite technology can help improve decision making and deliver better or new services. So, we need to raise awareness of the valuable insights provided by satellite data and how it can be harnessed,” said Mr Baldacchino-Steward.  

“There are also costs associated with all of this. Although there are satellite images that are freely available, the images that have a high resolution - those that capture the smaller changes on the Earth’s surface - come with a charge, and then the images must be processed and analysed.  

“But bringing industry, researchers and practitioners together will encourage collaboration and investment and we could begin to identify new products and services and crucially, identify new ways or working which could make these applications commercially viable.”   

Ahead of giving her address at the UK-EONS launch, TV space scientist Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock said: “Data, in all its different shapes and forms, is changing our lives in so many ways. Satellite data is an underused resource. The more we make it accessible, the greater the impact it will have.”

She continued: “Earth observation satellites are a real game changer in many things we do. From monitoring shipping across the planet to looking at the effects of climate change over long durations.    

“They also play a vital role when climate-related disasters happen, providing vital intel to get help and resources to the people who need it most.” 

Space Hub Yorkshire was founded three years ago to ensure that Yorkshire did not lose out in the UK space race. Much of the UK’s space sector is heavily skewed to London and the South East.  

Science Minister Andrew Griffith said: “For Britain to be a space superpower, we must harness the full potential of talent up and down our country and this exciting hub supports businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber to play a leading role in UK earth observation and geospatial intelligence.   

“Satellite data is key to confronting global challenges like climate change and natural disasters, and in supporting domestic infrastructure like our roads and railways.    

“Our investment will support pioneering space activity that benefits our lives and can in turn generate millions of pounds to grow the region’s economy and level-up our country.” 

Although it is hosted at the University, Space Hub Yorkshire is an initiative involving the region's universities, colleges, industrial leaders, and local and regional government 

It works to help companies break into the burgeoning space market and provides practical support and networking opportunities and providing the skilled people space enterprises will need.  

Space technologies could potentially underpin up to £600 billion of UK economic activity by 2030.  

According to recent estimates, the Yorkshire and Humber region would account for about 6% of that growth. If that regional contribution could be increased to 8%, it would be worth £48 billion to the regional economy.  

Mandy Ridyard, Business Advisor to the Mayor of West Yorkshire and Chair of Space Hub Yorkshire, said: “There are exciting new opportunities within the space sector and with the use of space technology, and we have world-class expertise and talent here in West Yorkshire.  

“Increasing our involvement in the space sector, and helping other sectors make the most of space technology will see our region’s economy grow through technology, innovation, and education.  

“Space technology and data underpins many aspects of our lives and can help us tackle big issues like the climate crisis. Bold, ambitious ideas and collaborations can help accelerate this opportunity”  

In its National Space Strategy (PDF), the Government says it wants to “grow national Earth observation capabilities” to help protect the country’s critical national infrastructure - roads, railways, power supplies etc – from natural threats and disasters.  

The University of Leeds has been at the forefront of research into how data gleaned from satellites can be processed into information that can be used by governments and industry.  

In 2018, two academics at the University of Leeds established a spin out company called SatSense which provides data on tiny movements on the Earth’s surface.  

The technology allows scientists to monitor volcanoes, identifying those that are active and beginning to fill with molten magma. 

It can also be used to analyse the deformation on the Earth’s surface caused by earthquakes. The data collected by the satellites enables scientists to pinpoint where the earthquake is likely to have been most intense, and where most damage is likely to have occurred.  

But the technology has commercial applications. As well as registering the big changes at the Earth’s surface from earthquakes and volcanoes, the satellites can register small-scale changes.  

Some of these small movements are early warning signs of a landslide. Network Rail uses the system to monitor the state of its embankments and cuttings and it aids decision-making about where to deploy ground-based inspection teams.  

Professor Andy Hooper, co-founder and director of SatSense, said: “Looking ahead, the resolution that we will get from satellites, and the frequency of measurements, will continue to improve, allowing us to measure ground movement in ever finer detail.  

“And of course, there will be uses for this data that we have not even thought about yet.”   

Agriculture is another area that could benefit, with satellites providing information about how crops are growing.  

SatSense now employs 15 people.  

In Leeds, there is a recognition that the fourth industrial revolution has started, and the mission is to ensure Yorkshire and the UK reap the rewards.