Earth Observation - The Invisible Industry
The MapScaping Podcast - GIS, Geospatial, Remote Sensing, earth observation and digital geographyShow Notes
What is Earth observation, really — and why, after fifty years of satellite imagery, is it still not "mainstream"? In this episode, I'm joined by Aravind Ravichandran, founder of TerraWatch, an independent research and advisory firm focused entirely on Earth observation. Aravind writes the TerraWatch newsletter, runs the EO Summit, and spends his time thinking about the strategy and economics of the industry more deeply than just about anyone. We start with a deceptively simple question — is Earth observation even an industry? — and end up somewhere more interesting: Aravind's argument that when the technology truly succeeds, it becomes invisible, quietly embedded in agriculture, insurance, energy, and defense the same way weather satellites already are. Along the way, we get into:
Why 60+ countries are now building their own satellite constellations, and whether they'll still exist in five years What Planet restricting imagery access really means — and why Aravind thinks they were "punished for doing something progressive" The technology is actually moving the needle: hyperspectral data going free, AI foundation models, edge computing on satellites, and inter-satellite laser links Which use cases are genuinely picking up (utilities, parametric insurance) — and which were always hype (counting cars in parking lots) The defense paradox: how the industry that built Earth observation may also be the biggest thing holding back its commercial future
Some open questions we sit with: If satellite data is critical infrastructure, what happens when someone turns it off? Should high-resolution imagery of the whole world be open — and what are the privacy and security costs if it is? And can sixty countries ever pool their data, or will sovereignty always trump logic?
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