Do you have a need? More specifically, do you have a need for European Space Imaging data using Skybox satellite imagery worth 20,000 Euros? What about your mom? Your dad? Okay–how about your school? Ah, there we go.
That’s right, Copernicus-Masters has issued a challenge, and the prize to that challenge is Skybox imagery. What’s the challenge? Well, use your imagination. No, really, European Space Imaging and Skybox Imaging want you to use your imagination. In speak obviously inspired by engineers and bureaucrats, they say they want “ideas that have global impact, are easily scalable, and enable more efficient decision-making.”
So, translating that: imagine big ideas that can grow, increasing capability allowing for a quicker reaction time. At least I think that’s what they want with the “efficient decision-making” part. But if you want to read the whole of it, including the evaluation criteria used to determine a challenge winner, then go to this site. Signups are accepted up through 13 July 2014 (noted on the bottom of their brochure, here). I did not notice any citizenship or age limitations. I might do it myself.
This is a crowdsourcing attempt at generating ideas about how to use new space technology. The Skybox satellites provide HD video and images, which is new. And I think they would like to provide the video 24/7, something also that hasn’t been done before. They also think the time it takes for their satellites to see one particular spot of the Earth’s surface, the revisit rate, will be increased as they populate their constellation of satellites. That too, might even put some government efforts to shame. And all of this might be new.
So, how do you think Skybox should be using their new tools? Give them an answer if you’ve got a great idea. And there are other challenges on the Copernicus-Masters website. I may elaborate about them a bit more in the future
The Mad Spaceball 