When discussing the advancement of space science and space technology, most
people instinctively think about deep space flights, lunar stations, and
thrilling outer space adventures. The fact is that the majority of the human
technology in space, which consists of interconnected satellites, points
towards Earth, and is used to provide services for and fulfil the goals of
people on planet Earth.Over the next decade, there will be an increased need
for innovative Earth information systems to support the international space
community´s efforts to provide a robust infrastructure. This book describes
some of the most important applications being developed, along with the space
infrastructure upgrades being implemented to support them.It also provides a
comprehensive review of how space technology can be used to resolve fundamental
environmental, technological, and humanitarian challenges that we are
experiencing on our planet. Finally, the book demonstrates to the IT and
business communities how space technology can be incorporated into terrestrial
IT applications to facilitate decision-making.
