Stopping the Leaks . . .
“We will go to war over just two matters. Only two,” a New York-based Chinese diplomat said to me sternly in 2006. “Taiwan and water.”
It was a moment that rivetted me the way a traumatic moment does. It was shocking to hear this from someone who, to that point, had been courteous. Unfailingly so. But there was no doubt the emphasis in his tone was on the last word, “water.”
The fact is we can survive without many things. Water is not one of them.
When ASTERRA’s underground potable water leak detection technology was named a recipient of a Better Satellite World Award, it was not a surprise. Nor did it do anything to stop me from hearing again and again in my head those words heard 16 years ago in a West Side Starbucks.
ASTERRA’s use of reflected signals from L-Band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) to detect potable underground water and its ability to distinguish the quality of the water it finds is a breakthrough. Like Superman with his X-ray vision, this award-winning tech can penetrate foliage and asphalt roadways and find water leaking from utility pipes. Lots of it. And in a single bound – or scan. ASTERRA’s technology has helped utilities worldwide save over 210,000 million gallons of water, 527,000 MWH of energy and 135,000 metric tons of CO
It calls its technology Recover. It is a low-cost alternative for finding potable water leaks and is helping small and rural agencies with this problem at a cost they can afford.
Recover may never help the peacemakers of the world sort their way through that chilling statement made by the Chinese diplomat. She was referring to China’s thirst for water and the major waterways that flow in and out of the country from places like Tibet. But it does something remarkable at a 40% lower cost than traditional point-to-point inspection methods and 90% less than fixed base acoustic leak detection systems. For communities with little or no budgets for this, it is a game-changer.
Does it make a better satellite world by helping us preserve water? We think so.
Ditto with Spire and its fleet’s ability to help fight climate change with reliable analytics that enable the monitoring of critical ecosystems like Scotland’s peatlands, among the most important places in the world for keeping carbon emissions contained. They too will shine in London on 5 December.
As essential as water is the need for peace and health. Or at least the ability to communicate during a crisis when one or the other has vanished. For both COVID and the war in Ukraine, Viasat has utilized its satellite-enabled Community Wi-Fi system and broadband capacity to connect areas and people most in need of connectivity. Wi-Fi systems were installed in a matter of days to provide critical connectivity for refugees fleeing the war. In the case of COVID, Viasat’s broadband services were a key engine that kept a staggering, stricken world moving ahead.
It will be a thrill to be back on a stage in the Whitehall area of London to watch these three receive their honors, along with others, including the UK Chapter’s Personality of the Year and a special tribute to a member of the Eutelsat family who also did much to restore connections.
I hope if you are in London, you will buy ticket, join us and celebrate the world that satellites have remade!
For more information about attending the Better Satellite World Awards Dinner at NO COST visit www.bswdinner.com or contact me directly at [email protected].