Anyone in the UK public sector can apply to the UK Space Agency for free access to a library of more than a thousand high-resolution satellite images of Britain.
The agency is running a trial of providing images to government departments, emergency services and local authorities, through its Space for Smarter Government Programme (SSGP). It may also provide access to those in higher education and business if they are meeting a public sector need.
The agency hopes to increase public sector familiarity with space data, assist start-ups and small businesses and create chances for collaborations between the public and private sectors. It plans to run events to stimulate use, with details yet to be announced.
“The demand for this data is huge and we have already had more than 40 organisations pre-registering an interest,” said Sara Huntingdon, the UK Space Agency’s SSGP manager. “We are doing something new, which tries to break down barriers to innovation, and I can’t wait to see what ideas and projects arise. This data could open new doors for SMEs, enable rapid prototyping within government and stimulate the next wave of satellite enabled application development.”
Those interested can apply at [email protected].
Image courtesy of Sedas.
