Field testing from space:
Finnish startup Kuva Space fights climate change
with the world's most extensive hyperspectral
satellite constellation
April 26, 2022
Humankind faces tough
challenges: we need to improve food security and
productivity while reducing the associated climate
risks. This is possible with the right adaptations,
but the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) highlights a gap between regional needs and
actions taken – partly due to a lack of reliable
information. Finnish space tech startup Kuva Space
aims to bridge that gap with its constellation of
satellites and Green DataⓇ
platform so industries, governments and research
institutions can make financially smarter and
environmentally responsible decisions.
Kuva Space plans to build the
world's most extensive hyperspectral constellation
of 100 nanosatellites to capture the molecular
composition of materials at scale. The company will
transform this intricate space-borne data into
actionable insights that customers can access via an
AI-driven data platform. The company will play a
critical role in land and water management,
monitoring carbon emissions and measurement of
carbon sequestration, and have a noticable impact in
the field of climate action.
"The commercial use of
nanosatellites will prove a pivotal moment in our
global fight against climate change", says Jarkko
Antila, CEO of Kuva Space. "We're all aware that
urgent action is needed. However, it can be
difficult for markets, organisations and other
stakeholders to know which actions have the most
positive long-term impact. Hyperspectral
technologies complement field testing with highly
detailed and extensive insights from space. What's
more, they can unlock new applications that were
previously unthinkable due to the cost of manual
labour required. It's not surprising the sector is
seeing rapid growth, and we're proud to say that
Kuva Space is part of this growth journey."
"We've completed three
successful satellite missions and are on track to
launch our first commercial hyperspectral satellite
in early 2023," explains Antila. "We're committed to
transforming how industries respond to the urgency
of climate change with data that was previously out
of reach. Via our Green Data platform, companies can
soon take a spaceborne data-driven approach to
decision-making to reduce their impact on the
climate and safeguard their financial interests.
It's a win-win situation."
Industry applications
Hyperspectral nanosatellite
technology solutions open up opportunities for
various industry verticals, including carbon
sequestration and environmental, safety and
security, insurance and finance, precision
agriculture and aquaculture.
Carbon management will deliver
economic benefits worth 26 trillion US dollars by
2030, with the carbon credit market alone worth more
than 50 billion US dollars. Organisations can
compensate for their residual CO2 emissions by
buying carbon credits on Voluntary Carbon Markets
(VCM) but reliable, verifiable and
environmentally-robust data is currently lacking.
Hyperspectral imaging from space will play a vital
role in its development.
"For VCMs to thrive, we must
help the market to develop beyond forestry to
include other areas, such as agriculture where it's
currently very hard to measure changes in carbon
emissions accurately," adds Antila. "Spaceborne
hyperspectral technologies enable the independent
supervision of carbon sequestration across forests,
oceans and agricultural sectors. More importantly,
they will bring much-needed accountability, trust
and pricing transparency to the entire market,
fuelling its growth."
"The team at Kuva Space has the
knowledge, experience and ambition to build the
largest hyperspectral nanosatellite constellation in
a relatively short period. It's exciting to see our
market intelligence from space encouraging
industries to take more action and implement
climate-friendly policies while boosting our
collective efforts to create a sustainable and
prosperous future for all," adds Inka Mero, Chairman
of the Board at Kuva Space.