Gujarat's Space Tech Innovators Aim to Combat Global Warming with Real-Time Temperature Data

SatLeo Labs, a pioneering space technology startup, is making strides in global temperature monitoring through innovative satellite technology. Co-founded by Dr. Ranendu Ghosh, former Dean at DAIICT and ex-ISRO scientist, along with Urmil Bakhai, a seasoned IT expert, and Shravan Bhati, a geomatics and space technology specialist, the company is addressing a critical gap in the availability of high-resolution temperature data.

(Dr Ranendu Ghosh, Urmil Bakhai, Shravan Bhati)

According to Dr. Ghosh, the absence of precise thermal data has far-reaching impacts on urban life, especially as extreme heat events become more frequent. "This year, we focused on creating a solution for heat insurance targeting the urban poor, who are the most vulnerable to rising temperatures," said Ghosh. "Accurate temperature data is essential, as heat affects all aspects of human health and well-being."

SatLeo Labs is currently developing a specialized payload designed to be deployed on a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. This technology will provide near real-time temperature data, which could revolutionize sectors like defense, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. Urmil Bakhai highlighted the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in enhancing the quality of the data collected. "By leveraging AI, we can extract more meaningful insights from this data, providing timely information to decision-makers in various sectors."

Shravan Bhati emphasized the global significance of the project, referencing projections from the World Economic Forum, which estimate that the Earth observation industry could reach a $700 billion valuation. "Thermal imaging and temperature data are crucial datasets in this new economy," said Bhati, "and our mission is to make this data more accessible and actionable."

With the project still in its conceptualization and validation stages, SatLeo Labs is poised to become a key player in the rapidly expanding field of Earth observation, particularly in the fight against climate change.

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