Satellites were once associated mainly with communication and navigation. Today, they are becoming essential tools for understanding what is happening on Earth in near real time.
Advances in miniaturisation and lower launch costs have allowed more companies and governments to deploy constellations of smaller satellites.
These systems can monitor forests, oceans, agriculture, infrastructure and weather patterns with increasing frequency and detail.
The benefits are wide-ranging. Farmers can assess crop health, emergency services can track floods or wildfires, and scientists can monitor environmental change more effectively.
Companies such as SpaceX have helped accelerate this trend by reducing the cost of access to orbit.
However, challenges are growing alongside the opportunities. More satellites mean greater concerns about congestion, debris and regulation in space.
There are also debates about privacy, as high-resolution imaging becomes more widely available.
Experts say Earth observation may become one of the most important uses of space technology in the coming decades.
In that sense, innovation in orbit is increasingly shaping decisions on the ground.
