Journal article 2024
Acta Astronautica Vol. 222 · pp. 162–173
Commercial satellite applications already contribute to a broad set of Sustainable Development Goals, but the pattern of impact differs substantially by satellite technology and end-user domain.
The New Space Economy increasingly connects satellite infrastructure with applications in healthcare, agriculture, energy, mobility and other non-space sectors. This research provides a portfolio-level view of how those commercial applications contribute to sustainable development. Rather than treating space technology as a single sustainability instrument, the study distinguishes Earth Observation, satellite navigation and satellite communication and examines how their applications map onto specific Sustainable Development Goals and targets.
How do commercial satellite-based applications directly and indirectly impact the Sustainable Development Goals, and which project features contribute to those impacts?
The study builds an original dataset of 603 commercial projects from the European Space Agency Business Applications programme, covering projects completed between 2014 and 2022. Each application is coded across 34 technological, economic and sustainability variables. Descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis are then used to examine direct and indirect positive impacts across the 169 SDG targets, satellite technologies, application domains, countries and time.
Across the 603 projects, SDG 3 on health and well-being is the most frequently impacted, followed by SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities and SDG 2 on zero hunger. The portfolio therefore shows that commercial space applications are already connected to multiple dimensions of sustainable development.
Earth Observation applications most frequently contribute to zero hunger, life on land and sustainable cities. Satellite Navigation is particularly associated with health, sustainable cities and clean water, while Satellite Communication most frequently supports health, sustainable cities and education. Technology choice therefore shapes the sustainability profile of applications.
Health, Food and Agriculture, and Energy are the application domains with the largest numbers of SDG-oriented projects. The data also show growing use of Earth Observation and navigation in downstream commercial services, reinforcing the role of end-user applications in translating space infrastructure into societal outcomes.
The study provides empirical evidence for the claim that the space sector can act as a driver of sustainable development. By mapping hundreds of commercial applications to SDG targets, it moves the discussion from broad assertions about the benefits of space toward a more granular understanding of which technologies, sectors and applications generate particular sustainability effects.
For space agencies and policymakers, the taxonomy can inform programme design, calls for proposals and portfolio monitoring. For companies and end-users, it illustrates where EO, navigation and communication technologies are already being used to address sustainability challenges and where new commercial opportunities may emerge.
Paravano, A., Patrizi, M., Razzano, E., Locatelli, G., Feliciani, F., & Trucco, P. (2024). The impact of the new space economy on sustainability: an overview. Acta Astronautica, 222, 162–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.05.046
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