FEATURE PHOTONICS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Thermal image from space: thermal effects on big parking lots in city infrastructure can be seen in this image of Las Vegas ›
the distribution of heat on the surface of the planet. Scientists were able to visualise the thermal effects of city parking lots or the cooling influence of harbours. The camera provided insights into the behaviour of wildfires and the thermal footprint of a train on a main rail line in Chicago. Another recent example in
the orbital monitoring sphere is the MethaneSAT satellite, built by BAE Systems for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and launched in March of this year. It carries a BAE Systems-built spectrometer capable of identifying and quantifying methane emissions by measuring the narrow part of the infrared spectrum where the gas absorbs light reflected off the Earth. Dr Alberto Conti, Vice-
President and General Manager of Civil Space for BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, said at the time of the launch: “MethaneSAT will make a critical difference in helping us better understand and remedy global greenhouse
14 Electro Optics May 2024
gas emissions. MethaneSAT will advance our ability to identify and track emissions from their source, empowering stakeholders and the public with actionable data to enable reductions.” One of the questions Bale and Bohndiek ponder is if technologies emerging in other application areas, such as adaptive optics from astronomy, AI-enabled super-resolution from imagining, hyperspectral imaging from defence, or interferometry (a measurement method using the phenomenon of interface of waves – usually light, radio, or sound waves) from ophthalmology, could perhaps help to fill the climate measurement gaps. Bale believes that the optics and photonics community can play an important role by helping and perhaps influencing the way ARIA shapes its programmes. “ARIA has a really bold and ambitious mission. We’ve been clear from the start that we won’t get there alone, which is why engagement with the wider
ecosystem is really baked into our model,” says Bale. “We shape our programmes
with extensive input from the R&D community, gathered through public consultations, open solicitations, site visits, and workshops. That process helps us consider different directions, surface new ideas, and start building communities around our programmes. “As scientists, this kind
of engagement is really exciting, as too often research is conducted in silos. In previous roles, we’ve taken innovations and ideas from different communities, from telecommunications to remote sensing, and applied them to optics research, but we’ve been able to double down on that kind of multidisciplinary approach in developing our ARIA programme.” For Bale, the crucial question is ‘where will the next step change in climate monitoring come from?’ “We are looking at Earth
system measurements. [Currently, these] have major
gaps, which lead to major uncertainties in both weather forecasting and climate projections. We think that by harnessing the power of optics we have the potential to fill these gaps and that could improve our ability to respond to the climate crisis,” notes Bohndiek. Both programme directors are
inviting anyone to get involved and share feedback. “All of this feedback will be used to shape our programme thesis, which will ultimately underpin the funded programme,” says Bale. Ambitious, risk-taking
entrepreneurs, start-ups, and capital sources are welcome to join in order to ensure ARIA’s breakthroughs lead to widespread impact. “We’ll be launching our programme thesis in the next month or so, and we expect to launch the programme later this year,” she concludes.
The optics and photonics community is invited to get involved in the process by emailing
hello@aria.org.uk. EO
www.electrooptics.com
SatVu, HotSat-1 Satellite
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