New Stories from Space

Satellite data is currently all over the news. Color imagery illustrates the attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, thermal data shows the spread of Canadian wildfires, maps of scientific measurements demonstrate the impacts of global warming, and computer algorithms help estimate water usage in the American west. These recent examples of data  journalism highlight some of the unique capabilities of space-based remote sensing for investigative reporting.

Triptych of high-resolution images from Maxar showing the impact points of Massive Ordnance Penetrators on the Fordo Uranium Enrichment Plant. The New York Times used a times series of satellite data to show how the strikes hit ventilation shafts and other weak points in the underground facility. Screenshot from Satellite Images Show U.S. May Have Targeted Ventilation Shafts at Fordo.

When I wrote “From Space to Story in Data Journalism”, I focused on how imagery from space was used as context, as documentation, and as a tool for investigation. Another framing for applications of satellite data is through its unique strengths. It is a tool that enables reporters to view remote or inaccessible regions, monitor wide areas, detect change over time, and even “see” things that are invisible. As is often the case with categorization, the boundaries are fuzzy and many news stories exploit more than one of these qualities.

Viewing the Remote & Inaccessible

Satellite imagery is an unparalleled resource for reporting on remote or inaccessible locations. High resolution pictures from deep within secretive regimes, inside conflict zones, or shortly after a natural disaster strikes help tell stories from sites reporters can’t safely go.