On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, global leaders from space agencies, governments, and private companies gathered at the Dubai Expo for an event focused on humanity's sustainable expansion into space. The goal of the event, "Space: Where the World Comes Together for Progress", was to explore recent advances and current plans to increase citizen connectivity and collaborate on some of the most exciting scientific advances of our time.
Panelists talked about the economic benefits of the space sector, the various opportunities for expansion in the space economy, and the role that governments and private companies can play. Annual revenues in the space sector are expected to reach $1.1 trillion or more by 2040. The event aimed to foster leadership, creativity and interdisciplinary global collaboration. The event included several sessions on topics such as Earth Observation for Good, Connectivity for Humanity, and the Blue Marble Vision, which aimed to offer an informal partnership for new international collaborations.
Diana Mastracci (Space4Innovation, GEO Indigenous Alliance) and Mario Vargas Shakaim (Shuar Nation, GEO Indigenous Alliance) were invited along with leaders from several key space agencies, including Simonetta Di Pippo, Dr. Valanathan Munsami, Raúl Kulichevsky, and Ibrahim Al Qasem, to discuss how space technology and Earth observation data can serve diverse communities and markets around the world. Diana Mastracci and Mario Vargas explained the valuable services of space data for Indigenous-led climate innovation and highlighted the role of the Space4Innovation #IndigenousHackathons for climate action. This gathering of great minds demonstrated the potential for sustainable expansion into space and brought the world together for progress. The event showed that anything is possible when we work together and share a common goal.
