Hidden Risks: The weakness in the global geodesy supply chain that threaten modern society

Modern society is dependent on satellites. In many countries, satellite information is essential for economic growth, the operation of critical infrastructure, and is a cornerstone of national defence forces. For satellites to operate accurately and reliably, their ‘place in space’ and Earth’s ‘place in space’ need to be observed and analyzed constantly. This information is provided through the global geodesy supply chain. The global geodesy supply chain is the collection of ground observing stations, data centres, analysis centres and highly qualified experts who observe the Earth and convert these observations into geodetic products which are essential to communicate accurately and reliably with satellites. This presentation will describe the weaknesses in the global geodesy supply chain and explore the actions of Member States and partners to strengthen it as described in the First Joint Development Plan for Global Geodesy. Key activities for Member States include: strengthening national awareness and governance in geodesy, recognizing the global geodesy supply chain as national critical infrastructure and engaging in bilateral or multilateral agreements with other Member States.