UrtheCast: Re-Defining Globalization

The sense of a “global community” is soon to be redefined as the Canadian company UrtheCast sets to begin operations. The company has constructed two cameras which will be placed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013. The cameras will be pointed to the green planet and will stream near-live footage of all earthly activities.

Although based in Vancouver, UrtheCast has reached out to the Russian space agency RSC Energia to provide the real-estate and the launching of the cameras in a barter-like trade for company equity. Although very intriguing and novel, UrtheCast has highlighted many privacy concerns.

A primary source of revenue for the company will be data sales to large companies, governments, and non-government organizations. This selling off of information poses the “Big-Brother” phenomenon; is live-streaming of our daily activities from space an infringement of privacy? UrtheCast will be pushing everyone into a real-time movie being sold to the highest bidders.

With that said, the company will undoubtedly provide valuable information for all of its costomers, ranging from simple entertainment to environmental awareness. It is a very large technological leap whose success will be a point of interest for a very long time to come.

Web References: http://www.urthecast.com/

http://news.silobreaker.com/the-united-nations–urthecast-partner-up-to-monitor-humanitarian-5_2265843616935051481