Space technologies to fight pollution in the Baltic Sea

The European Space Foundation, known mainly for organizing international Mars rover competitions, has initiated a new project – the Baltic Challenge. This project involves the use of new robotic and satellite technologies to combat pollution of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted mórz of the world. This is a result of urbanization and the associated emissions of sewageóin agricultural, industrial and municipal, whichóre going straight into the Baltic. But the biggest problem is sunken by the Alliedów just after World War II bombs, mines and chemical weapons. This is an arsenal discovered in the warehouses of the Third Reich. Experts estimate that up to 60,000 tons of extremely hazardous chemicals may be lying at the bottom of the Baltic Seaów.

Chemical weapons, whichóra is located at the bottom of the sea, is a ticking ecological bomb. Combat gases containing iperite and tabun can be found, as well as other compounds containing m.in. arsenic. Containers, in whichóre weapons were packaged, they were supposed to last up to 200 years, but their degradation process began earlier. In the last 20 years, there have been at least 120 accidentsów related to poisonous memorabilia from the war. Experts estimate that the release into the wód of the Baltic Sea only a dozen percent of the chemicalów will kill all life in the sea, and the body of water for several hundred years will become „dead sea”.

Baltic Challenge to help the Baltic Sea

Baltic Challenge activities are to include m.in. implementation of the projectóin education and consulting, and support for innovative ideasów and projects, using advanced robotics and space technologies – reads the website of the project.

– The unexplored waters and bottom of the Baltic Sea, problems with their cleanliness and the danger of contamination, as róPoland’s limited water resources also inspired us to tackle a long-term project, whichórego goal is to show the direction ofóIn the use of modern space and robotic technologies in water exploration and exploitation activities – said Maciej W. Ivankiewicz of the board of directors of the European Space Foundation. – We want to create a platform – an environment, które will associate good solutions from the space and robotics sector towards research and problem solvingóin the aquatic environment. We will be looking for business activities in whichórych they will find practical applications,” he added.

Baltic Challenge has pomóc in identifying threats to the wód of the Baltic Sea and to develop the possibilities of restoring theócation of the cleanliness of the marine environment. We are talking about eliminating or neutralizing potential sources ofósources of water pollution.

What activities are involved? Primarily by satellite observation, as well as conducted by flying drones and underwater drones operating in the bottom area. For this „The use of information technology to collect and process large amounts of digital data for spatial imaging of the water environment would make it possible not only to monitor the state and flow of water, including any contaminants in the marine space and in theód ¶róThe project will not only help to improve the quality of the water environment, but also allow for the efficient management of water resources, in particularóaccidents in Poland” – we read further in the description of the project.

The European Space Foundation intends in the Balic Challenge to supportóhe space industry, robotics, information technology – institutions thatóre could process large amounts of data.

The Baltic Summit 2017 is being held in June, at which theóry were invited politicians, academics and business representatives from all the Baltic states. In addition to discussing the problemów related to pollution in the Baltic Sea, will present competitive solutions related to the project.