Space is a Huge Part of Our Daily Lives: An Interview with Space Iceland
Translation: Hólmfríður María Bjarnardóttir
Together, Alfa Björnsdóttir and Atli Þór Fanndal make up the team behind Space Iceland, an organization dedicated to space science and technology in Iceland. To a large extent, space research revolves around understanding the planet we occupy. Space has become such a big part of our daily lives that we don’t even realize it anymore. As Alfa and Atli point out, the dating app Tinder and the Strætó (Icelandic city bus) app are good examples of how knowledge derived from space science is used on a daily basis. Both apps use GPS tracking, a technology that comes from space science.
Opportunities in the space industry
Alfa and Atli think that many opportunities lie in the space industry: “Our role is to be the voice of this sector, to work to convince politicians of the benefits of developing jobs in the field and show them the job opportunities and possibilities to build wealth and improve welfare.” There is no single government ministry in Iceland dedicated to space science. As a result, the administration of matters that Space Iceland handles are spread across a number of institutions. In Iceland, there is a great deal of specialized technical knowledge, and therefore great benefit to be found in bringing together the right parties to collaborate. “We’re trying to cluster together companies, institutions, and other parties to increase technical abilities to be able to take on more complicated projects and thus create more opportunities,” say Alfa and Atli. Space Iceland is a center for space science and has collected knowledge and information on space science and technology.
According to Alfa and Atli, data from space science provides important information on climate change and makes it easier for earthlings to monitor its effects. “You won’t get a better overview of these changes than from satellites.” Using information from space science is important in order to be more eco-friendly and to change people’s attitudes about how we treat the earth. Alfa and Atli’s job involves a lot of regular office work but also has its strange moments. They have, among other things, monitored a space launch and obtained permission to use gunpowder.
Important to have a clear strategy
When asked about the future, Space Iceland say they want the government to have a clear space policy. They would also like Iceland to join the European Space Agency (ESA). By joining, Iceland would gain access to research that has been conducted in space, equipment, and a wealth of knowledge. The economy would also benefit from joining the ESA, as satellite data contains important and useful information. Iceland would also have the chance to obtain funding from the ESA meant for job creation. ESA member states have more resources, and one could say that the Icelandic space industry is missing out on opportunities by not joining.
Alfa and Atli say there is a lot of work to be done in creating a clear policy to work against loss of knowledge and history. “Foreign companies and institutions that have come to Iceland with their projects have, in most cases, left with the knowledge they gained here.” Space Iceland would like such knowledge to stay, but in order for that to happen, they say the government must have a clear policy. That would also encourage Iceland to actively participate in projects, rather than just watching others carrying out projects on their own terms. “We need a clear view of what we need, instead of just receiving and serving others.”
Despite the lack of specific policy in Iceland, there is a lot of foreign interest in the country as a launch site because of its location and the quality of the land. Turning Iceland into a launch site would have to be a societal decision, but it would create huge opportunities and diversify jobs in places where the economy is limited.
Contributed photo from an online meeting, taken at the harbour in Húsavík
There are certain factors that make Iceland attractive to foreigners in search of a space launch site: extensive knowledge in artificial intelligence, geology, energy, engineering, remote sensing, and more. The fact that some regions of Iceland are reminiscent of the moon and Mars also sparks interest. “Harsh conditions in Iceland make agriculture challenging, and conditions in space are certainly harsh and challenging,” says Atli. Because of their regular analysis of complicated weather conditions, the Icelandic Meteorological Office is highly respected in the space community and its data highly valued.
Various projects and partners
Space Iceland has worked with the University of Iceland and other universities on various projects and has supervised student projects funded by the Student Innovation Fund. It’s important that people can imagine working in the space sector as there is great demand for people nowadays.
With its participation in students' projects, Space Iceland has opened the doors to their involvement in the space industry. Space Iceland was behind three diverse projects in the summer of 2020. One of them involved mapping opportunities and value creation in space science; another project was carried out in collaboration with the Árni Magnússon Institute and revolved around creating a specialized term bank and forming new words in Icelandic for terms related to space science and technology; the third project involved designing the first Icelandic satellite.
This summer Space Iceland, in collaboration with the Iceland Space Agency (ISA), the ESA, and the EuroMoonMars initiative founded by the International Lunar Exploration Group, will test space houses meant to house research teams in space. Space Iceland has come a long way in the past two years; from little to no information about the space industry to collaborating with various partners, collecting information and history from the past, present, and future of the space industry in Iceland and elsewhere. They have monthly meetings that are open to all, where parties from various backgrounds give presentations on matters related to the space industry. If your interest is piqued, you can check out their Facebook page: Space Iceland - Geimvísinda- og tækniskrifstofa Íslands.