Building an independent, community-operated satellite to democratize access to reliable, open data.
Rhiannan Price has spent her career focused on technologies for social impact, especially frontier innovations like Earth observation and AI. At DigitalGlobe/Maxar, a global satellite operator, Rhiannan led their humanitarian and sustainable development portfolio, where she brokered partnerships with NGOs, governments, philanthropies, and social enterprises to improve the use of high-resolution satellite imagery across food security, human rights, disaster management, conservation, global health and more. She served as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at DevGlobal, where she founded their geospatial practice. Since 2023, she has been Program Lead at NASA for Lifelines, a community building initiative bringing together experts from various backgrounds, countries and disciplines to accelerate the use of satellite data for humanitarian action. She has been a key organizer of SatSummit, a convening of leaders in the satellite industry and experts in global development since 2015. She has also served as an advisor on NASA's Applied Science Advisory Committee, the International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor's Technology Advisory Board, and the board of PLACE's data trust.
In the hands of the right people, satellite imagery can help communities become more informed and more resilient. There are many documented cases where satellite imagery has helped save lives and reduce suffering. Yet, access to high-resolution satellite data remains highly inequitable. Today's market is dominated by defense and intelligence customers; commercial imagery is expensive and license restrictions limit the value for nonprofit missions, journalists and local communities. While free data exists, it typically lacks the resolution and frequency necessary for timely decision-making in crises or community-level needs.
The demand for this data among the humanitarian and development sectors is high and growing. High-resolution satellite imagery, when tasked over areas of high need at the right times, can positively impact the most vulnerable. The challenge is that these images are often not taken, let alone requested, because of the state of the commercial market and the lack of collective action by the public sector. At the same time, due to rapid advances across the industry, the cost to build and launch satellites has never been lower.
Recognizing this opportunity to leverage this robust demand and lower technology costs, Rhiannan and her co-founder Bill Greer have developed the concept for Common Space, an independent, community-based satellite mission to provide high-resolution optical imagery for humanitarian and public good purposes. The goal is to democratize access to this valuable data by owning their own constellation. Common Space was recently named the winner of the Kluz Prize for PeaceTech for 2025.
Common Space is currently completing a global needs assessment to coalesce demand across humanitarian, journalism, research, and community development stakeholders and establish shared mission requirements. This input will inform the satellite design, operational planning, governance models, and data policies. In partnership with industry leaders, Common Space will finalize the mission formulation, which will determine their financing needs and available build/buy options.
UP’s award will allow Rhiannan to embark on Common Space’s next critical phase of development focused on mission formulation and governance. With this funding, Rhiannan will lay the groundwork for the first community-owned and operated satellite mission for humanitarian action.
Learn more about Rhiannan Price and Common Space here.
Rhiannan Price has spent her career focused on technologies for social impact, especially frontier innovations like Earth observation and AI. At DigitalGlobe/Maxar, a global satellite operator, Rhiannan led their humanitarian and sustainable development portfolio, where she brokered partnerships with NGOs, governments, philanthropies, and social enterprises to improve the use of high-resolution satellite imagery across food security, human rights, disaster management, conservation, global health and more. She served as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at DevGlobal, where she founded their geospatial practice. Since 2023, she has been Program Lead at NASA for Lifelines, a community building initiative bringing together experts from various backgrounds, countries and disciplines to accelerate the use of satellite data for humanitarian action. She has been a key organizer of SatSummit, a convening of leaders in the satellite industry and experts in global development since 2015. She has also served as an advisor on NASA's Applied Science Advisory Committee, the International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor's Technology Advisory Board, and the board of PLACE's data trust.
In the hands of the right people, satellite imagery can help communities become more informed and more resilient. There are many documented cases where satellite imagery has helped save lives and reduce suffering. Yet, access to high-resolution satellite data remains highly inequitable. Today's market is dominated by defense and intelligence customers; commercial imagery is expensive and license restrictions limit the value for nonprofit missions, journalists and local communities. While free data exists, it typically lacks the resolution and frequency necessary for timely decision-making in crises or community-level needs.
The demand for this data among the humanitarian and development sectors is high and growing. High-resolution satellite imagery, when tasked over areas of high need at the right times, can positively impact the most vulnerable. The challenge is that these images are often not taken, let alone requested, because of the state of the commercial market and the lack of collective action by the public sector. At the same time, due to rapid advances across the industry, the cost to build and launch satellites has never been lower.
Recognizing this opportunity to leverage this robust demand and lower technology costs, Rhiannan and her co-founder Bill Greer have developed the concept for Common Space, an independent, community-based satellite mission to provide high-resolution optical imagery for humanitarian and public good purposes. The goal is to democratize access to this valuable data by owning their own constellation. Common Space was recently named the winner of the Kluz Prize for PeaceTech for 2025.
Common Space is currently completing a global needs assessment to coalesce demand across humanitarian, journalism, research, and community development stakeholders and establish shared mission requirements. This input will inform the satellite design, operational planning, governance models, and data policies. In partnership with industry leaders, Common Space will finalize the mission formulation, which will determine their financing needs and available build/buy options.
UP’s award will allow Rhiannan to embark on Common Space’s next critical phase of development focused on mission formulation and governance. With this funding, Rhiannan will lay the groundwork for the first community-owned and operated satellite mission for humanitarian action.
Learn more about Rhiannan Price and Common Space here.