Thailand’s new space laboratory joins battle against PM2.5 smog
Thailand is deploying its new space laboratory to combat seasonal PM2.5 haze that has sent the Kingdom soaring to the top of the world pollution rankings for the last few weeks.
On Tuesday, Chiang Mai was again listed as the world’s most polluted city by the IQAir monitoring website as forest fires and agricultural burning continue to plague northern Thailand with PM2.5 smog. Chiang Mai registered an air quality index of 210 with PM2.5 levels at over three times the national safe limit.
PM2.5 refers to dust particles 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, long-term exposure to which is linked with early death from lung and heart problems.
The House committee on communications, telecommunications, digital economy and society is now coordinating with the Excellence Centre of Space Technology and Research (Ecstar) to use space technology to improve Thailand’s efforts in handling air pollution, its vice-chair Settapong Malisuwan revealed on Monday.
Ecstar has been tasked with developing the country’s first low-Earth orbit satellites and collaborating with other national space agencies including Nasa. It comes under King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.
Also joining the anti-pollution project is Thai startup TeroSpace, which opened the Space Technology Laboratory at Wiangpapao Technical College in Chiang Rai earlier this year. The lab is co-managed by Ecstar.
Settapong said the project will use satellite imaging to record the pattern of forest fires throughout Thailand as well as monitoring conditions that contribute to PM2.5 pollution.
The data will be compiled to create a timeline of forest fires, and then analysed to predict future fires so that prevention measures can be implemented, he added.
“When properly used, space technology can help boost government efforts in various dimensions, including environmental management and public health,” he said.
A huge forest fire – Thailand’s biggest so far this year – broke out in Nakhon Nayok’s Khao Laem area just last month.
The flames engulfed Khao Chaphlu Mountain in Muang district on March 29 and quickly spread to the adjacent Khao Laem forest, scorching more than 700 rai (112 hectares) of forest and coming dangerously close to Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
