We Are Cortex | Rhiannan Price

No big deal. All Rhiannan Price wants is a constellation of high-resolution imaging satellites orbiting the earth so humanitarians can better see what only governments and for-profit companies can see today.

How is a war zone affecting the movement of people? Where are vaccines most needed? How is a massive weather system shaping the countryside and community? These are the types of questions Price thinks the nonprofit she co-founded, Common Space, can answer for humanitarians, human rights defenders, environmental justice advocates, researchers and journalists.

The organization’s St. Louis operations are based in Cortex. Their goal, Price says, is to “radically democratize access to high resolution satellite data for the public good. Humanitarian organizations struggle to access this particular kind of high resolution imagery because those data are used primarily for defense and intelligence purposes.”

“What we want is an independent, community governed satellite constellation, where the imagery is free and open for all of those folks who need it,” Price said, “so when you need imagery, you have it and can actually make good decisions.”

Price says Common Space’s location down the road from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in St. Louis is a prime spot for its work and access to talent. So is its access to big thinkers and innovators within the Cortex Innovation District.

“The kind of community pulse that's here is really compelling, especially for those of us who are really trying to build community,” Price said. “The way that Cortex provides a really physical hub, and a way for community to come together, is so important for the work that we're doing.”

Price’s organization is partnering on the initiative with Taylor Geospatial, a nonprofit focused on democratizing and creating digital public goods and deploying artificial intelligence in the service of humanitarian solutions. Price is the Humanitarian Fellow in Residence at Taylor Geospatial.

While they work on designing and building custom satellites for their needs, the organizations are hopeful they can acquire an already-built satellite with a planned launch in October.

“Space needs to be a shared asset, a shared resource,” Price said. “The way we think about life beyond Earth is just as much about humanity as anything else we're doing. We don't want to lose sight of the public good behind all this technology.”

Join us on Wednesday, November 4th for #WeAreCortex — a community celebration of the thinkers, builders, creators, and doers who are shaping the future of St. Louis and beyond. Free coffee and light breakfast will be provided – register to attend today!