What technology is dependent on Satellites/space program lessons?

[iterantunicorn93]

I'm working on a story that takes place in a sci fi world that was disinterested in space travel. So while in some ways it has things we could only dream of its also missing many things that we take for granted.

I'm just as happy to get obvious answers as I am obscure ones, since I might not have thought of them yet.

Comments

[fred_mouse]

some thoughts

• Weather data will be less reliable, and less current. Lots of the weather data modelling has benefited greatly from satellite data. Having said that, in terms of incoming rain, a lot of that is done with radar. But 'how hot was it everywhere' is done with automated weather stations reliant on telecommunications, so reduced telecommunications --> reduced easy access.
• stock (animal) monitoring - the more remote the actual movements are hard to track, but there is a thing called 'pastures from space' which gives people a heads up when there are going to be issues
• lightning strikes and resultant bushfires / wildfires are monitored using satellites. Monitoring for hot spots, and thus 'go check here' is also done with satellites.
• available water sources are monitored with satellites - in Australia that is 'how full are the dams' but I gather elsewhere they also keep track of glaciers.
• any communications that requires line of sight (eg radio) that doesn't have a satellite to bounce off will have much restricted range. Which means more on the ground repeater stations.

Having said that, radio, radar, and lidar aren't necessarily technology related to space travel, and alternative methods of speeding communications would presumably have been developed. And even now, lots of weather monitoring stations are along major roads, because those are easy to get tech crews to, so that aspect wouldn't change.