Omega, which famously made the first wristwatch worn on the Moon (i.e. the Speedmaster Moonwatch), is collaborating with Privateer to map space objects in orbit. Like the Apollo missions, which made the Speedmaster Moonwatch one of the world's best-known chronographs, the Privateer mission is being led by a three-person crew: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, CEO and founder of Ripcord Alex Fielding, and Dr Moriba Jah, an astrodynamics scholar and space conservationist. "A trio of superstars, sure, but this is not a corporate mission for glory," the project's organisers point out. It is estimated that there are around 40,000 pieces of space debris of various sizes in orbit, so this is a huge amount of man-made waste, which is currently being monitored. The difficulty also lies in the fact that some of this debris is less than 10 cm in size. As space becomes increasingly accessible, the problem of space junk poses a threat to the satellites that society relies on for essential services such as communication, positioning and climate monitoring. Accurate and timely data is essential for our future and this not only in space, but also here on Earth. This is precisely why Omega decided to partner with Privateer to collect the necessary data to map this debris. Both Omega and Privateer are aware that for sustainability in space, time is running out and it is time to act. "We are excited to partner with Omega on the launch of Privateer's proprietary Knowledge Graph technology," commented Fielding. He added: "In the exploration of the Earth, the seas and space, Omega's expertise has deep roots and with its support Privateer will be able to further advance humanity's exploration and understanding of this final frontier. Omega's President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann also shares these sentiments: "Our partnership with Privateer is tantamount to finding the last piece of the puzzle. With this new project we will be able to pay back the planet, from the depths of the sea to the skies. There is a great synergy between Omega and Privateer. We share an obsessive attention to detail. Inside a mechanical watch is a mini-universe. Every element has to be able to run smoothly if the watch is to function perfectly and last. Combining Omega's history of space exploration and Privateer's innovative capabilities, this collaboration fulfils the companies' commitment to nurture knowledge and hope. As the world faces an uncertain environmental future on Earth, in the seas, in the air and in space, these pioneers aim to encourage awareness of environmental protection.
