When it comes to human rights violations, it is often the weakest members of our society who are hardest hit. This is especially true for those who have no one representing their rights on their side. Using the latest technology, satellites can now be used to detect crimes.

Initially developed for military purposes, satellites are these days being used more and more frequently in the fields of enviromental protection and humanitarian aid, opening up completely new possibilities in the fight against illegal logging, epidemics, environmental pollution and facilitating in monitoring and protecting endangered species. But what do satellites actually do and how is their data used? Can they really be helpful as environmental and development aids?

Wildlife conservationists are constantly having to up their game to stay two steps ahead of criminal poachers. For a proper bird's eye view, a handful of organisations are looking towards the sky, using satellite technology to help protect species on the ground.

Nighttime lights reveal a lot about us: where we live, how many of us live in one spot and now where serious illnesses are most likely to occur and break out. Namely, there is a large connection between migrating people, brightly-lit cities and seasonal outbreaks of the measles. As part of our RESET Special 'Drones and Satellites for Good', we take a look at how serious diseases can be detected using satellite imagery.

From the bottom of the ocean to the outer reaches of the galaxy – the possibilities offered by drones and satellites are practically unlimited. Unmanned aerial vehicles are no longer only used in war zones. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, they are also valuable aids in the fight against pollution and social injustice. They can expose polluters and even locate people buried under rubble. In our RESET Special 'Drones and Satellites for Good', we will introduce projects that use satellites and drones towards sustainable development.

Planet Labs builds and sends inexpensive, small satellites into space to capture and transmit images of our planet, creating new pathways to help track and monitor the effects of climate change from above in real time.

Have you found yourself looking at any empty Christmas trees this year? Fret not! Jump online and receive the gift of a lifetime from Stanford University.