First Successful Corona Remote Sensing Satellite Marks 50 Year Anniversary

First Imagery Taken By CORONA - Mys Shmidta Air Field, USSR.

by Staff Writers Sunnyvale CA (SPX) Aug 27, 2010

Lockheed Martin has congratulated the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) on the 50-year anniversary of the first Corona photo reconnaissance satellite image from space, which ushered in new space-based capabilities for the nation. First developed as a joint U.S. Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency program to provide surveillance from space of denied territories, Corona achieved mission success on August 18, 1960 when an Air Force C-119 aircraft recovered in mid-air the satellite's capsule containing imagery captured by the satellite's panoramic camera system.
Corona, which had to surpass technical barriers never crossed before, served as a foundation program for the NRO. Launched into polar orbits by U.S. Air Force Thor boosters, the spacecraft flew at approximate altitudes of 100 nautical miles to take pictures of selected target areas. The exposed film, some 2.1 million feet, was returned to earth in capsules ejected from the satellites.

Hexagon-Intergraph deal: (Re)defining geospatial ecosystem

TOUTED AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACQUISITION EVER IN GEOSPATIAL DOMAIN, THE HEXAGON-INTERGRAPH DEAL IS RAISING AN INTERESTING DEBATE OVER THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY. SANJAY KUMAR, CEO, GIS DEVELOPMENT GIVES AN EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS...


As geospatial industry entered a phase of consolidation and expansion, there have been several acquisitions and mergers over the past five years. Apart from a few core 'GIS companies', rest of the industry has been busy finding ways and means to expand their product portfolio and integrate their offerings to the geospatial user base. Several innovative approaches by companies towards business development have led to increasing the utility and relevance of geospatial industry.

China Launches New Mapping Satellite

A mapping satellite, "Mapping Satellite - I," is launched from the northwestern Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, at 3:10 p.m. (Beijing time) on Aug. 24, 2010. The satellite, which was launched on a Long March 2-D carrier rocket, had entered into the preset orbit, according to the center. (Xinhua/Liang Jie)

by Staff Writers Jiuquan, Gansu (XNA) Aug 26, 2010

China successfully launched a mapping satellite, "Mapping Satellite - I," from the northwestern Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 3:10 p.m. (Beijing time) Tuesday. The satellite, which was launched on a Long March 2-D carrier rocket, had entered into the preset orbit, according to the center.
The satellite, developed by a company under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), would be mainly used to conduct scientific experiments, carry out surveys on land resources, and mapping, said a statement on the Ministry of National Defense website.
The remote sensing information and test results from the satellite would promote the country's scientific research and economic development, said the statement.
The launch was the 128th for China's Long March series of rockets since April 24, 1970, when a Long March-1 rocket successfully sent the country's first satellite Dongfanghong-1 into the space.

Source: Source: Xinhua

TanDEM-X Answers Its First Call For Crisis Assistance

Left: brightness data. Centre: interferometric phase. Right: incoherent areas marked in blue. Credit: DLR.

by Staff Writers Bonn, Germany (SPX) Aug 17, 2010 Satellite data is an indispensable tool for quickly assessment of the situation in cases of natural or environmental disasters and for guiding emergency teams on ground. DLR's 'Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information' and many other international organizations have been using the German radar satellite TerraSAR-X for three years to rapidly obtain reliable data in all weather conditions for such crisis situations. Now, our new satellite, TanDEM-X, has also provided assistance for the first time in a crisis - gathering information on the flood catastrophe in Pakistan.
We were able to help not only with radar images but we also used TanDEM-X for interferometry in formation with TerraSAR-X for the first time. This has provided a more reliable technique to map floods instantaneously and more accurately, in one pass and without the need for archived data.
Radar imaging is a well-established tool for distinguishing smooth surfaces, which appear dark in radar data, from the rougher, brighter surroundings. This characteristic of radar can be used to detect an area flooded with calm water or to identify oil spills - where the water surface is flat, in contrast to the wind-induced ripples on the unpolluted sea surface.

RS technique locates ancient burial sites

Publish Date: 13 August 2010
Nagpur, India: Using remote sensing imagery in a unique way, a scientist at the Maharashtra Remote Sensing and Applications Centre (MRSAC), India, has located two burial sites of about 3000-3500 years back. Junapani, one of these megaliths (large stones), found 9 km far from the Nagpur city. Though, the site is known to the archaeologists, it has last been mentioned in the Nagpur Gazetteer in 1930. There is no mention of the settlement after that in the government’s toposheets.

"Remote sensing imageries are rarely used for studying archaeological sites. It is interesting that the satellite can pick up the exact number and location of the burials. In fact we can even locate other burials or any other archaeological site specifically through satellite images. It is emerging area in use of remote sensing technology," said Sapna Deotale, an associate scientist at MRSAC who is studying the place as part of her doctorate degree. She presented her work at the "remote sensing day' programme organised by MRSAC to mark Vikram Sarabhai's birth anniversary.

Spread in an area of about 6-7 km, the megaliths can be of much historical importance and have potential of being converted into a heritage site. The megaliths were located using "quick bird" remote sensing satellite. Vinod Bothale, Director, MRSAC, said that the megaliths of Junapani like all burial sites in Nagpur and adjoining districts of Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Bhandara districts in Vidarbha are made of basalt rocks. Basalt being black the megaliths appears as small black rings on the satellite image. The Junapani burial site has about 100-125 megaliths. "This is one of the most unique uses of remote sensing imagery," Bothale added.

Source: Times of India

South Africa, Russia sign agreement on earth observation

Publish Date: 09 August 2010
South Africa: South Africa and Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaboration in the area of earth observation. Dr Sandile Malinga, Chief Executive of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and Professor Alex Perminov, President of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), signed the MoU.

The Department of Science and Technology, South Africa, said that the MoU allows for South Africa and Russia, to collaborate through joint initiatives in the area of earth observation and also in other important areas of space science and technology. It paves the way for South Africa to access historic Russian satellite data collected over southern Africa, thus complimenting and adding to the richness of archived satellite imagery.

Highlighting the importance of the MoU, Malinga pointed out that it would benefit remote sensing applications geared towards addressing South Africa’s socio-economic problems that rely on the use of such datasets. “This initiative will certainly help bolster our extensive archive of satellite imagery collected over the Southern African Development Community region and facilitate the development of human capital in South Africa,” Malinga said.

Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, said, “Striking international partnerships of this nature bode well for South Africa’s standing and positioning in the global space arena and, on the regional front, place us as leaders in the strategic area of remote sensing.”

Naledi Pandor also revealed South Africa's ambition to enter the space launch business and Cabinet in February approved the acquisition of a majority stake in the Sun Space and Information Systems company that built the R26 million, 81kg Sumbandilasat low-earth orbit earth observation satellite for Pador's department.

Source: DefenceWeb

DigitalGlobe, GeoEye bag NGA contract

Publish Date: 10 August 2010
US: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) awarded GeoEye and DigitalGlobe, 10-year contracts worth a combined USD 7.35 billion to fulfil intelligence needs of the US government.

DigitalGlobe said that it has entered into a USD 3.55 billion agreement with NGA, under the EnhancedView procurement, effective September 1, 2010 upon expiration of the company’s NextView Agreement. On the other hand, GeoEye confirmed that it has won a USD 3.8 billion contract award from the NGA for increased commercial satellite-imaging capacity. This competitively awarded contract supports the EnhancedView programme by providing products and services that will help meet the increasing geospatial intelligence needs of the intelligence community and Department of Defense.

The award for DigitalGlobe includes supply of satellite imagery from the WorldView satellite constellation under a Service Level Agreement ("EnhancedView SLA") in a total amount of USD 2.8 billion. The agreement also provides for up to USD 750 million for value added products, infrastructure enhancements and other services.

The award for GeoEye includes:
- USD 2.8 billion for commercial satellite imagery purchases over the next ten years.
- USD 337 million cost share for the development and launch of GeoEye-2.
- USD 700 million for value-added products and services to include the design and procurement of additional infrastructure to support government operations. This also includes our EyeQ Web Mapping Services to be delivered under the Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Matt O'Connell, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GeoEye, said, "With this award, we will continue the accelerated development of our GeoEye-2 satellite so that it is operational in 2013. We will also upgrade our infrastructure and continue expanding our Web-delivery systems so that we can deliver the world's best commercial imagery to the NGA and our other customers anywhere, anytime."

Source: GeoEye & DigitalGlobe

Terra Satellite Sees Intense Fires And Smoke Over Western Russia

The MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite detected two clusters of intense fires when it acquired a photo-like image. The fires are outlined in red. Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team, Jeff Schmaltz

by Holli Riebeek Washington DC (SPX) Aug 16, 2010 Though a plume of smoke still stretched across hundreds of kilometers, conditions in central Russia appeared to be much better on August 12, 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite detected two clusters of intense fires when it acquired a photo-like image. The NASA image is a composite of three separate satellite images.
The MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. created the composite image, and diagonal lines mark the seams between each image.
The first cluster of fires is southeast of Moscow.
Though the fires were producing thick smoke when MODIS captured the image on August 12, the smoke was blowing away from the city.
Moscow appeared to have relatively smoke-free skies compared to previous days.
The second cluster of fires is in the Ural Mountains.
The smoke from these fires extends south into Kazakhstan.
Apart from the thick plume of smoke that seems to connect the two fire regions, a lighter pall of smoke hangs over southern Russia and northern Kazakhstan.

China Orbits New Remote-Sensing Satellite

File image.

by Staff Writers Beijing, China (RIA Novosti) Aug 12, 2010 China put into orbit on Tuesday another remote sensing satellite, China's Xinhua news agency reported. The Yaogan X was launched aboard a Long March 4C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. According to Xinhua, the satellite will be used primarily for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring.
Western experts believe, though, that this class of satellites could be used for reconnaissance and other military purposes.
The previous satellite in the series, Yaogan IX, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province on March 5.
China, which has unveiled comprehensive space exploration plans, launched its first Yaogan class satellite in 2006.

Inauguration Of First DLR Ground Station In Canada

On 10 August 2010, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) inaugurated its first satellite data receiving station in Inuvik, Canada. DLR will use the new ground station particularly to receive data for the German TanDEM-X satellite mission. Using the large, 13-metre antenna, partner countries Germany and Canada as well as scientists from around the world and other external users will be able to access important satellite data, process and evaluate them. Credit: DLR.

by Staff Writers Inuvik, Canada (SPX) Aug 12, 2010 On 10 August 2010, the German Aerospace Center inaugurated its first satellite data receiving station in Inuvik, Canada. DLR will use the new ground station particularly to receive data for the German TanDEM-X satellite mission. Using the large, 13-metre antenna, partner countries Germany and Canada as well as scientists from around the world and other external users will be able to access important satellite data, process and evaluate them. The development of new technologies for Earth observation is an important joint objective.
Cooperation between DLR, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) has existed for many years and will be taken a step further with this new receiving station.
"The commissioning of the first DLR ground station in Canada opens a new chapter in German-Canadian cooperation in space. For the first time, facilities of both countries will use their competencies together to receive Earth observation data at a joint location," said Prof. Johann-Dietrich Worner, Chairman of the DLR Board.
Reliable and close to the pole Located in the western Arctic, Inuvik is the northernmost settlement in Canada that is accessible by road throughout the year. The new DLR ground station is located inside the Arctic Circle. This guarantees that the antenna can achieve long duration, multiple daily contacts with all Earth observation satellites in polar orbits and ensures seamless data reception.

WISE Spacecraft Warming Up

WISE completed its primary mission, a full scan of the entire sky in infrared light, on July 17, 2010. The mission has taken more than 1.5 million snapshots so far, uncovering hundreds of millions of objects, including asteroids, stars and galaxies.

by Staff Writers Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 12, 2010 NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, is warming up. Team members say the spacecraft is running out of the frozen coolant needed to keep its heat-sensitive instrument chilled. The telescope has two coolant tanks that keep the spacecraft's normal operating temperature at 12 Kelvin (minus 438 degrees Fahrenheit). The outer, secondary tank is now depleted, causing the temperature to increase.
One of WISE's infrared detectors, the longest-wavelength band most sensitive to heat, stopped producing useful data once the telescope warmed to 31 Kelvin (minus 404 degrees Fahrenheit).
The primary tank still has a healthy supply of coolant, and data quality from the remaining infrared detectors remains high.
WISE completed its primary mission, a full scan of the entire sky in infrared light, on July 17, 2010. The mission has taken more than 1.5 million snapshots so far, uncovering hundreds of millions of objects, including asteroids, stars and galaxies.
It has discovered more than 29,000 new asteroids to date, more than 100 near-Earth objects and 15 comets.
WISE is continuing a second survey of about one-half the sky as originally planned.
It's possible the remaining coolant will run out before that scan is finished. Scientists say the second scan will help identify new and nearby objects, as well as those that have changed in brightness. It could also help to confirm oddball objects picked up in the first scan.

First Satellite Measurement Of Water Volume In Amazon Floodplain

Aerial view of the Brazilian Amazon and Amazon River. Credit: iStockphoto.

by Staff Writers Columbus OH (SPX) Aug 12, 2010 For the first time, scientists have been able to measure the amount of water that rises and falls annually in the Amazon River floodplain. The result - 285 billion metric tons, or 285 cubic kilometers of water by volume - sounds like a lot. That amount is over half the volume of Lake Erie, which is the world's 15th largest lake.
But it accounts for only 5 percent of the water flowing through the Amazon River every year, and it is a much smaller amount than researchers were expecting to find in the largest drainage basin in the world.
Doug Alsdorf, associate professor of earth sciences at Ohio State University, and his colleagues report their study online in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment, in a paper to appear in a future print edition.
Until now, researchers could only estimate the amount of water in the Amazon floodplain using a few sporadic field studies and crude assumptions about water flow. In fact, water volumes on any floodplain are poorly known, if at all. Yet this information is critical to predicting the floods and droughts that could accompany global climate change, explained Alsdorf.
Much of Earth's available fresh water resides in remote rivers, lakes and wetlands, and also underground.
"Nobody knows exactly how much water there is on the planet," he said. "We need to understand how our water supply will change as the climate changes, and the first step is getting a handle on how much water we actually have."

NASA Video Shows Global Reach Of Pollution From Fires

The concentration and global transport of carbon monoxide pollution from fires burning in Russia, Siberia and Canada is depicted in two NASA animations created with data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecraft. Image credit: NASA/JPL. View the animation here.

by Staff Writers Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 13, 2010 Two movies were created using continuously updated data from the "Eyes on the Earth 3-D" feature on NASA's global climate change

website They show three-day running averages of daily measurements of carbon monoxide present at an altitude of 5.5 kilometers (18,000) feet, along with its global transport. The data are from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecraft. AIRS is most sensitive to carbon monoxide at this altitude, which is a region conducive to long-range transport of the smoke.
The abundance of carbon monoxide is shown in parts per billion, with the highest concentrations shown in yellows and reds.
The first movie, centered over Moscow, highlights the series of wildfires that continue to burn across Russia. It covers the period between July 18 and Aug. 10, 2010.
The second movie is centered over the North Pole and covers the period from July 16 to Aug. 10, 2010. From this vantage point, the long-range transport of pollutants is more easily visible.

UA-Operated Stereo Camera Selected For Mars Mission

The UA's High Resolution Stereo Color Imager, or HiSCI, features an innovative rotation drive for three-dimensional imaging. As the instrument orbits the Red Planet, it snaps pictures once a feature of interest on the surface below comes into view. HiSCI then swings around and takes more pictures of the feature as it passes overhead.

by Daniel Stolte Tucson AZ (SPX) Aug 05, 2010 NASA and the European Space Agency, or ESA, have embarked on a joint program to explore Mars in the coming decades and have selected five science instruments - including one from the University of Arizona - for the first mission. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, scheduled to launch in 2016, is the first of three joint robotic missions to the Red Planet. It will study the chemical makeup of the Martian atmosphere with a 1,000-fold increase in sensitivity over previous Mars orbiters.
The mission will focus on trace gases, including methane, which could be potentially geochemical or biological in origin and be indicators for the existence of life on Mars. It also will serve as an additional communications relay for Mars surface missions beginning in 2018.
A stereo camera called the High Resolution Stereo Color Imager, or HiSCI, operated by the UA, will be a part of the orbiter.

NASA Spacecraft Camera Yields Most Accurate Mars Map Ever

Valles Marineris, the "Grand Canyon of Mars," sprawls wide enough to reach from Los Angeles to nearly New York City, if it were located on Earth. The red outline box shows the location of a second, full-resolution image. Credit: NASA/JPL/Arizona State University. The new map is available here

by Staff Writers Pasadena CA (JPL) Jul 26, 2010 A camera aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has helped develop the most accurate global Martian map ever. Researchers and the public can access the map via several websites and explore and survey the entire surface of the Red Planet. The map was constructed using nearly 21,000 images from the Thermal Emission Imaging System, or THEMIS, a multi-band infrared camera on Odyssey. Researchers at Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility in Tempe, in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have been compiling the map since THEMIS observations began eight years ago.
The pictures have been smoothed, matched, blended and cartographically controlled to make a giant mosaic. Users can pan around images and zoom into them. At full zoom, the smallest surface details are 100 meters (330 feet) wide. While portions of Mars have been mapped at higher resolution, this map provides the most accurate view so far of the entire planet.

First US woman intelligence agency chief appointed

This undated photo courtesy of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency shows Letitia Long. The US government has appointed its first female chief of a major intelligence bureau, with Letitia Long taking over August 9, 2010 as director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.The NGA is responsible for collecting and analyzing information from satellite imagery and works with the Pentagon and other departments on defense issues, homeland security, and navigation safety. It's motto is "Know the Earth, shows the way." Long has spent more than three decades in military and intelligence fields, beginning her career in the US Navy in 1978. Photo courtesy AFP.

by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) Aug 9, 2010 The US government has appointed its first female chief of a major intelligence bureau, with Letitia Long taking over Monday as director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The NGA is responsible for collecting and analyzing information from satellite imagery and works with the Pentagon and other departments on defense issues, homeland security, and navigation safety. It's motto is "Know the Earth, shows the way."
Part of its mission is to support combat operations by providing timely Geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT, to soldiers and officers on the battlefield or in theater.
Long has spent more than three decades in military and intelligence fields, beginning her career in the US Navy in 1978.
Prior to her appointment, Long served from 2006 until July 2010 as deputy director of the larger Defense Intelligence Agency, which specializes in military intelligence-gathering abroad, and before that as deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence.
An engineer by training, she was also number two in US Naval Intelligence and worked for the CIA director.
According to statistics from the office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the country's largest spy agencies, women represent 38 percent of staff employed by the intelligence community.
earlier related report

NASA Images Show Continuing Mexico Quake Deformation

UAVSAR interferogram of Southern California near the Mexican border, created by combining data from flights on April 13, 2010, and July 1, 2010. Image credit: NASA/JPL/USGS/California Geological Survey/Google.

by Staff Writers Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 06, 2010 New NASA airborne radar images of Southern California near the U.S.-Mexico border show Earth's surface is continuing to deform following the April 4 magnitude, 7.2 temblor and its many aftershocks that have rocked Mexico's state of Baja California and parts of the American Southwest.
The data, from NASA's airborne Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), reveal that some faults in the area west of Calexico, Calif., have continued to move at Earth's surface, most likely in the many aftershocks. This fault motion is likely to be what is known as "triggered slip," caused by changes in stress in Earth's crust from the main quake rupture.
The first image shows a UAVSAR interferogram swath measuring 87 by 20 kilometers (54 by 12.5 miles) overlaid atop a Google Earth image. Each colored contour, or fringe, of the interferogram represents 11.9 centimeters (4.7 inches) of surface displacement. The different shades in the image represent ground surface motions of up to a few inches upward or downward.

GeoEye Wins National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Enhanced View Award

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by Staff Writers Dulles VA (SPX) Aug 10, 2010 GeoEye has announced it won a $3.8 billion contract award from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for increased commercial satellite-imaging capacity.
This competitively awarded contract supports the EnhancedView program by providing products and services that will help meet the increasing geospatial intelligence needs of the intelligence community and Department of Defense.
The award includes the following components with $2.8 billion for commercial satellite imagery purchases over the next ten years as follows:
+ An extension of the NGA's current ability to purchase commercial imagery from the Company's existing satellite constellation under a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for $150 million per year.
+ An additional award to purchase commercial imagery, when GeoEye-2 becomes operational in 2013, for approximately $184 million per year for seven years.
+ $337 million cost share for the development and launch of GeoEye-2.
+ $700 million for value-added products and services to include the design and procurement of additional infrastructure to support government operations. This also includes our EyeQ Web Mapping Services to be delivered under the SLA.
The period of performance for the contract runs initially from Sept. 1, 2010, to Aug. 31, 2011, with nine, one-year options. As with all government contracts, funding is subject to annual congressional budget approval.
Matt O'Connell, GeoEye's chief executive officer and president, said, "We are very gratified by this award. With this award, we'll continue the accelerated development of our GeoEye-2 satellite so that it is operational in 2013. We will also upgrade our infrastructure and continue expanding our Web-delivery systems so that we can deliver the world's best commercial imagery to the NGA and our other customers anywhere, anytime."

11 ways geolocation is changing the world

 

This year Rob Reed's 10 ways to change the world through social media goes geospatial -- plus one for good measure. Check out how mobile GPS is going to change the way we network and do good.

Tue, Jul 27 2010 at 6:18 PM EST

This post was written by Rob Reed (1-10). He is the founder of MomentFeed, a location-based marketing, strategy, and technology firm. Location technologies are transforming how we experience, navigate, and ultimately better our world. From the global to the local, here are #10Ways geolocation is a positive force for good.

 

 

Social media has changed the world. It has revolutionized communications on a global scale, and the transformation continues with every status update, blog post, and video stream. The global citizenry has become a global network. Since becoming widely adopted just a couple years ago, social media has supercharged social action, cause marketing, and social entrepreneurship. Indeed, the true value hasn't been the technology itself but how we've used it.

Remote sensing system for water conservatio

Publish Date: 03 August 2010
Spain: The team of Vincent Caselles, professor at the University of Valencia, has developed a remote sensing system for water conservation. Vincent expects that it would save 50% of the global irrigation water. For such innovative work, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has awarded the Norbert Gerbier-Mumm International 2010 award to Vincent. The award distinguishes the best scientific article influential in Meteorology.

Until now, estimates had agro-meteorological data whose validity is limited to the local level, a few square kilometres. The good thing about the new method is that it allows a global scale. The system operates from satellite imagery and a physical model that can determine the ground water per day lost through transpiration.

Farmers can avail this method through the website of the research group, which is currently under development.

Vicente Caselles born in Gata de Gorgos (Alicante). He studied Physics at the University of Valencia, specialising in Theoretical Physics, held a PhD in Remote Sensing. He is Director of Thermal Remote Sensing Group at the University of Valencia.

Source: ECOticias.com

Astrium to develop EO satellite for Vietnam

Publish Date: 03 August 2010
Toulouse, France: Astrium has signed a contract worth EUR 55.2 million with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) for the development, manufacture and launch of an Earth observation (EO) optical satellite system. This follows on from last November’s intergovernmental agreement on space co-operation between France and Vietnam, in which the French government affirmed its commitment to building a closer partnership with Vietnam in the domain of science and technology.

The contract awarded by VAST – the national institution responsible for setting up Vietnam’s Earth observation space programme – relates to the Vietnam Natural Resources, Environment and Disaster Monitoring Satellite VNREDSat-1 and the corresponding ground systems. This programme is the result of an initiative by the Vietnamese government to create a space infrastructure enabling the country to better monitor and study the effects of climate change, predict and take measures to prevent natural disasters, and optimise the management of its natural resources. More generally, it will allow the country to advance its knowledge in the field of space engineering and benefit from the ensuing economic and technological growth to create new employment opportunities.

The space system comprises an optical satellite capable of capturing images with a resolution of 2.5 metres, the associated ground control, image receiving and processing stations and a co-operation and training programme for the Vietnamese engineers. The image receiving and processing terminals will be integrated in Vietnam’s existing ENRMS monitoring station, a multi-satellite ground facility operated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The satellite will be built in Toulouse by a team including 15 Vietnamese engineers.

Source: Astrium

3D models for intelligent urban planning

Publish Date: 02 August 2010
Karlsruhe, Germany: The potential offered by 3D urban models to cool off cities and towns will be on show at INTERGEO during October 5 to 7, 2010 in Cologne, Germany. “The world's largest trade fair and conference for geodesy, geoinformation and land management is being held under the motto 'Knowledge and action for planet Earth' and is therefore also tackling the challenges of climate change in urban centres,” explained Olaf Freier, CEO of HINTE GmbH and organiser of INTERGEO.

These models also depict the volume of buildings, which enables urban planners, architects and environmental experts to study both microclimate issues and the distribution of pollutants. High-resolution 3D models also enable experts to calculate areas of glazing and, to a certain extent, draw conclusions on the construction materials used.