20100915
Astrium And ScanEx Sign An Exclusive Deal On New Spot Birds
 This latest partnership builds upon Spot Image's long standing collaboration with ScanEx that began with distribution rights for imagery from the SPOT 2 and 4 satellites. |
Astrium Services has signed a ten-year partnership with the Russian research and development centre ScanEx for the reception and distribution rights on the upcoming SPOT 6 and 7 satellites. This partnership, which also provides ScanEx the exclusive reception and distribution rights on the SPOT 5 satellite, is part of a long term cooperation programme between Astrium and Russian industry. ScanEx is a remote sensing company offering a complete set of services ranging from the acquisition to the processing of Earth observation images from space.
ScanEx is now the exclusive regional partner throughout the Russian Federation for the SPOT 4 and 5 satellites and the upcoming SPOT 6 and 7 satellites, guaranteeing continued access to high-resolution optical data. This exclusivity over the next ten years will enable ScanEx to secure access to high-resolution data until 2019.
20100907
20100904
Critical Polar Data Flows Briskly To Researchers
 On Oct. 31, 2009, researchers with NASA's Operation IceBridge mission used the Airborne Topographic Mapper instrument to compile data for this elevation map of Antarctica's Crane Glacier. Similar data has been archived, available to researchers, at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Credit: Kyle Krabill and the NASA ATM team |
Operation IceBridge - a NASA airborne mission to observe changes in Earth's rapidly changing polar land ice and sea ice - is soon to embark on its fourth field season in October. The mission is now paralleled by a campaign to bring data to researchers as quickly as possible and to accelerate the analysis of those changes and how they may affect people and climate systems. "Anyone can access the wealth of IceBridge data online, and do so free of charge and without a formal request," said Michael Studinger, IceBridge project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "It's critical for data to be free and accessible so scientists can conduct timely studies of ice dynamics and a changing climate."
In 2009, mission scientists and crew flew 41 flights and collected data over about 143,000 miles - equivalent to 5.7 trips around the Earth. NASA and its designated archive for IceBridge data, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, have teamed to move that data from the aircraft and instruments to researchers' computers.
In the Arctic, they used laser altimeters to collect surface elevation information for ice sheets and sea ice previously observed by NASA's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). Radar turned up measurements of snow depth on sea ice during a cross-Arctic flight.
LockMart Advancing on Next-Gen Commercial Remote Sensing System For GeoEye
 File image: GeoEye-2. |
The Lockheed Martin team developing GeoEye's next-generation, high-resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite system known as GeoEye-2, has successfully completed on-schedule a System Requirements Review (SRR), an important program milestone that precedes the Preliminary Design Review. With launch scheduled to support start of operations in 2013, Lockheed Martin is developing GeoEye-2 under a fixed price contract to support the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) EnhancedView commercial imagery program. GeoEye was awarded an EnhancedView contract worth up to $3.8 billion on Aug. 6, 2010.
EnhancedView is designed to provide critical geospatial situational awareness and global security information to intelligence analysts, war fighters and decision makers. GeoEye's commercial users will also benefit from access to imagery from GeoEye-2.
The successful SRR verified the maturity of Lockheed Martin's system design for meeting the key user requirements and the team's readiness to proceed with the Preliminary Design Review phase scheduled for completion later this year.
ESPI Report 25 on “Current Legal Issues for Satellite Earth Observation” online
| ESPI Report 25 on “Current Legal Issues for Satellite Earth Observation” online |  |  |  |
 | 25 August 2010. ESPI Report 25 addresses the crucial legal questions on the use of satellite imagery data for treaty monitoring and on privacy conflicts derived of satellite data collection and use. The report rises the issues that are now beginning to sprout and will be at the spotlight of legal experts and EO application developers in the coming years. |
The full title of this report is “Current Legal Issues for Satellite Earth Observation: Treaty Verification and Law Enforcement Through Satellite Observation, Privacy Conflicts from High Resolution Imaging”. It gathers contributions from leading legal and technical experts on those two main topics. Starting by a general overview on emerging legal issues of satellite EO imagery, the contributions expose practical examples such as the legal concerns to be taken into account by GMES and those involved in disaster management to follow with the use of Satellite EO imagery for treaty verification and enforcement. Contributions lined up in the second part of the publication bring forward privacy issues already raised in other contexts which are also applicable to satellite EO imagery, move then to analysing the general understanding of privacy and the challenges to apply it to a global instrument and finalise with the application of the European Convention on Human Rights and EU law to this space application. The report is the outcome of the conference that was held in ESPI on 8-9 April 2010 (related webnews here) and is composed by the contributions of the speakers on their topics as well as a report of the roundtable and conference conclusions. The publication (as the conference) is a joint endeavour of ESPI with the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS, represented by Rainer Sandau, who is also a co-editor of the Report) including the cooperation with the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) and the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), which was led on ESPI’s side by Resident Fellow Matxalen Sánchez Aranzamendi.
Contributors to ESPI Report 25 (from left): Kai-Uwe Schrogl (ESPI), Ray Purdy (Faculty of Laws, University College London Bentham House), Catherine Doldirina (McGill University, Montreal), Jean-Michel Contant (IAA), Matxalen Sánchez Aranzamendi (ESPI), Gunter Schreier (DLR), Ed Parsons (Google Earth), Herbert Allgeier (Chairman of the ESPI Advisory Council), George Cho (Law Faculty of Applied Science, University of Canberra), Frans G. von der Dunk (Space and Telecommunications Law Program, University of Nebraska), Sai'd Mosteshar (London Institute for Space Policy and Law), Atsuyo Ito (Researcher, Tokyo), Rainer Sandau (ISPRS-IPAC), Jean-Francois Mayence (Belgian Federal Office for Science Policy), Tanja Masson-Zwaan (IISL), Jana Jentzsch (Attorney-at -law, Hamburg)
Download:
ESPI Report 25 : “Current Legal Issues for Satellite Earth Observation: Treaty Verification and Law Enforcement Through Satellite Observation, Privacy Conflicts from High Resolution Imaging”
20100901
Center For Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) Gets New Web Portal
 All mapping activities of ZKI at a glance: Activations world map |
The Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) of DLR has celebrated the relaunch of it's web-portal. The old portal, that existed since the very beginning of this DLR service, has been fundamentally overhauled, both in visual and technical respect. It is offering now contemporary and comfortable access to the products of ZKI and to the information about recent activities and projects.
Ever since 2003 the ZKI offers to users via its web-portal fast, cost-free, and public access to its products.
Numerous relief organizations, decision makers and situation rooms have made use of the opportunity to download overall maps, damage maps, and reference material, derived and cartographically pre-processed from satellite- or aerial imagery, and to integrate this information into their aid- or prevention measures.
Since 2006 the portal has also granted free access to data from the ZKI fireservice, offering maps, satellite images and statistics about recent fire events in Europe, derived by automatic data processing from MODIS data, received at DLR.
The new portal will facilitate the access to both data and value added products, and built up the technological base for advanced services.
From there, by the end of this year, registered users will have the opportunity to use a web-mapping component, supporting accelerated access to recent satellite images for situation assessment, interactive determination of image crop and scale, and the overlay of available supplementary layers of geo-information.
The Face Of The Earth
 Mount Teide, Tenerife. 3D view of a TanDEM-X digital elevation model combined with radar intensity data. Credit: DLR. To see the other images mentioned in the body of this article please go here. |
For a month now, we have been acquiring altitude models with the TanDEM-X and TerraSAR-X satellite pair. Already, over 1000 products have come out of our operational processing chain. Alongside many test images, some of the data also give an insight into how humankind has shaped the surface of the Earth - and how the highs and lows around them have determined the course of their lives. Many of the interferometric images created over the last few weeks have used test data acquired over flat areas to enable us to test the stability and precision of our imaging and processing chains with minimal altitude changes. Some of the images, on the other hand, have been of exceptionally complicated terrain, in order to test the transformation of interferograms into altitude data.
The satellites are still not flying in close formation with synchronous data acquisition, so the ultimate altitude precision cannot yet been achieved. Also, the final steps for calibrating the processing chain have not yet been performed. Nevertheless, the images are already of impressive quality and are showing us details that were not previously visible from space.
We in the processing team have always enjoyed activating the display software in the processor and looking not just at a dry series of numbers but also at the 3D elevation models (Digital Elevation Models; DEMs) that the software produces.
There are several ways we can look at the 3D structure of the terrain. The images on this page use the radar signal (backscatter) intensity to determine the brightness of the image and the altitude of the terrain to select the colour (from blue-green to red-brown and then white).
Of course, the computer can also 'look' at the DEM from an oblique angle to achieve a 3D-effect, with the heights exaggerated for clarity.
The example of the 3718-metre high Mount Teide, on the island of Tenerife, shows particularly well how the two radar satellites perceive the landscape. The satellites imaged the island at an angle from the left, and the dark shadows in the valleys are areas that the radar signals could not reach, while the bright sides of the mountain were fully illuminated.
Need to blend free satellite images with paid ones
Publish Date: 27 August 2010
Bangalore, India: Blending free distribution of satellite images with paid images was essential to ensure a sustainable business model, according to Tom Snitch, Senior Advisor, Global Issues, Geoeye.
Speaking on 'Commercialisation of Space-Remote Sensing Systems Applications and Value Additions' in the ongoing Bengaluru Space Expo-2010, he said one of the major issues was the question of "distribution of low-price or free images from public imaging systems in direct competition with commercial providers. Satellite imaging was very expensive. Hence there was need for building up a viable business model to generate a steady revenue stream.”
Bangalore, India: Blending free distribution of satellite images with paid images was essential to ensure a sustainable business model, according to Tom Snitch, Senior Advisor, Global Issues, Geoeye. Speaking on 'Commercialisation of Space-Remote Sensing Systems Applications and Value Additions' in the ongoing Bengaluru Space Expo-2010, he said one of the major issues was the question of "distribution of low-price or free images from public imaging systems in direct competition with commercial providers. Satellite imaging was very expensive. Hence there was need for building up a viable business model to generate a steady revenue stream.”
Google the ‘sole-source’ for the NGA’s project
Publish Date: 23 August 2010
US: The United States’ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has announced that it intends to make Google the “sole-source” for the NGA’s Geospatial Visualization Enterprises Services project.
A “sole-source” provider means that the NGA believes that Google is the only qualified provider and is the only company that can bid on the project. Competitors can voice their objections by August 24.
The NGA’s Geospatial Visualization Enterprises Services contract is for a, “secured, hosted environment that provides web-based access to geospatial visualisation services and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) complaint web service interfaces.” The contract is for at least one year with two option years.
The announcement comes days after GeoEye and DigitalGlobe were awarded multi-billion dollar contracts by the NGA to provide satellite imagery.
Source: TNW
US: The United States’ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has announced that it intends to make Google the “sole-source” for the NGA’s Geospatial Visualization Enterprises Services project. A “sole-source” provider means that the NGA believes that Google is the only qualified provider and is the only company that can bid on the project. Competitors can voice their objections by August 24.
The NGA’s Geospatial Visualization Enterprises Services contract is for a, “secured, hosted environment that provides web-based access to geospatial visualisation services and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) complaint web service interfaces.” The contract is for at least one year with two option years.
The announcement comes days after GeoEye and DigitalGlobe were awarded multi-billion dollar contracts by the NGA to provide satellite imagery.
Source: TNW
GeoEye amongst ‘100 Fastest-Growing Companies’
Publish Date: 25 August 2010
Virginia, US: GeoEye announced that it has been ranked 84th on FORTUNE Magazine's 2010 "100 Fastest-Growing Companies" list. The complete list and related stories will appear in the September 6, 2010 issue.
GeoEye qualified for the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list by meeting several criteria which include posting an annualised growth in revenue and earnings per share of at least 15 per cent annually over the three years ended on or before April 30, 2010; trading on a major US stock exchange continuously since June 30, 2007; filing quarterly reports with the SEC; having a minimum market capitalisation of USD 250 million; and having a stock price of at least USD 5 on June 30, 2010. The company also had revenue and net income of at least USD 50 million and USD 10 million respectively, for the four quarters ended on or before April 30, 2010.
Companies that met the above criteria were ranked by revenue growth rate; EPS growth rate; and three-year annualised total return for the period ended June 30, 2010. To compute the revenue and EPS growth rates, FORTUNE used a trailing four quarters log linear least square regression fit. The overall rank was based on the sum of the three ranks.
FORTUNE Managing Editor Andy Serwer has written in the September 6, 2010 issue, "The troubled economy is on all of our minds these days, but sometimes we forget that even in the long slog we seem to be in, entrepreneurs are hard at work, creating the next Cisco or Amgen or Starbucks."
Matt O'Connell, GeoEye's Chief Executive Officer and President, said, "The worldwide demand for satellite imagery, change monitoring and surveillance continues to resist recessions and budget pressures. This, along with GeoEye's ability to collect and disseminate imagery with the world's highest resolution and unmatched accuracy in a timely, reliable and cost-efficient manner, will continue to drive the growth of our business."
Source: GeoEye
Virginia, US: GeoEye announced that it has been ranked 84th on FORTUNE Magazine's 2010 "100 Fastest-Growing Companies" list. The complete list and related stories will appear in the September 6, 2010 issue. GeoEye qualified for the 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list by meeting several criteria which include posting an annualised growth in revenue and earnings per share of at least 15 per cent annually over the three years ended on or before April 30, 2010; trading on a major US stock exchange continuously since June 30, 2007; filing quarterly reports with the SEC; having a minimum market capitalisation of USD 250 million; and having a stock price of at least USD 5 on June 30, 2010. The company also had revenue and net income of at least USD 50 million and USD 10 million respectively, for the four quarters ended on or before April 30, 2010.
Companies that met the above criteria were ranked by revenue growth rate; EPS growth rate; and three-year annualised total return for the period ended June 30, 2010. To compute the revenue and EPS growth rates, FORTUNE used a trailing four quarters log linear least square regression fit. The overall rank was based on the sum of the three ranks.
FORTUNE Managing Editor Andy Serwer has written in the September 6, 2010 issue, "The troubled economy is on all of our minds these days, but sometimes we forget that even in the long slog we seem to be in, entrepreneurs are hard at work, creating the next Cisco or Amgen or Starbucks."
Matt O'Connell, GeoEye's Chief Executive Officer and President, said, "The worldwide demand for satellite imagery, change monitoring and surveillance continues to resist recessions and budget pressures. This, along with GeoEye's ability to collect and disseminate imagery with the world's highest resolution and unmatched accuracy in a timely, reliable and cost-efficient manner, will continue to drive the growth of our business."
Source: GeoEye
Canadian PM supports GenNext RS satellites
Publish Date: 26 August 2010
Canada: Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, Canada, announced support for the next phase of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), a system of three advanced remote sensing (RS) satellites.
Through Budget 2010, the Harper Government announced additional support for the Canadian Space Agency to develop the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. Government support for the RCM will advance the Government’s priority to position Canada as a key player in advanced research and space technology development.
“By supporting the world-class RADARSAT Constellation Mission, our Government will ensure Canada maintains its role as a world leader in aerospace technology,” Prime Minister Harper said. “This cutting-edge project will create highly-skilled jobs, and attract the world’s best scientists, technicians and engineers to Canada’s world-renowned space industry.”
From the unique vantage point of space, the RADARSAT Constellation will provide National Defence with daily coverage of Canada’s land mass and ocean approaches from coast-to-coast-to-coast, especially in the Arctic, and support our troops deployed on active service in Canada and abroad.
“The RADARSAT project has consistently allowed us to defend our Arctic sovereignty, protect the Arctic ecosystem, and develop our resources,” said Prime Minister Harper. “This new phase of RADARSAT will ensure we stay at the forefront of these priorities.”
Source: pm.gc.ca
Canada: Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, Canada, announced support for the next phase of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), a system of three advanced remote sensing (RS) satellites.Through Budget 2010, the Harper Government announced additional support for the Canadian Space Agency to develop the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. Government support for the RCM will advance the Government’s priority to position Canada as a key player in advanced research and space technology development.
“By supporting the world-class RADARSAT Constellation Mission, our Government will ensure Canada maintains its role as a world leader in aerospace technology,” Prime Minister Harper said. “This cutting-edge project will create highly-skilled jobs, and attract the world’s best scientists, technicians and engineers to Canada’s world-renowned space industry.”
From the unique vantage point of space, the RADARSAT Constellation will provide National Defence with daily coverage of Canada’s land mass and ocean approaches from coast-to-coast-to-coast, especially in the Arctic, and support our troops deployed on active service in Canada and abroad.
“The RADARSAT project has consistently allowed us to defend our Arctic sovereignty, protect the Arctic ecosystem, and develop our resources,” said Prime Minister Harper. “This new phase of RADARSAT will ensure we stay at the forefront of these priorities.”
Source: pm.gc.ca
Japan loses spy satellite
 disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only |
Japan's only working radar satellite has malfunctioned and officials say they may not be able to save it. The intelligence-gathering satellite aimed at North Korea and China started acting up Monday, The Yomiuri Shimbun said Sunday.
Officials at Japan's Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center said the likelihood of the orbiter being saved is "extremely grim." A replacement satellite can't be launched until 2011.
Its loss will hamper Japan's intelligence-gathering activities over North Korea and China at a time when both countries are expanding military capabilities, the report said.
Japan has three optical intelligence-gathering satellites, one of which has already passed its life expectancy; its other radar satellite quit working in 2007.
Officials said the radar satellite's batteries could be causing the problem. It was launched in 2007 and should have operated until 2012, the report said.
Japan plans to launch four intelligence-gathering satellites in fiscal year 2012, two for photo-reconnaissance, and two cloud-penetrating radar satellites.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
