Euroconsult Releases Study On EO Data Distribution Trends

Paris, France (SPX) Mar 31, 2014

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Data distributors and services providers have established themselves as a key component of the EO value-chain and an important partner of the EO satellite operators in order to disseminate data to the largest number of end-users possible. This is particularly apparent in accessing key fast growing regional markets and being able to do business with government and private end-users locally.
According to Euroconsult's new research report, Earth Observation: Data Distribution, an estimated 12-17% of the $1.5 billion* commercial data market flows through the distributors. It is considered that all major vertical market sectors are procuring from the data distributors to varying degrees.
"While this percentage may seem low, it should be recalled that the majority of the total market is to defense end-users [65%] who prefer a more direct approach to receive imagery, such as through direct receiving stations. Business for the data distributor reflects this, with a far greater emphasis on enterprise markets," said Philippe Campenon, Deputy Director, Space and Earth Observation at Euroconsult.

Satellite Movie Shows US East Coast Snowy Winter

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 31, 2014

This new animation of NOAA's GOES-East satellite imagery shows the movement of winter storms from January 1 to March 24 making for a snowier-than-normal winter along the U.S. East coast and Midwest. Image courtesy NASA/NOAA GOES Project.

A new time-lapse animation of data from NOAA's GOES-East satellite provides a good picture of why the U.S. East Coast experienced a snowier than normal winter. The new animation shows the movement of storms from January 1 to March 24.
NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites or GOES-East imagery from January 1 to March 24 was compiled into three videos made by NASA/NOAA's GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The time-lapse videos run at different speeds: 0:41 seconds, 1:22 minutes and 2:44 minutes.
The movie of mid-day views from NOAA's GOES-East satellite ends three days after the vernal equinox. The vernal, or spring, equinox in the Northern Hemisphere occurred on March 20 at 12:57 p.m. EDT and marked the meteorological arrival of spring.
"The once-per-day imagery creates a stroboscopic slide show of persistent brutal winter weather," said Dennis Chesters of the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. who created the animation.

Studying crops, from outer space

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 27, 2014

This is an illustration of the process of measuring photosynthesis from space, courtesy of the Keck Institute for Space Studies. Image courtesy Keck Institute for Space Studies. For a larger version of this image please go here.

Plants convert energy from sunlight into chemical energy during a process called photosynthesis. This energy is passed on to humans and animals that eat the plants, and thus photosynthesis is the primary source of energy for all life on Earth.
But the photosynthetic activity of various regions is changing due to human interaction with the environment, including climate change, which makes large-scale studies of photosynthetic activity of interest. New research from a team including Carnegie's Joe Berry reveals a fundamentally new approach for measuring photosynthetic activity as it occurs around the planet. It is published this week by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Their work is based on a breakthrough in the capacity to use satellite technology to measure light that is emitted by plant leaves as a byproduct of photosynthesis. This light is called fluorescence and it is produced when sunlight excites the photosynthetic pigment chloropyll.
The method offers a direct measurement of activity occurring as the satellite passes overhead. Other approaches to detecting photosynthetic activity on a large scale are less direct, so until now, models have been the primary tool for estimating photosynthetic productivity on a planetary scale. The accuracy of these models has been difficult to evaluate.

GAF uses innovative stereo approach to bathymetry surveying

Germany: GAF has developed a new innovative approach for deriving bathymetry from space by simultaneously using differential spectral attenuation and stereo-information from satellite imagery for hydrocarbon exploration and for the performance of seismic surveys. Bathymetry is the underwater topography of lakes or ocean floors and constitutes an important information layer on hydrographic charts.
Traditional ways of acquiring bathymetry data include the carrying out of depth measurements using sounding lines, sonar or LiDAR. However, as ship-based or airborne measurements take time to prepare and perform and can only cover fairly small geographic areas in a single pass, quite significant expenditure is usually required in terms of time and money.
Bathymetric information is of importance in offshore hydrocarbon exploration: knowledge of the seabed morphology and of subtle submarine features, such as so-called mud volcanoes, can provide valuable indicators to prospectors. Furthermore, accurate sea-bottom morphology facilitates the correct interpretation of 3D seismic surveys.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Resumes Full Duty

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 16, 2014

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Engineers have restored NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to full operations, following a March 9 unplanned swap of duplicate computers aboard the spacecraft. On Thursday morning, March 13, the orbiter resumed science observations with its own instruments and relay of data from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover.
The MRO orbiter put itself into a precautionary safe standby mode March 9 after an unscheduled swap from one main computer to another. The mission's ground team has begun restoring the spacecraft to full operations.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's science observations and its relaying of communications from NASA's two active Mars rovers have been suspended. The rovers continue to use NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter as a communications relay.
Entry into safe mode is the prescribed response by a spacecraft when it detects conditions outside the range of normal expectations. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has experienced unplanned computer swaps triggering safe-mode entry four times previously, most recently in November 2011.
The root cause of the previous events has not been determined. The spacecraft has also experienced safe-mode entries that have not involved computer swaps.
Unlike any previous safe-mode entries experienced in this mission, the March 9 event included a swap to a redundant radio transponder on the orbiter. While the mission resumes operations with this transponder, engineers are investigating the status of the one that is now out of service.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter entered orbit around Mars eight years ago, on March 10, 2006. Since then, it has returned more data than all other past and current interplanetary missions combined.
The mission met all its science goals in a two-year primary science phase. Three extensions, the latest beginning in 2012, have added to the science returns. The longevity of the mission has given researchers tools to study seasonal and longer-term changes on the Red Planet.

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source: marsdaily.com
Related Links Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA Orbiter Finds New Gully Channel on Mars

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 20, 2014

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This pair of before (left) and after (right) images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter documents the formation of a substantial new channel on a Martian slope between Nov. 5, 2010, and May 25, 2013.
The location is on the inner wall of a crater at 37.45 degrees south latitude, 222.95 degrees east longitude, in the Terra Sirenum region.
Gully or ravine landforms are commonly found in the mid-latitudes on Mars, particularly in the southern highlands.
These features typically have an alcove at the upper end, feeding into a channel and an apron of debris that has been carried from above.
Researchers using HiRISE have discovered many examples of gully activity likely driven by seasonal carbon-dioxide frost (dry ice).
The changes visible by comparing the 2010 and 2013 observations at this site formed when material flowing down from the alcove broke out of an older route, eroded a new channel and formed a deposit on the apron.
Although this pair of observations does not pin down the season of the event, locations HiRISE has imaged more often demonstrate that this sort of event generally occurs in winter, when liquid water is very unlikely. Despite their resemblance to water-formed ravines on Earth, carbon dioxide may play a key role in the formation of many Martian gullies.
The image on the right is one product from a HiRISE observation catalogued as ESP_032011_1425.

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source: www.marsdaily.com
Related Links Mars Reconnaissance OrbiterHiRoc at ArizonaCRISM at APL

Prepping for radar vision

Paris (ESA) Mar 25, 2014

This 'interferogram' shows Petermann Glacier grinding towards the sea along the northwestern coast of Greenland. Two Radarsat-2 TOPS images acquired 24 days apart were used to generate it. Radarsat-2 was programmed specially by MDA to work in an experimental imaging mode called Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans (TOPS) in azimuth to match the way ESA's Sentinel-1 will image Earth. Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry - or InSAR - is a technique where two or more satellite radar images acquired over the same area are combined to detect large-scale surface changes. Small changes on the ground cause changes in the radar signal phase and lead to rainbow-coloured fringes in the interferogram. This image shows some stationary and relatively slowly moving features, as well as some large areas of much faster moving ice. The interferometric fringes are widely spaced in the stationary areas and closer together in the centre of the glacier where the ice is moving much faster. Image courtesy ESA/MDA. For a larger version of this image please go here.

Sentinel-1A, Europe's first satellite for Copernicus, is almost ready for launch on 3 April. Meanwhile, ESA is showing how its advanced radar will map ice, monitor subsidence and much more.
Marking a new era in Earth observation focusing on operational applications, Sentinel-1A is set to deliver timely imagery for numerous Copernicus services.
Carrying an advanced radar, it will scan Earth's surface no matter what the weather and regardless of whether it is day or night.
In crisis situations, it will be used for rapid response to disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Its radar will routinely monitor shipping zones, map sea ice and provide information on winds and waves for marine traffic, track changes in the way land is being used, and monitor subsidence.
It will also track how glaciers move, as shown in the image above of Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland.
So that users are fully prepared for the images Sentinel-1A delivers, Canada's Radarsat-2 was recently programmed by MacDonald, Dettweiler and Associates to scan Earth's surface using the same novel 'interferometric' wide-swath mode technique as Sentinel-1. Consequently, a suite of images was acquired over various sites.
As the most realistic Sentinel-1-like images to date, they show the performance and suitability of the new mission for classifying different types of sea ice, detecting ships and monitoring oil platforms.
They also included image pairs to show changes in glaciers such as Petermann, and a 'stack' of 11 images to map surface subsidence in Mexico City.
The image of Petermann Glacier was derived from two images taken 24 days apart. It shows some stationary and slowly moving features, as well as some large areas of much faster-moving ice. The pattern's fringes are widely spaced in the stationary areas and closer together in the centre of the glacier where the ice is moving much faster.

NASA Historic Earth Images Still Hold Research Value

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 25, 2014

This Seasat synthetic aperture radar image from Aug. 27, 1978, shows the Massachusetts coast from Nantucket Island in the south past Cape Cod and Boston to Cape Ann in the north. Image courtesy Alaska Satellite Facility.

NASA's Seasat satellite became history long ago, but it left a legacy of images of Earth's ocean, volcanoes, forests and other features that were made by the first synthetic aperture radar ever mounted on a satellite. Potential research uses for the recently released 35-year-old images are outlined in a paper published in the journal Eos today, March 18.
Seasat, which was managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., was the first satellite mission designed specifically to observe the ocean. Launched in 1978, it suffered a mission-ending power failure after 105 days of operation.
But in that short time, Seasat collected more information about the ocean than had been acquired in the previous hundred years of shipboard research, said Benjamin Holt, a research scientist at JPL and coauthor of the Eos paper.
The complete catalog of Seasat images has been processed digitally and is freely available from the Alaska Satellite Facility.
"There's still unique oceanographic data in these products that haven't been duplicated by more recent missions," said Holt. "We see different things in the Seasat images of the ocean currents than are seen by other satellites carrying synthetic aperture radar." This technology allows researchers to create very high-resolution images using complex information-processing techniques.

Planet Labs Set To Launch Largest Satellite Fleet In History

San Francisco CA (SPX) Mar 25, 2014

"Getting 100 satellites on the launch manifest is a major milestone in the new space industry," said Steve Jurvetson, Managing Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson and board member of Planet Labs and SpaceX.

Planet Labs has announced that it has confirmed launches for more than 100 satellites over the next 12 months. The satellites will launch on rockets from the USA and Russia.
This constitutes the largest constellation of satellites manifested in history. These new launches will build on Planet Labs first 28 satellites, Flock 1, which were launched in January.
This constellation will allow Planet Labs to image the whole earth every 24 hours. "We are imaging the planet to save the planet," said Will Marshall, cofounder of Planet Labs.
Imaging the Earth at this frequency will help us to measure things from deforestation, to improving agricultural yield, to detecting overfishing. Our mission is to create information people need to help life on the planet."
"Getting 100 satellites on the launch manifest is a major milestone in the new space industry," said Steve Jurvetson, Managing Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson and board member of Planet Labs and SpaceX.
"The small form factor requires less space on the rocket, allowing for more flexibility for launch configurations. And a constellation of 100 satellites is unprecedented." This announcement comes on the heels of a $52 million Series B round of financing for Planet Labs in December led by Yuri Milner.
Previous investors in the company include Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), O'Reilly Alpha Tech Ventures (OATV), Capricorn Investment Group, Founders Fund Angel, Data Collective, First Round Capital, and Innovation Endeavors.

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source: www.spacedaily.com
Related Links Planet Labs

When Waters Rise: NASA Improves Flood Safety

by Kasha Patel for Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 25, 2014

Researchers need accurate and timely rainfall information to better understand and model where and when severe floods, frequent landslides and devastating droughts may occur. GPM's global rainfall data will help to better prepare and respond to a wide range of natural disasters. Image courtesy NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. To watch a video on NASA's research please go here. To view before and after NASA images of flood events please go here.

Flooding is the most frequent and widespread weather-related natural disaster, taking a huge toll in lives and property each year. NASA Earth-observing satellites and airborne missions provide vital information to emergency planners, relief organizations and weather forecasters, helping to improve flood monitoring and forecasting, as well as providing a more comprehensive understanding of one of Mother Nature's most damaging hazards.
NASA's Earth-observing satellites provide detailed images of flood-affected areas, which are vital for mapping flood extent. For instance, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites monitor a broad area of our planet, providing visible-light imagery, infrared information and other types of data on a daily basis to scientists and emergency managers.
The Landsat satellites in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey provide even higher-resolution imagery, which can be used to map Earth's land surfaces before and after disasters.
Landsat serves as an essential tool for assessing flood risk and mapping the extent of damage for post-disaster recovery. Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) is an advanced land-imaging mission that includes three advanced land imaging instruments and five revolutionary cross cutting spacecraft technologies.
The United Nations World Food Programme, which delivers food relief to inundated areas, uses NASA Earth science satellite-based flood maps to locate floods and map delivery routes to affected areas. Contractors with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also use Landsat imagery to track urban development, which can affect an area's flood risk.
These maps, which reveal the extent and duration of a floo

Millions join satellite search for missing plane

Washington (AFP) March 18, 2014
Three million people have joined an effort led by a satellite operator to locate the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, in what may be the largest crowdsourcing project of its kind.
The satellite firm DigitalGlobe said Monday that its search area now has some 24,000 square kilometers (9,000 square miles) and that more images are being added daily, including a new area in the Indian Ocean.
The company said more than three million people have participated in the program, with some 257 million "map views" and 2.9 million areas "tagged" by participants.
The plane went missing early on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew aboard, spawning a massive international search across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean that has turned up no trace of wreckage.
DigitalGlobe activated its crowdsourcing platform called Tomnod on March 11, inviting the public to look at the imagery from its five high-definition satellites to help in the search.
The response was so great it overloaded the system's computers for a time last week.
The company uses an algorithm called CrowdRank to determine the most promising leads, paying close attention to overlap where people tagged the same location.
"DigitalGlobe's expert analysts will examine the tags to identify the top 10 or so most notable areas and share the information with customers and authorities," a statement said.

Geographers create 'easy button' to calculate river flows from space

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 19, 2014

UCLA geography chair Laurence C. Smith has a long running field project in Greenland, where he's trying to measure the amount of water flowing from the country's melting ice sheet.

The frustrated attempts of a UCLA graduate student to quantify the amount of water draining from Greenland's melting ice sheet led him to devise a new way to measure river flows from outer space, he and his professor report in a new study.
The new approach relies exclusively on the measurements of a river's width over time, which can be obtained from freely available satellite imagery.
Currently, hydrologists calculate a river's discharge - the volume of water running through it at any given time - by taking a series of measurements on the ground, including not just the river's width but also its depth at multiple points and the velocity of its flows. Politics, financial considerations and terrain often stand in the way of obtaining such measurements.
"Our new method doesn't require access to the country or getting in the river to safely take measurements in the field," said Colin Gleason, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in geography in UCLA's College of Letters and Science. "As long as we can get multiple pictures of a river and apply this method to them, we can tell you how much water was flowing in the river at the time the images were taken."

Thermal vision: Graphene light detector first to span infrared spectrum

Ann Arbor MI (SPX) Mar 20, 2014

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The first room-temperature light detector that can sense the full infrared spectrum has the potential to put heat vision technology into a contact lens. Unlike comparable mid- and far-infrared detectors currently on the market, the detector developed by University of Michigan engineering researchers doesn't need bulky cooling equipment to work.
"We can make the entire design super-thin," said Zhaohui Zhong, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science. "It can be stacked on a contact lens or integrated with a cell phone."
Infrared light starts at wavelengths just longer than those of visible red light and stretches to wavelengths up to a millimeter long. Infrared vision may be best known for spotting people and animals in the dark and heat leaks in houses, but it can also help doctors monitor blood flow, identify chemicals in the environment and allow art historians to see Paul Gauguin's sketches under layers of paint.
Unlike the visible spectrum, which conventional cameras capture with a single chip, infrared imaging requires a combination of technologies to see near-, mid- and far-infrared radiation all at once. Still more challenging, the mid-infrared and far-infrared sensors typically need to be at very cold temperatures.
Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, could sense the whole infrared spectrum-plus visible and ultraviolet light. But until now, it hasn't been viable for infrared detection because it can't capture enough light to generate a detectable electrical signal. With one-atom thickness, it only absorbs about 2.3 percent of the light that hits it. If the light can't produce an electrical signal, graphene can't be used as a sensor.
"The challenge for the current generation of graphene-based detectors is that their sensitivity is typically very poor," Zhong said. "It's a hundred to a thousand times lower than what a commercial device would require."