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Innovation procurement can deliver solutions to challenges of public interest and EO services providers can play a major role in this; therefore EARSC and BHO legal are organizing a workshop next 3rd of December in Brussels on the subject of PCP (Pre-Commercial Procurement) to guide companies on how to approach the H2020 call EO-2-2016.

The PCP approach puts funds in the hands of procurement bodies which wish to find innovative solutions to problems which they face. It is an approach which started in the US and which is now being taken up by Europe with some enthusiasm. We consider that it is an excellent opportunity to get public players using EO.

EARSC & BHO Legal PCP-PPI Workshop_Summary.pdf

EARSC BHO Legal_Workshop PCP and PPI_Conclusions .pdf

More informaiton on presentations, please contact EARSC secretariat

(2 December 2015) Farmers can now call on the latest satellite information using the unique TalkingFields service to get the best from their land while cutting the environmental cost.

Globally available satellite data are fine-tuned to the needs of individual farmers by the Vista company in Germany, who combine optical satellite images with information from ground sensors, satnav and sophisticated crop growth models to enable precision farming on a local scale.

“Agriculture is becoming a data-driven business,” explains Heike Bach, CEO at Vista

Vista is one of 50 expert users evaluating data from the Sentinel-2A Earth observation satellite launched in June 2015 as part of the EU’s Copernicus programme. “The data are excellent,” she notes.

TalkingFields began as a project within ESA’s Integrated Applications Promotion programme, and is now helping farmers in Germany, Russia, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia, Hungary and Kazakhstan.

Vista and its partners recently won a gold award for innovation at the biennial international Agritechnica trade fair in Hannover. It is the first time this industry award has been given to smart farming relying on satellite data.

Vista works with agricultural suppliers to provide a tailored service. For instance, by optimising a farmer’s use of fertiliser, costs and environmental effects can be reduced.

A farmer uses satnav to pinpoint the area of a field that requires attention and cultivate just that area.

Vista worked with partners FarmFacts and John Deere to create an easy-to-use system for precise, site-specific application of organic or mineral fertilisers.

The runoff from overuse of nitrogen and phosphate has serious environmental repercussions, causing ground water pollution and vast seasonal algal blooms in the oceans.

“We’re targeting zero runoff,” says Dr Bach. “Minimising the environmental cost of farming in this way is a real benefit to society.”

ESA’s Tony Sephton said, “There are existing services variously using Earth observation data, satellite navigation, farm management software and crop models, but TalkingFields combines them all.”

The models become increasingly accurate as results are fed back into the system.

“With TalkingFields the emphasis is on providing a service. Farmers are not given raw satellite data. Instead, they are given advice on actions to be taken throughout the growing season,” he adds.

“The Copernicus Earth observation data should enable us to offer very affordable services – essential for the farming industry.”

Source

(1 December 2015) PlanetObserver announced today the release of PlanetDEM 30 Plus global elevation model.

PlanetDEM 30 Plus is the new Digital Elevation Model from PlanetDEM range that offers global coverage at 30-meter resolution with seamless, accurate and reliable data.

PlanetDEM 30 Plus is a multi-source elevation model based on SRTM 30m dataset extensively corrected and enhanced with ASTER data, and other high quality elevation data for high latitudes regions. Advanced processing techniques developed by PlanetObserver have been applied to compile and extensively reprocess those multi-source data. The result is a unique elevation product with 30-meter resolution for the entire Earth’s landmass.

“PlanetObserver has developed an advanced know-how in the field of elevation data processing. We have released in the past years PlanetDEM 90 and PlanetDEM 30 global elevation models that are used by major players of the spatial and defence industry. We’re now excited to present the next-generation elevation model PlanetDEM 30 Plus,” says Laurent Masselot, CEO of PlanetObserver. “With a 30-meter resolution at the global scale, PlanetDEM 30 Plus is a unique high quality elevation product perfect for a large range of industries and applications, even the most sensitive.”

Available off-the-shelf in different standard formats, PlanetDEM 30 Plus elevation model is adapted to many projects: 3D visualization and simulation for commercial or military applications, imagery orthorectification, mapping solutions, energy, telecommunication, etc. For PlanetDEM 30 Plus product and all its geodata range, PlanetObserver offers very attractive pricing with special packages for global and continental coverages.

About PlanetObserver

PlanetObserver offers a full range of value-added geospatial products: PlanetSAT imagery base maps in natural colors with a unique visual quality, PlanetDEM global and accurate elevation data, and PlanetAIR aerial photography. All products are developed internally, backed up by PlanetObserver’s know-how in geospatial data processing and more than 25 years of technological expertise.

PlanetObserver geospatial data are perfect for numerous commercial, military and consumer applications, ranging from web-mapping to 3D visualization and simulation solutions, moving map apps, cartographic mapping to audio-visual production.

(source: PlanetObserver)

With the many challenges facing our planet — societal, economic, environmental, and more — we’re all the more eager to release the UrtheCast Developer Platform, which is now publicly available and offers tools to help people solve global problems.

Tools for world change
What this beta platform does is open up access to a deep trove of Earth Observation data, at an unprecedented scale. Built by developers for developers, the UrtheCast platform makes it easy for devs to build tools that monitor deforestation, refugee crises, environmental change, impacts of natural disasters, urban growth, natural resources, commodities trading, and much more.

Earth APIs
Pulling satellite imagery from a variety of sensors at different resolutions, developers can leverage our growing suite of camera sensors — two ISS sensors and two stand-alone satellite sensors — in addition to third-party providers like NASA. Imagery, video, and metadata are extracted from all of these sources to provide developers with an increasingly rich archive. Our groundbreaking suite of Earth APIs, services, and tools all allow for this wide access to Earth Observation and geospatial data.

Open access
Free access is available, as are developer plans starting at $39. These APIs are built on open, modern web standards, and there’s no need to be a geospatial expert to make it happen.

Beta platform highlights:

  • Track satellites
  • Search the archive
  • Track Areas of Interest (AOIs)
  • Subscribe to global events
  • Order and download imagery

About UrtheCast Corp

UrtheCast Corp. is a Vancouver-based technology company that is developing the world’s first Ultra HD video feed of Earth, streamed from space in full color. Working with prominent aerospace partners from across the globe, UrtheCast has built, launched, installed, and will soon operate its Ultra HD video camera, Iris, on the ISS alongside its Medium Resolution Camera (MRC). Both Iris and the MRC have reached Initial Operation Capability (IOC), in 2015 and 2014 respectively. UrtheCast also owns and operates the Deimos-1 and Deimos-2 satellites through its Spanish subsidiary, operating as Deimos Imaging. Video and still image data captured by the cameras will be downlinked to ground stations across the planet and displayed on the UrtheCast web platform, or distributed directly to partners and customers. UrtheCast’s cameras will provide Ultra HD video and still imagery of Earth that will allow for monitoring of the environment, humanitarian relief, social events, agricultural land, etc. Common shares of UrtheCast trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange as ticker ‘UR’.

  • Render on-the-fly (vegetation health, deforestation, water indices, etc.)

Source

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has awarded Airbus Defence and Space with two research projects to enhance Emergency Preparedness and Safety of Operations in collaboration with Canadian partners.
Airbus Defence and Space will monitor man-made changes on land and support tactical ship route planning in Arctic Waters

Based on the trusted collaboration in space, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have announced the funding of six major research projects in the domain of Emergency Response and Safety of Operations. DLR has awarded Airbus Defence and Space with two of them.

In collaboration with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates, Ltd. (MDA), the first project will examine man-made changes on land using multi-frequency SAR satellite Data. The methods developed throughout this project will monitor the changes’ impact on the environment including new buildings, roads, forests, and surface movements due to industrial activities such as mining. For the second project, Airbus Defence and Space will work with C-CORE to investigate the synergistic use of X- and C-band SAR-data for tactical ship route planning in Arctic Waters, its objective being to monitor the sea ice situation along shipping routes in the north. Both Canadian partners receive funds from CSA.

Taking benefit from combining both missions – the German TerraSAR-X and Canadian RADARSAT-2 satellites – these projects aim to support safe transportation, exploration, and monitoring. Enfotec Technical Services Inc., one of the end users, believes that “satellite imagery plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of navigation in ice covered waters. This project addresses how to best use different satellites concurrently in order to increase the overall quality of the ice information provided to ships.”

“With our experience in natural disasters and maritime monitoring, we are confident to support Canada in improving its emergency capacity readiness in the High North” said Simon Jacques, President of Airbus Defence and Space Canada Inc.

Fabienne GRAZZINI
+ 33 5 62 19 41 19
fabienne.grazzini@astrium.eads.net
www.airbusdefenceandspace.com

(By Anne Glémarec © Euronews) Some 58% of the global space economy relies on satellite Earth observation data This data is available on an open basis in the EU thanks to the Copernicus Programme, as Massimo Antoninetti, of the Italian Research Council explains: “By analysing the potential impact of the Copernicus programme on the European economy, we can forecast a financial benefit of 30 billions euro and the creation of at least 50,000 jobs by 2030 “.

  • The Copernicus programme is an EU system providing Earth observation data and information. It delivers operational data on a free, full and open basis.
  • Data from the programme help protect EU citizens in the event of an emergency, such as a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis.
  • Copernicus creates new business opportunities and jobs. The OECD estimates that 58% of the global space economy relies on satellite data and signals.
  • Planetek is an Italian SME that has developed its own product range derived from Copernicus data in the areas of urban planning, map updates, and defence and security.
  • The company got the Felix Industry prize in Italy for their excellent work in the aerospace sector.

It specialises in geography and for 21 years it has been interpreting satellite data through applications that inform customers of the nature and evolution of soils, seas, urbanisation and agricultural land. The launch of the Copernicus Programme last year boosted the Planetek’s ambitions.

“Copernicus is very important for us because it produces more environmental data to transform into more environmental information for our customers, “ says Giovanni Sylos Labini, CEO of Planetek Italia.

The open and free access to Copernicus data is guaranteed until 2034, which allows Giovanni’s company to have a long-term growth strategy. The impact promises to be spectacular.

“Thanks to Copernicus, in the next 10 years Planetek Italia will be 5 to 10 times bigger than now. Today we employ 50 people, and we will employ 250 to 500 tomorrow, “ adds Giovanni.

His SME is part of what is commonly called “the downstream industries” of space economy, which should harvest most of the economic benefit of the Copernicus programme.

“Copernicus is the European programme for Earth observation from Sentinel satellites, explains Massimo Antoninetti, a researcher with IREA-CNR. “Through this programme, we can offer continuous, independent and reliable access to information on the environment, land and security”.

Citizens, researchers, entrepreneurs and public authorities; this information is open to everyone. It can be useful to many business sectors, such as the oil industry, insurance and transport.

Antoninetti accessing the programme couldn’t be simpler:
bq. “After a simple registration operation, anyone can have access to the ESA website, in order to identify, and download directly, and for free, the images on your own computer.”

Source

DLR makes progress with a new radar mission at the World Radiocommunication Conference

Mobile telephones, high-speed Internet, up-to-date meteorological data and navigation programs available anytime, anywhere – all thanks to satellites. Bandwidth and frequencies that are revised every three to four years at the World Radiocommunication Conference play an important role in this. This year’s conference – attended by 3800 delegates from 193 countries – is being held in Geneva and is the largest World Radiocommunication Conference thus far. Ralf Ewald, from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Space Administration, is the Frequency Coordinator and, until 27 November 2015, together with German delegates, will revise the bandwidth and frequency allocations that will be available to, among other things, future satellite missions. Now, an agreement has been reached for a new X-band German radar satellite mission.

Interview by Martin Fleischmann

What is being negotiated at the World Radiocommunication Conference?

Ewald: Here in Geneva, we are negotiating international law. Although use of the radiofrequency spectrum in Germany is subject to national law and is regulated by the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur; BNetzA), radio signals and the use of frequencies are not subject to national borders. We speak of cross-border frequency use as soon as somebody operates a mobile telephone to place a call while abroad. Naturally, this also applies to satellites that constantly pass over other countries. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is responsible when radio signals cross national borders. It deals with all ‘transnational’ issues. These regulations are defined in an international treaty, and then in most cases implemented into national law. The World Radiocommunication Conference is usually held every three to four years to revise this international contract whenever it becomes necessary. Each country sends a delegation to this conference to represent their various national interests. This time there are 70 German delegates in Geneva – the largest group from Germany ever to attend.

That shows the significance of this radio communication summit. Why are these negotiations so important?

Ewald: We have a problem; ongoing technical developments mean that every service – whether it is mobile telephony, science or satellite communications – needs more bandwidth. That is a fact of life. Unfortunately, the frequency spectrum that can be used in this way is limited. This is why our delegation, led by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur; BMVI), and supported by the Bundesnetzagentur, representatives of the industrial sector – for instance, mobile communications providers – and DLR, are negotiating to obtain more bandwidth and ensure its meaningful use. DLR is representing the interests of the German government with regard to satellite radio services used for scientific purposes. My task is to carry forward these issues from a German perspective, to ensure that the contractual text ultimately reflects our interests.

There is also an extremely important topic under negotiation for DLR…

Ewald: Yes, precisely. Politically speaking, item 1.12 on the agenda could have given rise to conflict. Put in simple terms, it is a question of more bandwidth. DLR and Airbus Defence and Space are preparing the next generation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites to conduct Earth observation in X-band – the spectrum in which the twin radar satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X operate. We want to produce images that, in terms of resolution, are comparable with optical images – so essentially, with a resolution better than 25 centimetres per pixel. The highest resolution that TerraSAR-X can offer is approximately one metre. Given that resolution is synonymous with bandwidth, we need a larger frequency allocation to achieve this improvement. So, we have to receive more bandwidth to acquire the resolution we are targeting. Until now, we had agreed on 600 megahertz, which is only approximately half of the necessary bandwidth. Now we have been granted 1.2 gigahertz, twice this amount.

Why was it so difficult to find a solution?

Ewald: We applied for an additional 600 megahertz, so many of the applications currently in use would come under pressure if our attempt to receive a total frequency allocation of 1.2 gigahertz were to be approved. Initially, this prompted several countries to reject our proposal. We wanted to know exactly how big the problem was and whether their concerns were justified. To analyse the issue, we have been conducting studies for the last three years. Now we have attempted to reach a common standpoint. Other countries attempting to secure more bandwidth in this frequency band – and who share our strong interest in radar-supported Earth observation – have helped us. These countries – for instance the oceanic nations – need better Earth observation technology to provide their emergency services with more up-to-date and high-resolution map data when faced with catastrophic flooding. We spent days in innumerable multilateral and bilateral meetings to arrive at a solution. Now we have found a good compromise, which all 193 member states – all resolutions at the World Radiocommunication Conference have to be passed unanimously – have agreed to. The outcome is an additional 600 megahertz of bandwidth and the option for an X-band Earth observation mission in hitherto unseen, almost optical resolution.

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ESA is announcing an opportunity for scientists involved in Earth observation to submit proposals for the next potential Earth Explorer satellite mission.

Traditionally, Earth Explorers use new measurement techniques to explore and understand different aspects of the Earth system.

So far, eight missions have been selected. Each was proposed by the scientific community and realised through a user-driven selection process to ensure that they address urgent Earth-science questions.

Reflecting the new Earth Observation Science Strategy for ESA, proposals for the ninth Explorer should not only demonstrate scientific excellence and innovative technology, but also address important scientific questions that have a direct bearing on societal issues humankind will face in the coming decades.

This includes, for example, the availability of food, water, energy and resources, health, risk of disaster and climate change.

It is foreseen that the ninth Explorer will be launched no later than 2024.

The procedure for submitting proposals is two-fold. Initially, ESA must receive a letter of intent by 1 February 2016 and then a full proposal by 24 June 2016. In addition, a workshop for proposers will be held on 8 March 2016.

More information about this Call and the facility to upload Letters of Intent (LOI) and proposals can be found at ESA’s Earth Observation Proposal Upload System website

Since late 2008, when Landsat Earth observation images were made available to all users free of charge, nearly 30 million Landsat scenes have been downloaded through the U.S. Geological Survey portal – and the rate of downloads is still increasing.

That’s a lot of free data about the state of the planet. But what is it worth? How valuable can something free possibly be?

The worth of many things is related to scarcity. If there are too many houses or diamonds, bushels of corn or barrels of oil for sale, the price for these items falls. A free market determines the market value of what we might hope is a $500,000 house or a $5,000 diamond.

The concept of market value breaks down for goods and services that society has determined should be freely available to everyone. Free data for Earth observation fits into this category. It is a public good ­- along with public education, public roads, and public parks. While these services are not actually free (they are, of course, funded with public money), we know that the broad use of such services benefits all of society so the cost to each individual user is largely borne by all.

The United States Department of the Interior’s policy of releasing the full Landsat archive at no cost allows researchers around the world in government, in the private sector, and at universities and institutions to generate even more data applications that are good for society. These purpose-driven data applications – known on mobile devices as “data apps” – can serve commercial endeavours in agriculture and forestry; they can enable land managers in and out of government to work more efficiently; they can help us define and address critical climate and environmental issues.

Read more

Source: United States Geological Survey

The following press release was issued by the European Commission on November 25, 2015 12:00 pm.

€26.5 million will be dedicated to the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) & Africa initiative. The aim of this project is to support African policy-makers and planners in the promotion of the sustainable management of natural resources through the use of Earth Observation data.

The project will make use of the technology offered by the European Copernicus programme which promotes the establishment of a European capacity for Earth Observation.

This was announced on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2015, as part of the ‘Pan-African Action Plan’.

European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica said: “The actions launched under the Pan-African programme will allow us to deepen our collaboration with Africa to address common challenges such as violence against women, climate change, as well as the promotion of peace, security, good governance and the development of new technologies.”

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