Skip to content

7 May 2015, Geneva, Switzerland – On 25 April, Nepal was hit be a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. As of 6 May, the number of casualties is reported at 7,675 while 16,392 have been injured.

Immediately after the red alert by the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), UNICEF and OCHA requested UNOSAT rapid mapping service. Priority areas of interest were identified and UNOSAT began the acquisition of satellite imagery through the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters (Space Charter) and from commercial vendors.

In large emergencies of this kind, as satellite imagery become available, several remote sensing entities start to assess the damage in various ways. Being able to integrate these various sources into a common platform is crucial for easy access to information in support of overall humanitarian coordination efforts. UNOSAT acts also as the GDACS coordinator for mapping products that can be useful in the emergency response phase. This role facilitates the integration of results from various sources by UNOSAT experts into a web-map that is made publicly available on-line. This GDACS LIVE map has several advantages and allows for very fast updates every time new information is available. The Nepal LiveMap currently includes

  • Status of areas being assessed using satellite imagery (planned, in progress or completed)
  • Consolidated and individual building damage assessments derived from satellite imagery analysis
  • Locations of landslides
  • Satellite imagery derived ground displacement
  • Ground photos from volunteers using the UN-ASIGN smartphone app that uploads photos in near real time onto the LIVE map

Full article

[Via Satellite 07-08-2015] The Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA), an agency under the purview of the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), has awarded three contracts to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) for Radarsat 2 services.

MDA will provide a Radarsat 2 ground station, training to develop products based on the satellite data, and one year of Radarsat 2 information prior to the station’s activation. The ground station is scheduled to be installed and operational in early 2016.

MRSA intends to use the satellite information to support a number of applications, such as flood monitoring, maritime and agricultural monitoring, and natural resource management. The agency also plans to develop digital elevation products for a variety of mapping applications. MRSA has used information from the Radarsat satellite fleet since 2003. Launched in 2007, Radarsat 2 enables global high-resolution data acquisition regardless of light or weather condition.

Source

30 June 2015, Bonn, Germany – UNESCO and UNITAR (the UN Institute for Training and Research) have signed an agreement to protect cultural and natural heritage sites with the latest geo-spatial technologies.

It was signed at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, and will be delivered through UNITAR’s Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT).

The strategic partnership will enable the Organizations to work together during conflict situations and following natural disasters, sharing their respective expertise, and collaborating on prevention and capacity development. Satellite imagery is often the only source of objective information for areas affected by conflict or by natural disasters. It helps the international community to understand the situation on the ground and plan emergency measures. For example, a recently-published report on cultural heritage sites in Syria, by UNITAR-UNOSAT revealed the extent of damage to cultural heritage, confirming information obtained through unofficial sources.

Other geo-spatial technologies that may be harnessed include the use of crowd-sourcing app UN-ASIGN, successfully applied following the recent Nepal earthquake, and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) both for general recording purposes and for detailed damage assessments of buildings and other infrastructure. The entire range of geo-spatial information gathering tools is combined using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and advanced web-mapping solutions. UNESCO and UNITAR-UNOSAT will jointly explore new and innovative solutions that can further contribute to improved management and protection of cultural heritage sites.

UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, Mr. Alfredo Pérez de Armiñán, and Mrs Sally Fegan-Wyles, UNITAR’s Executive Director, signed the agreement. Mr Peréz de Armiñán underlined the “strategic importance of this new partnership as an example of the type of cooperation UNESCO should establish with sister UN Agencies” in the framework of the Global Coalition “Unite for Heritage”. He further noted that “UNOSAT and UNESCO have complementary capacities that can considerably enhance UNESCO’s ability to protect heritage in emergency situations” and referred in particular to ongoing cooperation to document the state of heritage sites in Iraq and other conflict-affected countries.

UNOSAT’s Manager, Dr Einar Bjorgo, stated: “At UNOSAT we are most pleased to team up with the UN entity mandated to protect cultural heritage and safeguard cultural diversity. Our partnership with UNESCO is a good example of how innovative applications of satellite imagery and other geo-spatial technologies make a difference to the way the United Nations supports its member states. UNOSAT’s track record of innovative solutions now has a significant impact on the way the UN operates. While it is fascinating to note how new technologies are applied to protect ancient cultural heritage, our partnership with UNESCO helps us take specific action on the ground. Satellite imagery can document what is going on, but protection needs to take place at local, national and international level. That is why the roles of UNESCO and UNITAR-UNOSAT are so complementary in this partnership.”

Related Links:
UNESCO
UNITAR-UNOSAT
Satellite-based Damage Assessment to Cultural Heritage Sites in Syria
Full article

We’re extending the submission phase for the Copernicus Masters until 10:00am (CET) on Monday, 20 July 2015. This gives you one week of added time to submit, fine-tune, and complete your idea.

Use this extra time and take your chance to become the champion of the Copernicus Masters 2015 – and win prizes worth EUR 300,000 to help develop your idea…

Do you have an innovative solution for business or society based on Earth observation data? From disaster prevention and agriculture to transport and smartphone apps, satellite images open the door to myriad applications. We’re excited to see yours!

Accept the challenge – the countdown is on and getting involved isn’t rocket science:

  • Step two: Select one of nine different Challenges Take a look and decide which fits your idea best.
  • Step three: Submit your proposal. Please make sure to fill in all of the required fields on the submission form and keep your idea description simple and concise.

AWESOME PRIZES WORTH MORE THAN EUR 300,000 WAITING TO BE WON!

If you have already submitted your idea, please ensure that your application is complete before the rapidly approaching deadline of 20 July. For those of you who have a coherent business idea related to Copernicus but have yet to enter, we encourage you to get started now!

Sign up before 20 July 2014 to win your share of EUR 300,000 and unlock the value of your Earth monitoring idea.

Good luck and please don’t hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions.

Copernicus Masters Team
www.anwendungszentrum.de
www.copernicus-masters.com
www.app-camp.eu

(9 July 2015) Ground control teams are ready to shepherd Europe’s next weather satellite through its critical first days in orbit, ensuring it is working and healthy in the harsh environment of space.

On 15 July, a team of experts will be sitting ‘on console’ in the Main Control Room at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany, watching intently as the latest Meteosat Second Generation satellite, MSG-4, separates from its Ariane launcher.

As with its three predecessors, information from the last of the MSG series is required for the ‘nowcasting’ of high-impact weather and for continuing climate research.

MSG satellites, dubbed Meteosat once operating, provide full-disc images over Europe and Africa every 15 minutes and ‘rapid scan’ imagery over Europe every five minutes.

They are operated by Eumetsat – the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites – and ESA is responsible for their design, development and in-orbit delivery.

Ariane flight VA224 is set for liftoff in a 37-minute window starting at 21:42 GMT (23:42 CEST) on Wednesday, 15 July. MSG-4 will separate from Ariane’s upper stage about 40 minutes after launch, a few minutes after its co-passenger, Embratel’s Star One C4 satellite.

Taking control

Separation marks the start of ‘LEOP’ – the launch and early orbit phase – when the satellite comes under control of the teams at ESOC, who will take it through a series of health checks and turn on up some of the units including the instruments.

This is one of the most critical phases of any satellite’s life, and experts spanning a range of specialities, including mission operations, flight dynamics, software and ground stations, will work 24 hours per day to ensure MSG-4 is operating as it should.

“In many ways, it’s a text-book LEOP for us, and very similar to the services we provided for the first three MSG satellites,” says ESA flight director Nigel Head.

“Nonetheless, we are training as thoroughly for this as for any mission, and we will be especially engaged for the most critical steps, including the orbital manoeuvres and the ejection of the main camera covers.”

Establishing a command link

During the 12-day LEOP, the satellite will fire its apogee motor four times to take it to its final geostationary orbit high above Europe, where it will be kept as a ‘hot backup’ for Eumetsat’s current Meteosat fleet.

“Even during the ride to space, MSG-4 will be switched on and sending us a continuous feed of live information on its status so we can keep a constant check on how it’s doing,” says Spacecraft Operations Manager Steve Foley.

“However, it is only when we are able to establish a commanding link, as soon as possible after separation from the Ariane launcher, that we can get going with our well-rehearsed operations.”

The first commands are expected to be sent about 41 minutes into flight, using the tracking station at Malindi, Kenya.

Intensive training

The mission control team have conducted numerous simulation training sessions using the ground systems and tracking stations that will enable engineers to control the satellite in space. Experts from ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands, Eumetsat and the satellite manufacturer, Thales Alenia Space, also trained to be ready for any possible contingency.

After separation, flight dynamics specialists will use radio signals and other data received from MSG-4 to assess the accuracy of the satellite’s orbit injection, determine its trajectory and orientation, and then compute the duration of the motor burns to reach its final destination over the course of the next 12 days.

Source

European Space Imaging looks forward to giving this year’s prize at the award ceremony in Berlin. It could be you walking away with the valuable package of commercial VHR satellite imagery worth up to 20,000 EUR to develop your solution.

The organiser of the Copernicus Masters has just advised us they are extending the deadline on all challenges. This means you have one more week to finish your proposal and a bigger chance of becoming this year’s Master.

The new deadline is Monday 20th July. Now you just need to find two hours to complete. That is all it will take to enter the Copernicus Masters this year.

Sign up now and complete by 20 July 2015
For more info and to sign up for the challenge visit

(7 July 2015) MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has been awarded three contracts with the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA), an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia (MOSTI).

Under the contracts, MDA will provide:

  • A Radarsat-2 ground station, scheduled to be installed and operational in early 2016, with the capability to receive and process Radarsat-2 information for three years,
  • One year of Radarsat-2 information to be supplied in advance of the station becoming operational; and,
  • Training to develop products that provide information to support a variety of applications.

MRSA will use the information to support a number of applications, such as flood monitoring, maritime and agricultural monitoring, natural resource management, and in developing digital elevation products useful for a variety of mapping applications. Radarsat information has been incorporated into MRSA’s monitoring operations since 2003.

The Radarsat-2 satellite has global high-resolution surveillance capabilities that include a large collection capacity and high accuracy. The satellite acquires data regardless of light or weather condition, provides frequent re-visit imaging options, and is supported by ground receiving stations that provide near real-time information delivery services. This versatility makes Radarsat-2 a reliable source of information for disaster management, maritime monitoring, deformation mapping and for other applications.

About MDA

MDA is a global communications and information company providing operational solutions to commercial and government organizations worldwide.

MDA’s business is focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, primarily in the Communications sector and the Surveillance and Intelligence sector. In addition, the Company conducts a significant amount of advanced technology development.

MDA’s established global customer base is served by more than 4,800 employees operating from 11 locations in the United States, Canada, and internationally.

The Company’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “MDA.”

(source: MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates)

Markham, Ontario, Canada—July 8, 2015: PCI Geomatics, a world leading developer of remote sensing and photogrammetric software and systems, announced today that it has released a service pack for Geomatica 2015, only a few short weeks following the initial Geomatica 2015 software release.

The service pack features greatly improved automatic Digital Elevation Model (DEM) extraction capability, as well as other improvements.

The automated DEM extraction workflow produces high quality results that are accurate, detailed and processed very efficiently through optimized algorithms. Through internal benchmarking tests, the DEM extraction process has been improved by a factor of 2x to 4x, depending on the workflow and imagery used. This increase in speed does not come at the expense of quality or detail – DEMs extracted from high resolution aerial imagery contain fewer blunders, have cleaner building edges, handle steep slopes very well, and can also match the input imagery’s Ground Sample Distance (GSD) in some cases, providing DEMs at matching output resolution (1:1).

“We felt it was important to put this technology into the hands of our customers as soon as we could” said David Piekny, Product Marketing Manager at PCI Geomatics. “The service pack will install seamlessly on top of our customer’s existing Geomatica 2015 software, without the need to re-license. Upon contacting our Customer Support Team, customers can simply download the service pack, install, and enjoy the new and improved functionality”

For customers who are interested in trying out this new capability for the first time, a fully functional, 30 day evaluation license is available at: www.GetGeomatica.com. More information on the DEM Extraction process, the new PCI Customer Support Website can be consulted for many tutorials on automated DEM Extraction: Tutorials on how to Extract DEMs in Geomatica.

Visit the new Customer Support Website, at support.pcigeomatics.com.

About PCI Geomatics

PCI Geomatics is a world-leading developer of software and systems for remote sensing, imagery processing, and photogrammetry. With more than 30 years of experience in the geospatial industry, PCI is recognized globally for its excellence in providing software for accurately and rapidly processing both satellite and aerial imagery. PCI has installed more than 30 thousand licenses, in over 150 countries worldwide. Find out more about PCI Geomatics at www.pcigeomatics.com.

Press Contact
Kevin R. Jones
Director, Marketing and Communications
T: 819-770-0022 × 214
E: jones@pcigeomatics.com
Web: www.pcigeomatics.com

Proteus, a provider of mapping and geospatial services, has signed a distribution agreement for the Middle East region with Geoslam Ltd for the latest ZEB1 handheld laser scanning technology.

Proteus will also provide laser scanning services globally with focus on providing a complete package, including scanning and modelling.

“We are very excited about this new offering. The ZEB1 laser scanner is revolutionary in its mobility, providing accurate data of previously difficult to survey locations” states Paul Crisp, Director at Proteus.

Geoslam’s Neil Pollock adds “Proteus was an obvious distributor, they are currently a recognised industry leader within the geospatial community and have the perfect experience to champion this innovative technology and enable its’ successful resell.”

The ZEB1 is a handheld 3D laser scanner, suitable for indoor, outdoor and underground use. It is lightweight and compact, providing the flexibility to capture detail wherever and whenever an accurate laser survey is required.

For more information please visit
For ZEB1 Equipment Sales contact sales@proteusgeo.com
For Laser Scanning Services contact pc@proteusgeo.com

Cambridge, ON – June 8 , 2015– exactEarth Ltd., the leading provider of Satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS) data services and Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), a world leader in space, geospatial and remote sensing solutions, have formed an alliance to provide a new level of AIS data service that will deliver real-time global coverage for maritime vessel tracking.

The new service will leverage the persistent global coverage and real-time connectivity of the Iridium NEXT constellation through the implementation of 58 hosted payloads covering the Maritime VHF frequency band.

Compatibility testing of the hosted payload with the Iridium satellites has been completed and the first launch is scheduled for early 2016 with the completed constellation expected in 2017. The new service will provide customers with the fastest, most accurate vessel information available. With revisit times and latency under one minute, the service expansion represents a monumental leap forward in the ability for both Harris and exactEarth to offer truly unsurpassed global ship tracking and maritime information solutions.

The alliance leverages exactEarth’s proven and patented signal de-collision detection technology and Harris’ expertise in satellite hosted payloads, advanced radio frequency technology and antenna solutions. Harris becomes the exclusive provider to the US government of AIS products and services produced under the alliance, including exactEarth’s exactAIS product portfolio, while exactEarth continues to serve all other global markets.

“This alliance will expand our IntelliEarth™ family of innovative solutions, which leverage Harris’ world-class remote sensing capabilities to help customers around the globe make smarter operational and business decisions,” said Bill Gattle, Vice President and General Manager, National Programs, Harris Government Communications Systems. “Harris is committed to exploring new technologies and partnering with world-leading organizations to provide our customers with the greatest value.”

“As the recognized Satellite AIS industry leader, this announcement further strengthens our commitment to provide best-in-class maritime intelligence solutions to our customers worldwide,” said Peter Mabson, President of exactEarth. “We are thrilled to be able to offer the shortest revisit times and lowest latency for developing true maritime domain awareness. This partnership with Harris will allow us to significantly expand the range of advanced value-added services and information solutions that we can bring to the global maritime market.”

About exactEarth Ltd.

exactEarth, based in Cambridge, Ontario, is a data services company providing the most advanced information on global maritime traffic available today. Our premium service, exactAIS®, delivers an unrivalled view of the recognized maritime picture at a global scale. Offering fully secure data in a variety of industry standard formats and delivery methods, exactEarth provides advanced information services for a wide range of operational maritime applications delivering operational efficiencies, enhancing security, safeguarding the environment, and assisting in saving lives. For more information, visit our website at exactearth.com.

About Harris Corporation

Harris provides advanced, technology-based solutions that solve government and commercial customers’ mission critical challenges. The company has approximately $8 billion in annual revenue and about 23,000 employees – including 9,000 engineers and scientists – supporting customers in more than 125 countries. Learn more at harris.com

About Hisdesat

Hisdesat was founded in 2001 as operator of government services by satellite to act primarily in the areas of defense, security, intelligence and foreign affairs. Since 2005, the company provides secure satellite communications to government agencies of different countries and is currently developing new satellites in two areas: Earth Observation and Information of the worldwide maritime traffic by satellite (AIS).
More information: www.hisdesat.es

Source