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ESA and Australia’s CSIRO national research organisation have signed an agreement that’ll help Australia get better access to information from Europe’s Earth observation satellites.

ESA will use this agreement to get Australia’s scientific expertise. The agreement focuses on the collaboration between Australian and European researchers in the evaluation of satellite data for use in Australia, while jointly developing new applications and space technologies for future satellites. The cooperation is expected to improve the calibration and validation of Earth observation data over Australia and improve the data quality of ESA’s missions.

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Just four days after being lofted into orbit, European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2A satellite delivered its first images of Earth.

The Sentinel-2A satellite lifted off on a Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on June 23, 2015.

The 1,140-kg satellite carries a high-resolution optical payload that will gather some of the best global imagery ever delivered from space of our land and vegetation for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring program. This information will mainly be used for agricultural and forestry practices, as well as will help manage food security, monitor pollution in lakes and coastal waters and contribute to more rapid disaster mapping.

“This new satellite will be a game changer in Earth observation for Europe and for the European Copernicus program,” said Philippe Brunet, Director for Space Policy, Copernicus and Defense at the European Commission.

“Sentinel-2 will enable us to provide data for the program’s land monitoring services and will be the base for a wide spectrum of applications reaching from agriculture to forestry, environmental monitoring to urban planning,” added Volker Liebig, Director of ESA’s Earth Observation Programs.

The Multispectral Imager (MSI) on Sentinel-2A is being calibrated during the commissioning phase, but the quality of the first images already exceeds expectations. MSI’s 13 spectral bands, from the visible and the near infrared to the shortwave infrared at different spatial resolutions, take land monitoring to an unprecedented level.

Sentinel-2A is the second satellite for Europe’s Copernicus program, following the Sentinel-1A radar satellite launched last year.

Designed as a two-satellite mission, Sentinel-2 will provide optical imagery on a 5-day revisit cycle once its twin, Sentinel-2B, is launched in the second half of 2016.

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at support.pcigeomatics.com

MARKHAM, Ontario, Canada—June 30, 2015: PCI Geomatics, a world leading developer of remote sensing and photogrammetric software and systems, announced today that it launched a dedicated customer support website at support.pcigeomatics.com. The new, improved and centralized customer support destination website provides improved access to hundreds of articles, tutorials, videos, webinars, as well as a discussion forum to interact with other Geomatica users from around the world.

PCI Geomatics is a recognized leader in the industry for providing top quality, responsive customer support to prospective and existing customers. The customer support team consists of talented individuals who have detailed, practical experience working with PCI’s technology and are passionate about ensuring customers are successful with our software. Providing improved access to support material is a key component of the support team’s approach to continue to provide top quality customer support.

The decision was recently made to develop an improved customer support destination website to make the materials more readily searchable. “We have invested in a new customer support platform to make it easier for Geomatica users to search our support material”, said Ross Downey, Manager of the Customer Support team. “The customer support website also provides a discussion forum to allow Geomatica users to interact and build additional support channels through the establishment of a community of users”.

The dedicated customer support website provides information on getting started, step by step tutorials, webinars, articles, training manuals, case studies, FAQs, as well as developer resources. All of the information is searchable, making it easier than ever to find help related to a specific Geomatica topic. The discussion forum provides various categories to post topics and suggest improvements to Geomatica, and interact with other Geomatica users.

For more information on the new customer support platform, visit 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 satellite and aerial imagery. There are more than 30,000 PCI licenses, in over 150 countries worldwide. Find out more about PCI Geomatics at Web

by Airbus Defence and Space and Spectrum.
Airbus Defence and Space and seismic multi-client acquisition and imaging specialist Spectrum Geo have launched a 2D seismic and seep study programme for the Porcupine Basin, just ahead of the Irish Licensing Round.

Issues and Needs

This joint analysis correlates natural oil seeps identified from radar satellites with 2D seismic data to assist hydrocarbon exploration in this region and is set to provide additional insight into the prospectivity of Irish waters. The analysis draws on the expertise of the individual partners, combining Spectrum Geo’s sub-surface seismic information with Airbus Defence and Space’s surface seeps data.

Prior to exploration , oil companies need to review as much information as possible relating to the prospectivity within a region… using the most cost-effective and accurate methods available
Fig. 14,000 km reprocessed 2D seismic data complementing the 2D seismic data acquired by PAD (Petroleum Affairs Division)

Solution

Example of oil slick identified in the region Spectrum has reprocessed 14,000km of regional 2D seismic data, complementing preceding surveys and integrating gravity, magnetics and well data. An updated extract from the Airbus Defence and Space Global Seeps Database provides sea surface slick locations together with confidence levels based on the analysis of multi-temporal satellite radar data. Results are encouraging with a strong correlation between higher confidence slicks and seismic features

Results & Perspectives

These results will offer a new perspective on the hydrocarbon potential in the region, supporting both the ongoing licensing round and future exploration.

Related Info

The Spectrum group provides innovative Multi-Client seismic surveys and high-quality Seismic Imaging services to the global oil and gas industry from offices in Norway, UK, USA, Brazil, Egypt, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore.
About Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defence enterprises. It employs more than 38,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €13 billion per year.

www.geo-airbusds.com
info@astrium-geo.com
Twitter: @AirbusDS_GEO
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(Oberpfaffenhofen, 29 June 2015) The CloudEO Going Live Challenge awards proposals for EO-related products and services that are ready to be tested and implemented with a prize package worth EUR 10,000

The tremendous amounts of data produced by the European Earth observation programme Copernicus and its Sentinel satellites hugely benefit science and public authorities and open the door to countless products and applications in a wide array of business sectors.

The annual Earth Monitoring competition Copernicus Masters initiated to aid visionary entrepreneurs in bringing their innovations to market.

Its CloudEO Going Live Challenge is now calling for proposals for EO-related products and services that are ready to be tested and implemented. Areas of special interest include ice detection, agriculture & forestry, oil, gas & mining, maritime, and radar applications. Entrants are invited to submit a concrete plan for using CloudEO’s ecosystem to transform partially or fully developed applications based on Earth observation data into operational commercial services. After an initial evaluation by an expert panel, the top three contestants will be rewarded with the opportunity to conduct a reality check trial at the CloudEO Living Lab along with relevant user communities and potential future customers.

CloudEO is offering a powerful cloud-based hard- and software infrastructure, access to great data, an easy-to-use collaboration platform, sophisticated streaming services, a web store as a marketing tool, and CloudEO’s coaching and matchmaking support. The best service implementation will be awarded as the winner of the Copernicus Masters CloudEO – Going Live Challenge with a prize package worth up to EUR 10,000.

The winner of the challenge is also running for the overall winner – the Copernicus Master – who will receive (along with their challenge prize) EUR 20,000 in cash and a satellite data package worth a further EUR 60,000, which is being provided with the financial support of the European Commission.

The Copernicus Master CloudEO The Going Live Challenge is open for online submission until the 13th July this year.

All winners will be announced on 20 October 2015 and recognised as part of a festive awards ceremony in Berlin.

Related links:

Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen – an experienced organiser

AZO has been carrying out the Copernicus Masters competition on behalf of ESA since 2011. By leveraging its extensive experience as a specialist in building and maintaining global innovation networks and organising related competitions, the company supports product innovations and the creation of new businesses, particularly in the field of commercial aerospace applications. www.anwendungszentrum.de

(17 June 2015) ABB has won a contract to supply the main component, a Michelson interferometer, for the satellite of the GOSAT-2 mission that will enable the Japanese government to continue and enhance spaceborne measurement of major greenhouse gases.

This contract agreement is with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, who is the primary equipment supplier for this second Japan’s Greenhouse Gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT-2) program. GOSAT-2 is being jointly developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, and is expected to be launched by JAXA in Japan Fiscal Year 2017.

ABB will supply the Michelson interferometer, the heart of a system that will collect and transmit precise atmospheric measurements from 613 kilometers above the earth. The data is used to ascertain the global distribution of carbon dioxide and methane gases and how the sources and sinks of these gases vary by month, year and location. GOSAT-2, the improved successor of GOSAT-1, will strengthen such observations by using high-performance sensors to provide even more precise measurements and will feature new capabilities to measure carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter.

ABB is very proud of having been selected to build the GOSAT-2 interferometer. GOSAT-2 relies on the heritage of GOSAT-1 (IBUKI), a highly successful satellite on-orbit since 2009. ABB has provided technologies for Japanese space programs in over 20 years, and our team is fully dedicated to the GOSAT program. The technology used also relies very much on the ACE-FTS instrument that ABB built for the Canadian Space Agency for the Scisat satellite” said Marc-Andre Soucy, Space and Defense Systems Director at ABB Measurement & Analytics Business Unit.

GOSAT-2 will feature a range of highly advanced instruments, including greenhouse gas and cloud/aerosol sensors, which contributed to the Proactive Diplomatic Strategy for Countering Global Warming announced by the Japanese government at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 19) in Warsaw, Poland in 2013.

About ABB

ABB’s Measurement & Analytics business unit is among the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of instrumentation and analyzers. With thousands of experts around the world and high-performance technology, ABB’s team is dedicated to making measurement easy for its customers.

ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 140,000 people. In Canada, ABB has more than 5,000 employees from coast to coast.

(source: ABB)

Using Pléiades data, Airbus Defence and Space and CIPAC produced a map of the sports facilities in Port Moresby, in advance of the XV Pacific Games

Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, is hosting the XV Pacific Games from 4th to 18th July, 2015.

The city has invested heavily in refurbishing, building and developing its facilities to hold the competition which covers 28 sporting disciplines.

The recent Pléiades image captured on 2nd June 2015 shows the facilities ready to receive the sportsmen and sportswomen and their supporters. The map produced shows the locations of the sports sites and tourism hotels.


© Cnes 2015, Distribution Airbus DS

Based in New Caledonia, CIPAC (Compagnie Industrielle du Pacifique) distributes Airbus Defence and Space products and services over the entire South Pacific area, in particular Pléiades and SPOT 6/7 data.

Full image can be downloaded with or without captions

(24 June 2015) SSTL is now downloading data from its newly installed ground station in Svalbard, which will maximise contact with the company’s polar-orbiting satellites.

The Svalbard ground station, uniquely located close to the North Pole, will enable satellite contact every 90 minutes – up to 14 passes a day.

With 14 satellites already monitored and controlled from its Guildford-based Satellite Operations Centre and four more to be launched next month, SSTL has increased it ground network capabilities with the addition of a high latitude ground station to supplement its existing UK capabilities, which receive up to 6 passes a day.

Under an agreement with Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), SSTL has installed one of its ground station mini racks at KSAT’s Svalbard facility. This has been successfully commissioned and is now operational. A high speed data link between Svalbard and the SSTL Satellite Operations Centre in Guildford completes the new system.

James Northam, Head of Ground Systems and Missions Services said: “We are very pleased to be working with our colleagues at KSAT. This new facility will significantly enhance our operational capabilities for both our customer’s and our own missions. With four new satellites to be launched next month, the increased contact time provided by the high latitude location will allow us to spread the loading efficiently across the ground stations. This will reduce commissioning times and enable us to bring these new missions into service quickly, which will benefit our customers.”

About SSTL

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world’s leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science and communications. The Company designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, with 500 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.

Since 1981, SSTL has built and launched 43 satellites – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA , international governments and commercial customers, with an innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

Headquartered in Guildford, UK, SSTL is part of the Airbus Group.

(source: SSTL)

(25 June 2015) MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has signed a contract for CA$7.4 million with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

MDA will provide In-Service Support to maintain and operate Canada’s national ground station infrastructure at Inuvik, Prince Albert, and Gatineau. MDA will also be the exclusive supplier of hosting services to a global base of satellite operators wishing to install and operate antennas at the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility (ISSF) for satellite control and data reception. The ISSF receives satellite information that is used for environmental monitoring, security and surveillance, and natural resource development.

For Canada, the ISSF enhances the country’s ability to monitor the Arctic, increases social and economic development in the North, and provides Canadian and international users with expanded and more rapid access to Earth observation data.

The contract extends the strategic collaboration between MDA and Natural Resources Canada in service of the RADARSAT-2 and RADARSAT Constellation Mission programs. The contract also positions MDA to supply satellite commanding and reception systems and services to other satellite operators at the ISSF. Don Osborne, MDA’s group vice president of Information Systems, said, “The expanded collaboration with NRCan creates numerous opportunities and enables both MDA and the government to benefit from Canada’s continued investment in the North.”

“Canada’s satellite monitoring facilities contribute to environmental protection and help ensure the security and prosperity of all Canadians,” said the Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. “We are pleased to collaborate with MDA to ensure continued access to critical satellite data and optimize development of the Inuvik facility.”

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.”

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The country is in the final stages of establishing a space centre, the equivalent of National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) agency, a project that will propel Kenya to the elite club of a few countries in the world that own earth observation satellites.

The space centre that is projected to cost to the tune of Sh10 billion for a constellation of earth observation satellites is expected to boost the country’s security as well as provide solutions in the agriculture, education and medical sectors.

Experts, military and government officials who are spearheading the National Space Policy, Strategy and Space Agency Order have told the Standard that proposals on establishment of a Space centre will be included in the cabinet docket before the end of June.

The project is being spearheaded by the Office of the Deputy President and Ministry of Defence with Dr John Kimani (the lead Scientist at the Ministry of Defence), Prof Paul Baki and Prof Hunja Waithaka as the lead scientists.

“This is a major breakthrough for the country in our efforts to ensure that we become a country with a space centre,” Dr John Kimani, the lead Scientist at the Ministry of Defence said.

If established, the centre will end over three decades wait for a national space policy and strategy since the country opened discussions of establishing a Space Centre in the year 1983.

It will also have Kenya transition from a passive user of space and space technologies to a contributor to the development of space technology.

According to scientists, the country is strategically located at a point where it will exhaust the space project for massive economic growth and creation of jobs.

“Kenya’s strategic outer space includes the geographic location along the equator and bordering the Indian Ocean to its East that facilitates ease of landing of space crafts, tracking of space crafts in space, and ease of access to equatorial orbits, and in particular the geostationary orbit,” the Policy order reads.

Lilian Abishai, a senior Counsel at the Office of the Attorney General, said that all the necessary legal instruments are being prepared so that the space centre will conform to both local laws and international conventions and treaties.

“An Order has been established through which the Space Agency will succeed the National Space Secretariat that is currently under the Ministry of Defence, “she said.

Kenya is developing a space centre in its efforts to develop viable home grown space industry and enhance coordination of space related activities by establishing linkages among government agencies and institutions, industry and researchers.

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