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Much time is spent this time of year looking forward. Sensors & Systems spent some time reflecting on emerging stories and growing trends to come up with the following predictions for 2013. © Sensors & Systems

On the list are technology advancements, policy initiatives and the continued evolution of model-based design. Read the full list and please add your own observations in the comments.

1. Privacy – Growing scrutiny on location privacy will be underway in the new year with Senator Al Franken’s Location Privacy Protection Act mandating that companies obtain consent from users prior to collecting or sharing location data. This added scrutiny has been coming for some time, and this requirement of transparency doesn’t seem onerous for businesses offering such services. The hope is that such regulations don’t hamper business interests, but it will take broad location privacy vigilance among service providers for further and harsher measures not to be applied.

2. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Systems (UAV and UASs) Everywhere – The growth of different unmanned platforms has been exponential, despite restrictions on airspace in most of the world. We’re starting to see specialized platforms and services evolve to aid specific applications, such as mining, construction site monitoring, and even to inform precision farming implements. We can expect an explosion of platforms and applications when the restriction is lifted in 2015.

3. Data and Navigation – Many are speculating on whether Apple will snatch up TomTom or even Nokia. The heated competition in the consumer mapping market may witness greater consolidation in the coming months. With hardware providers spicing their utility by also offering free services, the market for paid navigation is rapidly deteriorating. With perhaps further consolidation of the commercial map data providers, OpenStreetMap may see an insurgence of interest.

4. Climate Change – The world will finally realize how urgent climate change is, connecting the issue with the economic pain as felt by escalating coastal damage, food insecurity, and extreme weather impacts. A serious discussion may take place around measures that factor in a true-cost-accounting for carbon emissions and impacts on ecosystem services.

5. Google Backlash – Earlier this year, a group of European mapmaking companies filed a complaint against Google that asserted it was creating a monopoly on mapping, Google has a growing percentage of mobile devices coupled with free navigation services, and other location-based offerings such as Field Trip. This dominance puts them in the crosshairs of geospatial providers, but our little niche is likely the least of the company’s worries in terms of a backlash. Just witness the public ridicule Apple went through when they got mapping really wrong.

6. Government Cuts – As of this writing, deep U.S. federal government cuts were still being debated. Suffice to say, if dramatic cuts happen the geospatial industry will be hurting across the board. My sense is that the economic risk is too great to allow the precipitous drop to happen.

7. Cloud Just Is – The hype around the cloud is fading fast as it just becomes the way we run most of our software. The extension of infinite computing has a ways to expand into truly fulfilling the ‘infinite’ definition, yet so many applications are seamlessly using an extension to the cloud that it has become the norm. No longer it seems is there much of a need to make a distinction, if there’s an online component, it’s likely a cloud extension these days.

8. Sensors to Pick From – There are already a great number of satellite and aerial earth observation sensors that capture data on the earth on regular intervals. Satellites and constellations, including government-owned imagery and weather satellites as well as commercial satellite imagery, are only increasing. The days of multiple tailored earth observation constellations has come, witness the success of ExactEarth and its focus on shipping traffic. The commercialization of space is getting more than a toehold in the earth observation space, and we can expect that to accelerate.

9. Further Calls for Intelligent Infrastructure – Given the escalating impact of aging infrastructure, and particularly fragile coast, we will see an increased emphasis on replacement. The new infrastructure will factor in projected impacts, and will incorporate sensors for real-time understanding of critical infrastructure such as bridges. This new era of the Infrastructure Internet will greatly improve quality while reducing costs.

10. Governmental Data Decrees – Increasingly, government policy is dictating detailed digital reporting, rather than traditional paperwork. Whether models (with the dictates of a BIM process by the Government Services Association) or data logs (as in agricultural policy driven by precision farming outputs) the government is getting much more sophisticated in terms of the data and models it can handle. This extension into workflow makes the paperwork process easier, while also spurring technology adoption. Expect GIS and mapping to play a critical role in such place-based reporting in the future.

© Source

(21 December 2012) ESA’s ice mission is now giving scientists a closer look at oceans, coastal areas, inland water bodies and even land, reaching above and beyond its original objectives.

Launched in 2010, the polar-orbiting CryoSat was developed to measure the changes in the thickness of polar sea ice, the elevation of the ice sheets that blanket Greenland and Antarctica, and mountain glaciers.

The satellite’s radar altimeter not only detects tiny variations in the height of the ice, it also measures sea level and the sea ice’s height above water to derive sea-ice thickness with an unprecedented accuracy.

At a higher precision than previous altimeters, CryoSat’s measurements of sea level are improving the quality of the model forecasts. Small, local phenomena in the ocean surface like eddies can be detected and analysed.

Taking CryoSat a step further, scientists have now discovered that the altimetry readings have the potential to map sea level closer to the coast, and even greater capabilities to profile land surfaces and inland water targets such as small lakes, rivers and their intricate tributaries.

Radar altimeters have more difficulty doing this because, compared to open ocean measurements, the landscape surrounding inland water bodies is a lot more complex.

These had not been previously monitored with satisfying accuracy by conventional altimeters because the sensor footprints – about 5×5 km – were too large to detect subtle differences in the topography around small landforms.

CryoSat, however, has a resolution along its ground track of about 300 m.

In order to thoroughly investigate the possibilities offered by CryoSat over water, ESA recently began scientific exploitation projects coined ‘CryoSat+’.

Scientists are reprocessing large, raw and uncompressed sets of data coming directly from CryoSat to obtain new information on oceans, inland water bodies and land.

In the example pictured above, CryoSat’s altimeter made readings over central Cuba, extending north and south into the surrounding water.

The image clearly shows the difference between the bright radar reflections from the steady water and the elevated land.

For instance, near the edges of the island, points of high radar reflection are pictured in red. This is due to the more placid waters of the bay and over coral reefs.

Examples are also pictured over the Danube delta in eastern Romania, and the land-locked Issyk Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan.

“Thanks to CryoSat being operated over some inland water targets in high resolution mode, we were able to distinctly chart the contours of a flood that occurred last March at Rio Negro in the Amazon,” said Salvatore Dinardo, working for ESA on CryoSat+.

Jérôme Benveniste, the ESA scientist who initiated the project, continued, “We were able to emphasise the unique capability to see the floodwater extent under the forest canopy, where optical sensors or even imaging radars are blocked by the trees.”

Results from the project will be unveiled to the scientific community at the Third CryoSat User Workshop to be held in Germany at the Technical University of Dresden on 12–14 March.

Source

(Munich, Germany, December 20, 2012) The Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), with assistance from GAF AG, has successfully completed the implementation of its new Mining Cadastre System, which takes into account recent amendments in the country’s Mining Regulations.


Benefits of the Nigerian Computerised Mining Cadastre

The GAF-developed computerised mining cadastre system supports all of the MCO’s key business processes, is fully compliant with the relevant laws and regulations and adheres to international best practices.

The efficient and reliable management of mining titles is considered to be a key element in increasing investment in the mining sector in Nigeria. The newly established computerised cadastre system allows the MCO to grant, manage and cancel mining titles in an effective manner, thus strengthening the property rights and security of tenures within the mining sector, as well as improving the transparency of the mineral licensing process and the government’s regulatory capacity. Governance in the mining sector gains from the improved efficiency, information availability and computer supported management.

The cadastre system has been developed, implemented and maintained by GAF since 2007 at the MCO’s premises in Abuja, Nigeria. The recent amendments to the Mining Regulations made in 2011 are now implemented and reflected in the system. Key activities supported by GAF have consisted of, but have not been limited to, institutional strengthening, the elaboration and definition of administrative documents, the review and analysis of the mining act and regulations, the revision and streamlining of cadastral procedures, and the implementation and updating of the new modern, computerised mining cadastre system, which also features a web front end.

The Nigerian mining cadastre system is the most recent in a sequence of mineral governance assistance projects carried out by GAF: highlights include the computerisation of the mining cadastre in Namibia initiated in 1997, which has provided more than 15 years of uninterrupted service and been updated twice, and the mining cadastre system in Madagascar, which was established with the support of GAF and has been praised by the World Bank as the most successful in Africa. And the new technology used in Nigeria has benefited considerably from the experience gained implementing the GAF-designed mining cadastre system for Mongolia.

MCO Director General Eng. M. K. Amate states: “The MCO, as well as our numerous investors, will greatly benefit from the resulting full transparency of our cadastral activities, the increased operational efficiency, and the enhanced security of tenure of mineral titles. This will attract further investment into the mining sector in our country and lead to new jobs, poverty reduction and an increase in national wealth.”

Dr. Tobias Wever, Head of the Geology/Mining Department at GAF, comments: “The computerisation of mining cadastres is not a job for just IT experts. The successful computerisation of mining cadastres and registries depends on an integrated multidisciplinary approach. We support our clients not only with IT, database and cadastral expertise but also with our deep understanding of the context: we mobilise our combined experience in IT and geo-information, in mining, geology and in regulatory frameworks, as well as in business process design and capacity building. Nigeria is the most recent success, and follows on from a number of projects in countries in Africa and Asia in which GAF has set-up best-in-class, nationwide computerised mining titling systems.”

About the Mining Cadastre Office, Federal Republic of Nigeria

The Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), which is under the responsibility of Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in Nigeria, administers mining titles for the whole Federal Republic of Nigeria. The MCO has the exclusive responsibility for receiving, processing and granting applications for the transfer, renewal, modification and relinquishment of mineral titles, and for the extension of areas. The MCO is committed to the principles of integrity, transparency and “first come, first served”.

About GAF AG – Germany (www.gaf.de)

GAF provides expert consultancy services in the mining governance sector, ranging from computerised mining cadastre systems, title registries, and geological and mining information systems to institutional strengthening and know-how transfer activities. GAF AG, an e-GEOS, Telespazio company, is globally active and has an international reputation as an experienced provider of services in the fields of geo-information, satellite remote sensing, spatial IT-consultancy and capacity building for private and public clients. GAF offers solutions in the sectors of mining and geology, natural resources, water and environment, security, land and renewable resources. Over the past 27 years, GAF has been active in more than 100 countries throughout Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.

Source GAF

15th & 16th April 2013, Frascati, Rome

Objective

To collect the views of the EO services industry and some of their main customers regarding an industry-wide certification scheme,

  • to agree or not on the need for a scheme and establish its scope
  • the key requirements based upon draft proposals
  • to determine steps towards its implementation

Background

Certification implies that a company, a process or a service has been approved to a common, well-defined industrial standard. In any industry, certification and validation helps to reassure customers of the reliability of the product and is generally of most relevance for standard products and services. Certification can play a role in improving product quality and thereby getting users to trust the products and services helping to speed up customer acceptance of earth observation products. Certification can also play a role in reducing the cost of the earth observation products by introducing more streamlined processes

A study of a Quality Management System Certification scheme and/or a Product Certification Scheme has been issue by Hollidge Consulting Limited during 2011. This study should be used as reference background for the round table discussions. The workshop should provide an outcome input into the definition of scheme requirements and standards.

Approach

The workshop will bring together the key players from both EO service suppliers and customers. Each part of the EO service value chain will be represented; satellite operators, VA service providers, customers as well as other stakeholders; ESA, EC, EARSC. Representatives from customer sectors will include the O&G industry, insurance industry and the agriculture sector. A scheme will be proposed based on the work to date and the context of product and company certification will be addressed. The views of the various stakeholders will be presented representing differing needs at different stages of the value chain. Both institutional and commercial customers will present their views. The suppliers will be asked to present what they already do and working groups will be organised along thematic/market lines ie vertically, to examine the specific interests which will be presented to the workshop as part of a round table session. Conclusions will be drawn as to the next steps to be taken on the nature of the scheme, areas where pilot projects could be considered and linking activities between the various stakeholders.

Registration

EW-CertificationschemeworkshopProgramme-110213-1122-58.pdf

Study on free and open data policy which provides evidence that a policy of PSI (Public Sector Information) Reuse can not only be the most effective way to help the industry develop but that is also the most attractive from an economic perspective.

Report and Presentation can be downloaded below

Open Data study Final report
EARSC FODP workshop presentation

Barbara J. Ryan is Secretariat Director of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) located in Geneva, Switzerland. In this capacity, she leads the Secretariat in coordinating the activities of nearly 90 Member States and 50 Participating Organizations who are striving to integrate Earth observations so that informed decisions can be made across nine Societal Benefit Areas including agriculture, biodiversity, climate, ecosystems, energy, disasters, health, water and weather.


GEO

Could you briefly explain your daily activities as mainly being responsible for managing programmatic and administrative support to GEO? What are the most significant achievements at the GEO Secretariat?

Like most Secretariats, our primary job is to facilitate and support the work of our Member States and Participating Organizations. Today, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is comprised of 89 Members (88 Countries and the European Commission), 67 Participating Organizations, and 7 Observer Organizations, so, the coordination components associated with our work is substantial. You can see from the attached map (fig.1), that our geographic coverage is quite large. Yet, there are still gaps in selected parts of the developing world, most notably in Africa, the Pacific Island States and South America.

The primary objectives of GEO are to improve and coordinate observation systems, advance broad, open data policies and practices, foster increased use of Earth observation data and information, and ultimately build capacity. We do this through the design, construction and implementation of an annual Work Plan whereby GEO Members and Participating Organizations identify, propose and conduct Tasks which address Strategic Targets in the nine GEO Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) (fig.2) – agriculture, biodiversity, climate, disasters, ecosystems, energy, health, weather and water. A lot of our work is centered on communicating the importance of integrated Earth observations, and maximizing the use of data and information across these nine SBAs.
fig.1. Created in 2005, to develop a coordinated and sustained Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) to enhance decision making in nine Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs). GEO today: 89 Members, 67 Participating Organizations

fig.2. A Global, Coordinated, Comprehensive and Sustained System of Observing Systems
The most significant achievements of the entire GEO Community, and by extension the Secretariat, have been both programmatic and political. Observations that have traditionally been collected for one application area are being used in other application areas, therefore leveraging them to a much greater extent than previously planned. GEO Member States are increasingly sharing data so that global monitoring initiatives like the Global Forest Observation Initiative (GFOI), GEO Global Agriculture Monitoring (GEOGLAM) and GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (GEOBON) can be built on data and information that is both harmonized internationally and quality-assured.

GEO has also had a positive impact on a number of policy and/or political decisions (fig.3 below). The change in the U.S. Landsat data policy was announced at the GEO Ministerial Summit in South Africa – a decision that has resulted in more than 9 million downloads of Landsat data over the internet at no charge to the user. And most recently, the International Charter for Space and Major Disasters announced universal access to its assets for all GEO Members.

What exactly is the role of your team in coordinating the development and implementation of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), and maintaining effective working relationships with the broader GEO community?

Each Member and many of the Participating Organizations own and operate their own observing systems – including space-based, airborne and surface-based systems. Participating in GEO allows these individual Earth observation systems to contribute to a Global Earth Observation System of Systems or GEOSS, resulting in a framework, a construct, actually an infrastructure that is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Like any system with different owners, policies and practices differ among the owners. The role of our team is to find the areas of commonality, increase and advance interoperability and strive to reduce the barriers that limit the full development and implementation of GEOSS. As one might imagine, communication is key to working in this international environment. And with English being the language with which we conduct our business, communicating in a clear, open and transparent fashion for all 89 Members, not just the native English speakers, is essential.

How is GEO coordinating the network of existing and future observing Systems? And how relevant is GEO to sustainable development?

GEO leverages the work of other organizations to coordinate the network of existing and future observing systems. A good example is that of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), an organization which brings together many of the world’s space agencies. And in recent years, as the space-coordination arm of GEO, CEOS has substantially revised and refined its agenda or programme of study to help meet GEO’s goals and objectives. Similar conversations are occurring with organizations like the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) for the climate component of GEOSS, with the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) for the ocean component of GEOSS, and with the European Environment Agency (EEA) for prototyping the surface-based or in situ coordination so desperately needed for full Earth observation integration to be realized.

In reference to GEO’s relevance to sustainable development, one has only to look at our nine SBAs. Each one – agriculture, biodiversity, climate, disasters, ecosystems, energy, health, weather and water – pertains directly or indirectly to sustainable development. This, however, should be no surprise given the genesis of GEO closely followed the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. In 2003, Environment Ministers from the world’s industrialized nations (G8) recognized the unmet potential that Earth observations can play in addressing many of society’s key environmental challenges, and in 2005 the intergovernmental mechanism of GEO was established with the Secretariat located in Geneva, Switzerland.

GEOSS and GMES (Copernicus)

How is the liaison with other programmes as the European Earth Observation programme, GMES?

We are fortunate that Europe has coined GMES as the European component of GEOSS. As indicated above regarding our EEA discussions, the policy alignment of GMES with GEOSS has a significant positive impact on both efforts. For example, to the best of my knowledge, EEA is the only organization that is attempting to tackle the issue of increased coordination of in situ observations across domains. If successful in Europe, this would serve as a substantial contribution to global coordination (and leadership) for in situ observations. GEOSS implementation has benefitted substantially from the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7) where potential grantees are asked to identify how their research projects will advance GEOSS implementation. We are asking other GEO Members to undertake similar efforts. And lastly, although I was not personally involved in the deliberations, I imagine that GEO’s global advocacy for broad, open data policies had some impact on the European Union’s proposed GMES data policy.

As you may know GMES governance is being discussed. Are we very far away to think that GEOSS governance could serve as a model? What about data policies?

This is actually a more complicated question than it may first appear. As a voluntary organization, GEO has no authority to mandate or require that a Member or Participating Organization takes any particular action. And therefore, traditional thought would likely drive a governance model toward a fully-sanctioned body with legal mandates. Yet, what we have observed in the few short years of GEO’s existence, is that substantial influence (with resultant actions) can be exercised in selected areas – data policies is one such example. Combining this fact with the speed at which many, if not most, international organizations reach consensus and ultimately affect change may argue for environmental governance mechanisms to be more like GEO. At the very least, GEO could be used more extensively to test, in a quasi research and development mode, policies and practices before they are transitioned to, and adopted by, operational entities.

How do you see the role of GEOSS in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs)?

Following the last question regarding environmental governance, I believe the early efforts with GFOI and GEOGLAM are, in fact, prototyping what might actually result in more formal MEAs.

How do you see the future steps for GEOSS and GMES?

As previously discussed, the GMES data policy and the early in situ coordination efforts (by EEA) are proceeding nicely and will continue to be good steps for GEOSS and GMES. It also goes without saying that most, if not all, the GEO SBAs will not only benefit from, but need GMES to materialize. We understand the funding challenges that lie ahead, but are optimistic that the gains to be made from full implementation of GMES will outweigh the costs.

Full and open sharing of data between systems is essential. How is building the architecture for the technical operation of the system of systems (features like data capture, data collection, processing, dissemination, storage/archiving, exchange, products and services, etc.)?

As one might expect, each of these functions is progressing differently in different places. The overall architecture for GEOSS does not call for each of these functions to be performed in one centralized location. For example, over the last few years, the strategy to seek individual data sets for GEOSS registration has been replaced with a strategy to reach out to data brokers – organizations or entities who already have responsibility for conducting each of these functions for their respective data and information – and to develop interoperability arrangements between databases and organizations. This action has resulted in benefits accruing on both sides. GEO Members are benefitting from access to increased data and information, and partners of the individual brokers are being exposed to data and information across a broader suite of SBAs than they had originally.

What has not yet been fully exploited is the development of value-added products and services downstream from each and every one of these data sources. It is in this downstream development component where the true and substantial economic value lies – not in the actual data stream itself.

Dialogue with EO Industry

What will cooperative efforts between GEO and Industry bring? And what type of dialogue mechanisms could take place with the service industry?

I firmly believe the cooperative efforts between GEO and Industry will bring the value-added products and services that have not yet been realized from Earth observation data. If you believe, as I do, that the economic value of geospatial data lies in the products and services produced from these data, and not in the data itself, then GEO can focus its efforts upstream, while the commercial sector focuses its efforts downstream producing value-added products and services. From my perspective, we have just begun to tap the potential economic value of geospatial data and information with examples of products and services built around the GPS, marine and weather domains. Much remains to be exploited.

How can your organization help our industry, and how can we help you?

Less than two months ago at our annual Plenary meeting, GEO Members approved a much broader strategy for stakeholder engagement in GEO which includes involvement with the private sector. We have had preliminary discussions with EARSC and other Associations (of commercial companies) to help frame the best way forward. As implied above, I believe GEO can provide a marketplace for commercially produced products and services thereby helping your industry, and in return GEO Members and Participating Organizations will benefit from enhanced applications of Earth observation data and information. These enhanced applications will be used to save lives and property during disasters, bring clean water to those who need it, ensure more stable food supplies for the world’s poor, mitigate the impacts of a changing climate, help create an energy secure world, and the list goes on. There is no end to the creativity and potential that exists when Earth observations become more widely available.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges the commercial Earth observation industry is facing in the years to come? What kind of downstream service industry would Europe benefit from? Is the European Earth observation community on the right track?

At the risk of being criticized by those who face these challenges on a daily basis, one of the biggest challenges facing the commercial Earth observation industry is likely to be the uncertainty associated with what actions governments will take and when these actions will be taken. In my experience, there is usually a fair amount of confusion regarding roles and responsibilities between the public and private sectors, and sorting out the public-good components of a programme from those that are (or will be) commercially viable into the future is not easy.

What is your opinion on the development of the EO market?

Much progress has certainly been made, but you can tell from my previous responses, that in my opinion, it falls very short of its full potential.

Funding

How do you see the planning and budgeting process in GEOSS? What in your opinion is a suitable budget envelope for the years to come for an operation system?

Planning and budgeting for GEOSS occurs at several levels – first and foremost, it is the substantial resources that Members put into planning, development, operation and maintenance of observing systems. Without these national and international investments, there would be no systems to allow the creation of a system of systems. In addition to the actual infrastructure costs, the investments made in conducting science and research are equally substantial. Again, without these investments, the GEO Work Plan would be a shadow of itself. And lastly, but to a much lesser degree, Members and Participating Organizations make voluntary contributions for Secretariat operations. As financial pressures for governments mount, we must all do a better job of showing the added benefit that can be accrued by more, not less, coordination and cooperation. Participation in GEO has facilitated multi-lateral funding arrangements allowing project costs to be spread among partners, thereby reducing the financial liabilities of a given party. We expect these arrangements to increase substantially in the future.

How do you see the future steps for the next GEOSS implementation plan?

As we move toward the end of the first 10-year Implementation Plan, I expect that we will see more globally integrated monitoring initiatives, like GFOI, GEOGLAM and GEOBON, but across the other SBAs. The Energy SBA, for example, in my opinion, is primed for a globally integrated initiative.

Future

At the end of the interview, here is the opportunity for your final thoughts on the future development of the geo-information service sector? Do you think the Global Earth Observation activities are on the right track? And the European ones?

I am extremely excited about the future development of the geo-information service sector. Although we have discussed many challenges throughout this interview, I am quite optimistic that almost everyone wants to see things work better. I also believe very strongly in the power of place – the place where we were born, the place where we live, even the place where we will die. Integrated geospatial information is a prerequisite for unleashing that power, and we in GEO look forward to working with you on this very important task.

Biography

Barbara J. Ryan is Secretariat Director of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) located in Geneva, Switzerland. In this capacity, she leads the Secretariat in coordinating the activities of nearly 90 Member States and 50 Participating Organizations who are striving to integrate Earth observations so that informed decisions can be made across nine Societal Benefit Areas including agriculture, biodiversity, climate, ecosystems, energy, disasters, health, water and weather.

Before assuming this position in July 2012, she was the Director of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Space Programme. She had responsibility for the space-based component of the WMO Global Observing System (GOS), coordinated space-based assets to meet the needs of WMO Members in the topical areas of weather, water, climate and related natural disasters, and also served as the technical focal point for WMO’s activities with GEO. Before joining WMO in October 2008, she was the Associate Director for Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Reston, Virginia where she had responsibility for the Landsat, remote sensing, geography and civilian mapping programs of the agency. It was under her leadership that implementation of the Landsat data policy was reformed to release all data over the internet at no additional cost to the user — an action that has resulted in the release of more than 9 million Landsat scenes to date. As the 2007 Chair of the international Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) she led the space-agency response to the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) satellite requirements for sustained measurement of the GCOS Essential Climate Variables (ECVs). She holds a Bachelor´s degree in Geology from the State University of New York at Cortland, a Master´s degree in Geography from the University of Denver, and a Master´s degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University.

More information at www.earthobservations.org

(October, 2012) This publication presents an overview of and the lessons learnt from Eurisy’s three case-studies with regional authorities, involved in three interregional projects: MORE4NRG, ARCH and Coast Alive.

Case-studies are a form of collaboration with potential end-users of satellite applications, initiated by Eurisy, aiming to accompany and observe them through the different take-up stages: awareness (knowing about satellite applications), conviction (forming an opinion about their usefulness), decision (deciding to implement them or not).

The publication was presented in Naples on 4 October 2012, during the International Astronautical Congress.

Eurisy Position Paper

Source Eurisy

(9 October 2012) Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) is undertaking a project to assist geospatial information provider RapidEye AG in upgrading and consolidating its ground station facilities.

Engineers from SSTL’s Ground Systems Group are providing a new and upgraded Spacecraft Control Centre for RapidEye’s headquarters in Brandenburg, Germany and relocating its Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) ground station equipment to the Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (KSAT) facility in Svalbard, Norway, which receives Earth Observation data from its constellation of five satellites.

As part of the project, SSTL’s Ground Systems Group will also provide new ground station equipment, to incorporate tracking, telemetry and command and S-band data recovery to the existing X-Band SG-9 antenna system currently used at the KSAT facilities in Svalbard.

The current Spacecraft Control Centre in Brandenburg, Germany, was built by SSTL in 2006 as part of the 5-spacecraft RapidEye constellation mission. The improved Centre will allow RapidEye to continue command and control of their constellation remotely from Germany, while retaining back-up TT&C services through the ground station facilities at SSTL in Guildford, UK.

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 39 satellites – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA , international governments and commercial customers, with its innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

In 2008 the Company set up a US subsidiary, Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC (SST-US) with facilities in Denver, Colorado to address the United States market and its customers for the provision of small satellite solutions, applications and services.
Headquartered in Guildford, UK, SSTL is owned by Astrium BV.

(source: SSTL) and spacenewsfeed

Atmospheric gravitation waves in northern part of the Caspian Sea // APEC conference on satellite technologies to draw more than 70 specialists from 13 world countries // Satellite-based monitoring of environmental situation in south-western part of the Peter the Great Bay //

Atmospheric gravitation waves in northern part of the Caspian Sea

The radar images of the northern part of the Caspian Sea, received during the satellite-based monitoring carried out by ScanEx RDC per request of OOO “Lukoil – Nizhnevolzhskneft” in May-September quite often registered groups of periodically quasi parallel lines, which origin can be explained by the formation and passing of atmospheric gravitation waves (AGV). AGVs are generated in lower atmosphere and may distribute both vertically and horizontally under certain conditions.

In 2010-2012 the radar images detected both quasi linear (fig. 2) and non-linear (fig. 1, 3, 4) waves. When studying AGVs by their surface patterns the conditions, under which waves are generated, are of special interest. AGVs studies are based on the analysis of signatures, left by waves in cloud covers (wavy clouds on the visible band images) or surface phenomena on sea surface (quasi parallel lines on radar images).

When looking into the reasons of non-linear AGVs generation one should take into account a number of mechanisms. The waves in the lower atmospheric layer can be generated by powerful downward air movements, impacting the riparian stably stratified air layer. Among them are: downward air movements, created during interaction of air masses, in frontal zones, in powerful cumulonimbus, local (katabatic) winds. Those movements disturb the stable near-ground atmospheric layer. In case of capturing these disturbances they evolve with time turning into a series of non-linear waves (wavetrain), distributing horizontally.

Preliminary analysis revealed that waves over the Northern and Middle Caspian Sea appear quite often at favorable conditions every day. Wavetrains consist of 3-4 — 10-15 waves, with individual waves having several kilometers and more in length. The AGV propagation speed detected based on the distance between leading solitary waves on a series of radar images constitutes 2 to 8 m\sec. The wind speed when AGVs pass varies from 2 to 15 m\sec. Waves propagate often against the background wind (fig. 1, 3). Spatial orientation of AGV packages, the outlook of surface phenomena and wavetrain forms enable to conclude that they are generated over the water surface.

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APEC conference on satellite technologies to draw more than 70 specialists from 13 world countries

Over 70 specialists from 13 world countries will partake in the conference “APEC Network Building – Applied Space Technology Centers”, which is to be held on October 16-17, 2012 in Vladivostok. The conference organizers are: APEC Secretariat, Federal Space Agency, ScanEx RDC, and supported by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Far-Eastern Federal University and Far-Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences.

Representatives of some scientific and educational institutions and governmental structures have already confirmed their participation in the conference: Taiwan National Space Organization (NSPO); World Resources Institute (WRI), USA; Chinese Academy of Forestry; Fisheries Research Institute, Malaysia, etc.

Specialists of RS Operators will also attend this conference in Vladivostok: Astrium GEO (France), DMC (Great Britain), ImageSat (Israel), Digital Globe (MDA (Canada">USA.

Russia will be represented at the conference by the specialists from Federal Space Agency, Federal Forestry Agency, ScanEx Research & Development Center, Far-Eastern Federal University, Far-Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Research Center for Earth Operative Monitoring, WWF Russia, NGO “Transparent World” and others.

The conference will focus on the issues of using satellite data for support of sustainable forest management, REDD+ project development (Reduction Emission Deforestation and Degradation), attraction of investments into respective two- and multilateral projects in APEC region.

Within the frames of thematic sessions the conference will also tackle the issues of satellite technology application in support of sustainable fisheries, emergency preparedness improvements and new projects development.

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Satellite-based monitoring of environmental situation in south-western part of the Peter the Great Bay

In August-September 2012, ScanEx RDC together with its partners completed the project on satellite-based monitoring of environmental situation of the Russian sector of the Sea of Japan. Five satellites with optical and radar equipment were used for maritime area imaging. Integral maps of water area pollution by oil and navigation and shipping situation were obtained as a result, including the intensive boat traffic, fisheries, and marine park areas. The main sources of oil spills are discharges from ships along the shipping routes and within the fishing areas. Perspectives of satellite imagery technology application for control of illegal ships navigation within protected marine parks were demonstrated. Satellite imagery results proved the urgency of the transboundary transfer problem in south-western part of the Peter the Great Bay and adjacent water areas.

Over the past decade foam floats and fragments of fishing nets of North Korean fishermen has become a real disaster for the Far Eastern marine park, located in the Peter the Great Bay. In summer and in autumn fragments of fishing tackles almost fully cover the coasts of the islands and the continent. In addition to littering the richest in species and taxonomic variety maritime area in Russia, these nets are direct threat to the inhabitants of marine park. Sea birds and mammals tangle and die. Specific design of the fishing gear does not leave any doubts whom they belong to. North Korean small vessels are regularly detained together with these nets onboard in Russian territorial waters, including within the limits of the park itself. The coast of the Peter the Great Bay near the frontier post not far from the Tumannya river estuary is piled with arrested and abandoned North Korean fishing vessels.

In winter-spring period the Rimsky-Korsakov archipelago islands, which are part of the marine park, turn into the places of reproduction and shedding of the harbor seal (Phoca largha). Fragments of North Korean fishing nets became a serious threat for the population of the unique coastal spotted seal, which according to the far-eastern scientists, is currently in unsteady balance condition.

Satellite-based monitoring results were used in the work of the expedition near the coastline onboard the “Lugovoe” reasearch ship, arranged by the Pacific Oceanology Institute of RAS Far Eastern Department with participation of oceanologists, teachers and students of St-Petersburg University and the Far Eastern Federal University.

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BARS Group and ScanEx RDC partnership: geodata will be introduced into the e-government systems

Geospatial component is to be introduced into the e-government systems. Activities will be carried out jointly by ScanEx Research & Development Center and BARS Group” companies, which signed the cooperation agreement in September 2012.

— We reached an agreement on cooperation in geospatial technology and data application, including Earth observation imagery data, in information management systems for the state sector. The branches, where we plan to work, are different – from housing and public utilities to agriculture, – noted ScanEx’s area manager of complex projects Ilya Farutin.

According to Vladimir Soloviev, “BARS. Medicine” business center director of “BARS Group” company, cooperation with ScanEx RDC should provide important social results:

— In modern technology of sectoral management, especially on the regional level, the need in data presentation through maps is increasingly growing. However, information in public systems usually has address, rather than latitude and longitude. Joint projects with ScanEx will give a chance to take a different look on statistic data in public health services. Just imagine the display of region sickness rates on maps with classification by disease type, number and age pattern of appeals, outlining the hot spots of infectious diseases, etc. This will be the start of a new stage of healthcare modernization, as we operate in socially important sphere, where operability in decision-making enables to save the most valuable – human lives.

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(BBC) From Hurricane Katrina to the Japanese tsunami – satellite images are increasingly playing an important role during rescue efforts after natural or man-made disasters. The images, often taken minutes after devastation has occurred, help pinpoint people and places at risk.

A formal system of sharing information by space agencies was agreed in 1999, with the creation of the Disasters Charter. Since then, the charter has helped provide data for more than 300 disasters, in more than 100 countries.

Here – to mark World Space Week 2012 – Dr Alice Bunn from the UK Space Agency looks at how the images, taken many hundreds of miles above the planet, are being used to save lives.

Source

All images copyright DMCii Ltd and Envisat/ESA. Click bottom right for image information.
Music by KPM Music. Slideshow by Paul Kerley. Publication date 8 October 2012.

Related:

Disasters Charter
UK Space Agency
World Space Week