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Remote Sensing Application Center – ReSAC participation in BALWOIS 2012 and participation on several scientific activities

Remote Sensing Application Center – ReSAC participation in BALWOIS 2012 06.2012

Remote Sensing Application Center – ReSAC participated in the 5th Conference on Water, Climate and Environment – BALWOIS 2012, which was held in Ohrid (Republic of Macedonia) in the period 28th May – 2nd June 2012. http://www.balwois.com/2012/

The main significance of BALWOIS is synthesis, introduction and exchange of scientific information, methods, analyzes and results, achieved by various scientific institutions, organizations and researchers in the field of climate monitoring and analysis, the impact of climate changes on individual elements of the environment, research on water resources and application of different ecohydrological approaches to water management systems at local and transnational level. Special attention is paid to the monitoring of water resources in the Balkan countries and the creation of a united community in the Balkans by shareholders in the field of water conservation and management – scientists, experts, NGOs, society.

BALWOIS 2012 was organized by IB2E, METEO MAK, Hydrobiological Institute of Ohrid, Faculty of Civil Engineering at “Sts. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje, the Macedonian Hydrometeorological Service, as well as supported by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, Republic of Macedonia, the French Embassy in Skopje, International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and other private organizations.

ReSAC experts participated in a plenary scientific session in one of the conference topics: “Integrated Water Resources Management” with a report, entitled “Mapping, passportization and creation of national database of standing water bodies and wetlands within the territory of Republic of Bulgaria. DB Multipurpose Use: Case study EUFODOS Project – FP7 for scientific research of the European Commission.http://balwois.com/2012/USB/papers/1055.pdf

ReSAC participated on several scientific activities. 04 – 05.2012
ReSAC participated in „Professional realisation and perspectives of the young surveyors in Bulgaria”

On 03 of May 2012, a youth seminar entitled „Professional realisation and perspectives of the young surveyors in Bulgaria“ was held at the House of Science and Technique, Sofia. It was organised by Federation of the Scientific Engineering Unions (FSEU) and the Union of Surveyors and Land Managers in Bulgaria (USLMB). The seminar aimed to inform and inspire young scientists and students about their professional practice in geodesy and related fields. ReSAC participated with the presentation about “Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program – Bulgarian operational Earth observation capacity”.

Source

Toulouse, France – 4 June 2012 – The Astrium Services GEO-Information team is pleased to announce that Pléiades imagery is now available to all users, notably through its Geostore portal (www.geostore.com) that have opened starting June.

Astrium GEO-Information Services, which has already signed partnership agreements to supply Pléiades data with three leading players in the remote-sensing industry—PASCO Corporation in Japan, Beijing Eastdawn Information Technology in China and MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) in Canada—is thus adding very-high-resolution products for precision mapping and photo-interpretation to its portfolio, available to customers worldwide.

Pléiades 1A, launched on 16 December 2011, is the first in a constellation of twin Earth-imaging satellites, the second of which is set for launch in the coming months. This constellation offers exceptional performance for civil applications. Besides their 50-cm resolution after resampling, the Pléiades satellites’ agility enables them to image points out to 1,500 km either side of nadir. The two satellites will be phased to guarantee daily revisits to any point on the globe.

Pléiades complements the SPOT satellites, the latest of which, SPOT 6, is set to be orbited in September this year. SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 will offer lower-resolution (1.5 m) wide-swath (60 km) data for mapping very large areas. The Pléiades (1A and 1B) and SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 constellations will be equally spaced in Earth orbit, giving Astrium Services a capability by 2014 to supply very recent imagery and multiscale, quick-response services unique in the civil market. These satellites will make Astrium Services the first operator in the world to offer customers a full palette of optical and radar Earth-imaging data at scales from medium to very-high resolution.

Through its GEO-Information services, Astrium is recognized as one of the leaders in the geo-spatial information market, not least thanks to the now fully integrated skills and resources of the former Spot Image and Infoterra. The company provides decision-makers with complete solutions enabling them to increase security, boost agricultural performance, maximize oil & gas or mining operations, improve their management of natural resources, and protect the environment. It has exclusive access to data from the SPOT, TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites and Pléiades, coupled with a complete range of space-based data sources and airborne acquisition capability allowing it to offer an unrivalled scope of Earth observation products and services. This extensive portfolio covers the entire geo-information supply chain, from the generation of images to the provision of high added-value information to end-users.

By leveraging the synergies and expertise available across the whole of Astrium Services, its GEO-Information teams develop innovative, yet competitive, bespoke solutions based on the combination and integration of Earth observation, navigation and high-end telecommunications.

Source Astrium

May 2012, After been awarded for the development of the new European INSPIRE Geoportal, Planetek Italia was chosen for major contracts and projects in Europe and North Africa.

The two contracts are the Geographic Information System for the Ministry of Agriculture of Morocco and the high-resolution map of Forest and Impervious Area characteristics for the EEA within the GMES Initial Operations (GIO]=650&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=e62efa09ca555620a0c7db3400724192) Land Monitoring Services.

This is a new step for Planetek Italia towards an internationalization of its activities that prizes the skills and experience gained by the Planetek team. Nonetheless it will be a new challenge and a great experience that wil consider a number of new requirement coming from specific policies, techonolgies adopted and, obiouvsly, new cultures.

More information]=650&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=e62efa09ca555620a0c7db3400724192

Geomatica 2013 Beta Software Released / PCI’s Professional Production team to map the Philippines at 0.5m resolution using GeoEye imagery

Geomatica 2013 Beta Software Released

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, Canada—July 10, 2012: PCI Geomatics, a world-leading developer of geoimaging software and systems, announced today that it has successfully launched the beta version of its desktop software, Geomatica 2013.

The commercial release of Geomatica 2013 will build upon PCI’s successful Geomatica 2012 product, which was launched last fall. The beta program offers testers the opportunity to work with the latest version of Geomatica, where improvements have been made in key areas:

  • Faster, efficient workflows for large image-processing projects (100 to 1,000 scenes/project)
  • Atmospheric Correction – new, easy-to-use interface for automated detection/masking of clouds as well as haze removal
  • Improved results for the extraction of digital elevation models from high*resolution imagery

more info

PCI’s Professional Production team to map the Philippines at 0.5m resolution using GeoEye imagery

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, Canada—June 28, 2012: PCI Geomatics, a world-leading developer of geoimaging software and systems, announced today that it will be providing advanced image processing services to Geo-Surveys and Mapping Inc. (GSMI) to produce a high-quality 0.5 meter
pansharpened, color-balanced mosaic of the Philippines. The final deliverable will be used by the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines.

GSMI turned to PCI’s Professional Production team to process over 304,000 square kilometers of GeoEye imagery, recognizing the high caliber of expertise and advanced production methods available through PCI’s new service offering. A key deciding factor for GSMI in selecting PCI’s Professional Production Services was to reduce overall project risk by leveraging the expertise and know-how developed at PCI for the last 30 years, ensuring that high-quality final deliverables are produced in a timely manner for their end customer.

more info

Source

Darmstadt/Paris, 16 July 2012 – Today at 14:00 local time, following the successful launch of the satellite on 5 July aboard an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, and after 11 days of LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase) by ESA’s Centre, ESOC, EUMETSAT took control of the MSG-3 operations.

During the last 11 days, the satellite was moved into geostationary orbit, the various components which make up the satellite’s platform were activated and their functionality checked. Thisincluded a number of critical manoeuvres like the firing of the apogee motors, the change of spacecraft orientation and the unlocking of the SEVIRI scan mirror.

After the successful handover, EUMETSAT can now begin commissioning the satellite and its sensors. Commissioning consists of a two-month phase for satellite check-out and assessment, followed by a four-month phase for imaging and product testing, including calibration and validation activities.

The release of the first image generated by the SEVIRI imager on board MSG-3 on 6 August will be an important milestone.

For more details
http://www.eumetsat.int/msg3/news.html
http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM2WMMXL4H_index_0.html

About Meteosat Second Generation

MSG is a joint programme undertaken by ESA and EUMETSAT. ESA is responsible for the development of satellites fulfilling user and system requirements defined by EUMETSAT and of the procurement of recurrent satellites on its behalf. ESA also performs the Launch and Early Orbit Phase operations required to place the spacecraft in geostationary orbit, before handing it over to EUMETSAT for exploitation.

EUMETSAT develops all ground systems required to deliver products and services to users and to respond to their evolving needs, procures launch services and operates the full system for the benefit of users.

MSG-3 is the third in a series of four satellites introduced in 2002. These spin-stabilised satellites carry the primary Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager, or SEVIRI.

SEVIRI focuses on Europe and Africa to deliver enhanced weather coverage, in order to improve local forecasts, in particular for rapidly developing storms. It scans Earth’s surface and atmosphere every 15 minutes in 12 different wavelengths, to track cloud development and measure temperatures.

SEVIRI can pick out features as small as a kilometre across in the visible bands, and three kilometres in the infrared.

In addition to its weather-watching mission and collection of climate records, MSG-3 has two secondary payloads.

The Global Earth Radiation Budget sensor will measure the amount of solar energy that is radiated back into space to determine how much energy is introduced into the climate system and to provide insights into the atmospheric circulation between the day and night sides.

A Search & Rescue transponder will turn the satellite into a relay for distress signals from emergency beacons.

The MSG satellites were built in Cannes, France, by a European industrial team led by Thales Alenia Space, France. More than 50 subcontractors from 13 European countries are involved.

The last of the series, MSG-4, is planned for launch in 2015.

About EUMETSAT

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites is an intergovernmental organisation based in Darmstadt, Germany, currently with 26 European Member States (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom) and five Cooperating States (Bulgaria, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, and Serbia).

EUMETSAT operates the geostationary satellites Meteosat-8 and -9 over Europe and Africa, and Meteosat-7 over the Indian Ocean.

Metop-A, the first European polar-orbiting meteorological satellite, was launched in October 2006 and has been delivering operational data since 15 May 2007.

The Jason-2 ocean altimetry satellite, launched on 20 June 2008, added monitoring of sea state, ocean currents and sea level change to the missions EUMETSATEumetsat conducts.

The data and products from EUMETSAT’s satellites are vital to weather forecasting and make a significant contribution to the monitoring of environment and the global climate.

Media Relations
EUMETSAT
Tel: +49 6151 807 7320 / Fax: +49 6151 807 7321
press@eumetsat.int / www.eumetsat.int

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 19 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxem-bourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of whom 17 are Member States of the EU. ESA has Cooperation Agreements with nine other Member States of the EU and is negotiating an Agreement with the one remaining (Bulgaria). Poland is in the process of becoming ESA’s 20th Member State. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities. Today it launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.

For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office
Communication Department
Tel: +33 1 53 69 72 99
Fax: +33 1 53 69 76 90

(Brussels, 7th June 2012) EARSC letter to Mr. Durao Barroso, President of the European Commission, concerning the funding for GMES and the importance that the programme is moved forward after the recent failure of Envisat.

Dear President Barroso,

I am writing concerning the delays to the GMES programme and the urgency to proceed following the recent loss of the Envisat Earth Observation satellite.

Following our industry concerns expressed in a position paper last July, we were pleased to receive reassurance in your letter of 30th September 2011 that the funding impasse would be resolved by proposals to be adopted “in the coming months”. However, notwithstanding the recent Commission note (COM 2012-218), there is no agreement yet in sight. Our industry is at a crucial stage of development. It depends on satellite data for its business and we regret the high uncertainty on what data will be available and when. The delays to GMES undermine investments made in commercial business.

The situation is now exacerbated by the unfortunate failure of Envisat which has reliably delivered data for over 10 years; 5 years longer than was envisaged when it was launched in 2002. Envisat data was being used commercially for a wide variety of critical applications including environmental monitoring, emergency response, oil spill detection. agriculture irrigation and water use, water quality, ship detection and ship routing through ice. Envisat’s loss leaves a gap that cannot be filled quickly. Some of the data will be replaced by non-European sources, which drives up industry and users costs but most services will no longer be possible before the GMES Sentinels are operational.

Whilst these losses are important, the lack of a follow on satellite will cause the biggest damage as customers are reminded that data continuity has not been assured and will hesitate before committing to take up new services. GMES was intended to fill that gap and the delay caused by the lack of funding further threatens the development of the industry.

I enclose two recent articles from the mainstream press that illustrate very well the concerns:

On 12th May, the Washingtom Post published an editorial calling on the US government and governments everywhere to pay more attention to the role that satellites play in watching the Earth. A recent report considers that by 2020, the US fleet of Earth Observation satellites will have fallen to 25% of its size today so vastly undermining the capability of man to understand the Earth and the changes being wrought upon its (our) environment.

On almost the same day, The Economist published an article “Something to watch over us” acknowledging the strong role that Envisat has played in monitoring environment change and regretting that the European governments have not planned for its follow on.

You have recently been developing the idea of a 3rd Industrial revolution and space is identified by Commissioner Antonio Tajani as being a key sector. On behalf of a growing and important industry, we urge you to take all the necessary steps to find the funding for GMES as a European programme funded within the Union budget. A first and very important step would be to encourage ESA to launch the first Sentinel satellites as early as possible,
Yours sincerely,

Han Wensink
Chairman
European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC)

EARSC letter D. Barroso (20120531).pdf
Earth-observation satellites_ Something to watch over us _ The Economist.pdf
Satellites at risk – The Washington Post.pdf

(June 2012) Written by Matt Ball , Sensors and systems. For decades the lack of geospatial data was a barrier to geographic information system expansion and adoption. While obtaining high-quality spatial data continues to be a challenge, the problems of a lack of available data has quickly turned into the need to manage a glut of information. With the number of sensors and platforms growing exponentially, the data deluge will only increase in pace.

The ability of geospatial technology to make sense of all of this data will prove to be of wide benefit to increasing number of end users. However, the old model of mapping and spatial analysis professionals at the hub of insight won’t apply, instead there will be services and automated systems that feed a broader understanding of place.

Content Explosion

It’s helpful to put the number of sensing devices and platforms into perspective:

  • the number of earth observation satellites continues to rise, with China illustrating that trend a few weeks when they launched four satellites in one week
  • the number of drones that the U.S. military deploys is now equal to one third of their aircraft, up from 5 percent in 2005
  • with the Federal Aviation Administration relaxation of laws on unmanned aerial systems (UAS), a proliferation of personal observation platforms is set to take off
  • the Global Satellite Navigation System constellations are increasing with Russia’s Glonass and China’s Compass improving precision and performance
  • smart phone purchases grew 49% last quarter according to Gartner, with these devices containing an increasing number of sensors to make sense of our surroundings
  • the number of sensors are increasing, with an Internet of Things approach that allows the devices to interact (see Twine and Cosm)

Together, this collection proliferation is termed Big Data, and with all this data there are increasing interests to quantify these inputs to get a better awareness about operations and to increase efficiency.

Real-Time Data Hubs

Earth observation is of particularly importance right now, with increased populations, reduced resources, and visible global change in climate patterns. The uncertainty of these changes, and their impacts on humans and economies, is being met with a new and more ubiquitous view on planetary patterns. With today’s satellite constellations and airborne platforms capable of imaging the same spot on the earth multiple times per day, we get a much more complete picture of our planet.

This ability is being met with new approaches that are illustrated at a few different scales.

  • DigitalGlobe’s Analysis Center shows the marketability of rapid insight and views of newsworthy topics.
  • The UN Global Pulse is mining data from the Internet and from phones to gain a better understanding of human well being across the planet.
  • China has made a commitment to create a national geographical conditions monitoring database by 2015.

Together these different approaches show a need and interest to harness multiple inputs for a real-time awareness of change in order to mitigate damage and impacts.

New Insight on Design

The combination of sensors and systems, and 3D data capture at high precision, is also helping to revolutionize our management and understanding of our built environment. With precise models of the as-built environment, along with sensors that return details on resource use and other factors, we gain a better handle on the full lifecycle of our structures. Inputs inform designs that return the highest possible performance, and constant monitoring lets us achieve the optimal operation. In the middle the new connectivity with a model-centric workflow, has a great improvement on construction efficiency.

These sensored systems are manifest at many scales, from the better heating and cooling of buildings, toward the better management of utility networks, and all the way to smart cities that include intelligent grids and transportation. The adoption of a smart city approach is a global phenomenon that will spur wider proliferation of sensors to address a wide array of city-scale problems.

Toward Automation

Looking back at the seeds of this new sensor and system approach there are a few industries and applications that foretell a whole new level of automation. With precision agriculture, farmers have long reaped the benefits of greater insight into local conditions at a fine scale through automated machines coupled to detailed digital models to improve crop yield. The broad geospatial industry can take cues from the progression in that sector as it’s moving from informing farmers toward the robotic automation of tools and systems.

Traffic sensors and feeds are perhaps the best example for the impact of real-time data coupled with nimble actors. Users of real-time traffic sharing applications such as Waze can expect great deal of time savings for their effort of monitoring and reporting conditions. However, here again we may see a large leap toward automation as today’s sensors have proven capable of driving cars without human control.

It will take years if not decades for the automation trend to take hold, if it does at all. In the meantime, the foundation that the geospatial technology industry has built to make sense of massive amounts of data is set to pay off.

Source Sensors and systems

(15June2012) Three new satellite concepts are vying to be chosen as ESA’s seventh Earth Explorer mission. In preparation for selection next year, a series of reports has been published presenting the scientific and technical ambition of each mission.

Since the Biomass, CoReH2O and PREMIER mission concepts were selected for feasibility study in 2009, each candidate has been undergoing a set of rigorous activities to demonstrate their value to science and that they are technically viable.

The culmination of these efforts provides an important juncture at which to document their capabilities. Furthermore, the release of the three Reports for Mission Selection is timely in view of preparation for the ESA Ministerial Council in November, at which funding is sought to finance the development of the seventh Earth Explorer.

These three state-of-the-art candidates address gaps in our scientific knowledge of a number of dynamic, complex and interdependent Earth-system processes.

How much carbon do forests store?

The Biomass mission will study the global distribution of forest biomass using a new
P-band polarimetric, interferometric synthetic aperture radar.

Since the Biomass, CoReH2O employs a new twin-frequency (Ku- and X-band) imaging radar to study the global distribution of snow and seasonal variations in the amount of water stored in snow. Meanwhile, PREMIER will study coupling between dynamic and chemical processes in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere using a combination of infrared and microwave limb imaging instruments.

Each of the concepts reiterates that the pursuit to advance scientific knowledge about Earth can only be accomplished through long-term commitment to the development of innovative space technology.

How much freshwater is held in snow?

After the recent loss of the Envisat mission, the addition of a seventh Earth Explorer to the current missions will help to shape the future of Earth observation by ESA.

The Earth Observation Envelope Programme (EOEP) forms the backbone of ESA’s activities in Earth observation, whilst also providing the critical funding for the Earth Explorer series of missions.

The upcoming fourth period, EOEP-4, will ensure Europe stays at the forefront of satellite-based science and applications, while stimulating technical innovation and industrial growth.

Importantly, the programme also lays the foundation for international cooperation for a collaborative approach in understanding and tackling global environmental challenges.

How are atmospheric chemistry and climate linked?

The programme and the selection of new Earth Explorer missions offer a solid investment for Europe to further science and develop superior technology. In return, the Explorers secure a solid heritage for future missions for much-needed operational purposes.

Pending the outcome of the Ministerial Council, a few steps remain prior to selection of the seventh Earth Explorer. A User Consultation Meeting is scheduled in early 2013 where the three missions will be presented to the scientific community.

The extended Phase-A activities, which are under way, will consolidate the concepts even further and address areas of remaining risk prior to the meeting. These results will be summarised in ‘delta reports’ to deliver the most comprehensive picture on the status of each candidate mission.

Meeting the challenges of a changing world

Based on the recommendation made by ESA’s Earth Science Advisory Committee after the User Consultation Meeting, the final decision on selection decision will be taken by the ESA’s Programme Board for Earth Observation.

The Reports for Mission Selection can be downloaded
BIOMASS
CoReH2O
PREMIER

(Source ESA)

GeoEye received word late last week that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) would be making a significant cut in their 2013 funding under the Enhanced View contract, offering only a three or nine-month option. While there is still some indication that Congress might fully fund the program, the news was bleak enough to send GeoEye stock falling more than twenty percent.

In this time of tightened government budgets, and unstable global economy, it’s tough on all businesses to remain stable, but combined with dramatic defense cuts, the pressures form a perfect storm for the U.S. commercial satellite imaging industry. The overwhelming defense demand has seen both companies grow strongly over the past decade, with capacity devoted mainly to this task. That strong demand has meant less of an emphasis on growing the commercial applications of this unique spatial intelligence, and without a broad base, some time will be needed to fill revenue gaps.

Global Prospects

The commercial satellite imagery business is uniquely constrained in that they have wide global prospects, yet government control on the quality of imagery that can be delivered. Additionally, the demand for this high-resolution imagery from other governments could match that of the U.S., but there are restrictions on which countries and entities can become customers.

Security is the overwhelming application of this technology, particularly in countries without a space program of their own. No company or industry can quite match that security demand, with the kind of deep pockets and urgency of need for quick supply of imagery. Interestingly, the demand only grows with an unstable economy, with more geopolitical hot spots now than in the recent past. If these companies operated in an unconstrained market, there would be no issue of revenue stability.

Pioneering Effort

It’s amazing to think back at the troubled start of both U.S. commercial satellite imagery companies, with failed launches at the outset. The profitability and performance of the companies over the past decade has been a phenomenal achievement, and one that has fostered international competitors that are still working to catch up in terms of imaging capacity and data delivery.

The U.S. commercial satellite imagery market has been world-leading, and continues to perform well in spite of recent issues. GeoEye has assured investors that they have the capital to continue with the launch of their next satellite, and to continue operations well into 2014, even with decreased funding. The weakened revenue picture does make them a target for takeover however, that will likely play out over the next few months.

Prospects

Given the security demand, it has been difficult for the companies to focus elsewhere where the revenues aren’t as promising, and where there’s a need for an ongoing effort to grow new markets. The combination of the foundation in security applications, as well as the promise of civilian applications, has always been a tough mix. The industry has always had to straddle the capacity and demand equation, and cost to produce versus the willingness to pay a premium for quality and currency of information.

With increasing amounts of geospatial information, imagery performs an increasing role of visual validation for trends coming from untrusted crowd sources. The unequivocal nature of high-resolution satellite imagery to validate the current conditions across the globe will have an increasing commercial interest for decision makers wanting to make better sense of changing conditions.

Regardless of the outcome of reduced government spending, that may lead to industry consolidation, the U.S. commercial satellite imagery market can feel good about its performance and prospects for the future. There’s no denying the value that it has provided for improved operations in global conflicts, as well as the intelligence it provides for improved commercial operations. Should government stability be returned, we can expect many years of strong market competition, leading to innovations as well as inroads in the commercial applications that will improve commerce.

Source

WASHINGTON — A projected 17-month-gap in some weather satellite forecasts later this decade could last even longer if a replacement satellite now being assembled can’t meet its launch date, an official with the Government Accountability Office said ending June 2012.

The satellite, known as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), is crucial in tracking hurricanes, tornadoes and other weather phenomena. The tracking gives emergency officials time to prepare and react, according to officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The current orbiter, launched last year, is scheduled to retire in 2016. NOAA officials are predicting it will be at least 17 months before its replacement would be operational in 2018.

“In our opinion, this is a best-case scenario,” David Powner, director of GAO’s Information Technology Management Issues, told House lawmakers sitting on two House Science, Space and Technology subcommittees. “If (the current orbiter) lasts less than five years and if the JPSS launch date slips, this gap could be greater.”

So what’s the worst-case scenario? Fifty-three months, according to GAO.
Complicating matters are cost overruns that have forced NOAA to readjust the program and scale back in other areas.

“We have witnessed Herculean efforts … to get problems under control,” said Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y. “Frankly, despite these efforts, we have not had much to cheer about with JPSS.”

Officials said there also may be gaps in data provided by other weather satellites operated by the Pentagon and European agencies. GAO is warning that those gaps could affect timely forecasting. “thereby risking lives, property and commerce.”

NOAA Deputy Administrator Kathryn Sullivan agreed a number of challenges remain but said “significant progress has been made” to contain costs and meet the launch schedule.

GAO’s warning comes as the number and capability of weather satellites circling the planet “is beginning a rapid decline” and tight budgets have significantly delayed or eliminated missions to replace them, according to a National Research Council analysis released last month.

The number of in-orbit and planned Earth observation missions by NASA and NOAA is projected to drop “precipitously” from 23 this year to six by 2020,based on information provided by both agencies, the report found. As a result, the number of satellites and other instruments monitoring Earth’s activity is expected to decline from a peak of about 110 in 2011 to fewer than 30 by the end of the decade.

When a similar analysis was issued five years ago, eight satellites were expected to be in space by 2012 tracking a variety of conditions, such as global precipitation, ocean topography and carbon emissions. Only three are now in orbit.

Of the remaining five, two failed, one was canceled and two others are not expected to launch until at least next year.

The pipeline looks emptier over the next decade.

Of the 18 missions recommended in the 2007 report through 2020, only two are close enough to completion to register launch dates.

“Source”: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120627/SPACE/120627025/GAO-17-month-gap-weather-forecasting-best-case-scenario-?nclick_check=1&goback=.gde_3702_member_128865312
Contact Ledyard King at lking@gannett.com