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Spacemetric developed the Saccess satellite database over Sweden that was launched in late June 2008. After just three months it has nearly 900 users who have downloaded over 1.5 TB of imagery. Expansion to the other Nordic countries is now being studied

Saccess (saccess.lantmateriet.se) is the national database of satellite imagery covering the whole of Sweden. It was released online only in late June 2008 but by the end of September it already boasted some 900 registered users. In that time these users had downloaded more than 1.5 TB of data consisting of nearly 6,000 individual satellite scenes and over 1,100 mosaic products. Imagery from 2007 was the most popular. In second place is the oldest imagery in Saccess, dating from the 1970s.

The number of registered Saccess users continues to rise while new imagery for 2008 has now begun to be released. The Saccess project was also recently presented to a meeting of all the Nordic national mapping agencies and a feasibility study has been requested to investigate the expansion of the imagery in Saccess to cover the other countries. In the meantime, the currently available data is free of charge to any registered user in Sweden, Norway, Finland or Denmark.

Saccess is run by Lantmäteriet, the Swedish cadastre, mapping and land registry authority with operational costs financed by a consortium of government agencies and private companies. The complete Saccess system was developed and delivered by Spacemetric. The ordering and delivery system is fully automated with products generated on demand and delivered within a few hours of the order being placed.

About Spacemetric

Spacemetric is a Swedish company providing image management solutions for satellite and airborne imagery. Customers include the Swedish cadastre, mapping and land registry authority, the Swedish Air Force, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. and the European Space Agency.

CONTACT: Ian Spence
EMAIL: is@spacemetric.com
TELEPHONE: +46 8 594 770 83

“We’re an Earth-imaging satellite, and we can sell our imagery to customers around the world who have a need to map and measure and monitor things on the ground”

This bird’s-eye view of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania was the first image ever seen by the GeoEye-1, the world’s highest-resolution commercial satellite sponsored by Google, when it opened its camera door earlier this week.

The 4,300-pound satellite collected the image at noon EDT on Oct. 7 while moving from the north pole to the south pole in a 423-mile-high orbit at 17,000 miles per hour, or 4.5 miles per second. The spacecraft can take photos at a resolution of up to 41 cm — close enough to zoom in on the home plate of a baseball diamond, according to Mark Brender, GeoEye’s vice president of communications and marketing.

Even though the GeoEye-1 satellite sports a colorful Google sticker, its key customer is actually not Google but rather the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, a U.S. government agency that analyzes imagery in support of national security. The NGA is paying for half of the development of the $502 million satellite and has committed to purchasing imagery from it. Google is GeoEye’s second major partner.

“This is the opposite of a spy satellite,” Brender said in a phone interview. “Spies don’t put info on the internet and sell imagery. We’re an Earth-imaging satellite, and we can sell our imagery to customers around the world who have a need to map and measure and monitor things on the ground.”

Geoeye3_2 Since around the late 70s, the military has used high-resolution spy satellites capable of reading newspaper headlines in Red Square. But only in recent years the technology became available to the public and businesses while concurrently making dramatic strides in coverage and resolution. For example, when Google Earth launched in 2004, its imagery was low-res and spotty. But by March 2006, a third of the world population could get a bird’s-eye view of their own homes in high resolution.

There’s one catch for Google: While the GeoEye-1 will provide imagery to the NGA at the maximum resolution of 43 cm, Google will only receive images at a 50-cm resolution because of a government restriction, Brender explained. However, Google’s partnership with GeoEye is exclusive, meaning the search-engine giant will be the only online mapping site using the satellite’s photos.

“We’re commercializing a technology that was once only in the hands of the governments,” Brender said. “Just like the internet, just like GPS, just like telecom — all invented by the government. And now we are on the front end of the spear that is commercializing this technology.”

Considered the world’s most-accurate commercial imaging satellite, the GeoEye-1 had been undergoing calibration and inspection since it was launched on Sept. 6 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

A second satellite, GeoEye-2, slated to launch in 2011 or 2012, will have a resolution of 25 cm, company representatives promised. However, Google’s satellite imagery will not likely get more detailed because of the 50-cm regulation.

See also:“Google Launches Super-Spycam Into Space; Logo Goes Along for a Ride”:http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/08/google-launches.html

By Brian X. Chen, October 08, 2008
Categories: Images, Research, Space – Photo: GeoEye
Source

Tele-Rilevamento Europa (TRE) has established itself as a leading global provider of InSAR services thanks to its advanced PSInSAR™ technique, a radar remote sensing technology for monitoring surface deformation and ground movements.

PSInSAR™ has become a primary tool for oil&gas companies looking for innovative technologies in reservoir monitoring, for public sector institutions involved in public safety, urban planning and infrastructure management, as well as for geotechnical engineering companies serving these organizations.

Following its success, Milan-based (Italy) TRE has recently decided to open a subsidiary company in Canada. TRE Canada will strengthen TRE’s position as a key player in the remote sensing business and address the growing need for remote sensing solutions in North America.

The head offices of TRE Canada Inc. are located in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada), under the direction of Brian Young, P. Eng. Brian brings six years of experience in the market development of InSAR services in North America to TRE, four of which were spent working with TRE as an independent consultant.

Look to meet TRE’s representatives from Italy and Canada in the coming month at the next SEG exhibition in the US.

For more information TRE-Europa

«an overview of market development and emerging applications»

Satellite observations have provided us with effective ways of monitoring our planet, helping us improve the exploitation and management of Earth’s resources.

Google Earth and other similar tools have demonstrated that Earth observation — EO — is not a specialist area but something that can add value to many aspects of our lives, both at work and at home. This brochure aims to illustrate that and to reveal new opportunities for business, industry and government to add value to their operations.

“EO information is perceived to be of significant benefit to many sectors of society”

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Energy and Natural Resources
Infrastruture and Communications
Services
Mapping, civil protection and global security…
….

eoVox Booklet: Business in Earth Observation Business in Earth Observation eoVOX080508

Geosat Technology

Geosat Technology Ltd. 2004 was created by DI Michael Mumelte, the head office of the company is is loacated in Berndorf which is close to Vienna, Austria. The Geosat Technology Ltd. is an international service company with a new and innovative technology, which can find hydrocarbon resources based on the evaluation of satellite and geo data. The Geosat method is not restricted to oil and gas exploration but is also applicable to finding other natural resources (such as Diamonds, Gold and other minerals) and even water.

Technological innovation – Remote Sensing

The remote Sensing is a procedure for the gaining of information about the earth’s surface by measurement and interpretation of their outgoing (energy) fields. The multi-spectral illustration of the earth’s surface is reached by non-contact observation over satellite sensors, whereby the reflected or emitted electromagnetic radiation serves as storage medium. Images from remote sensing satellites have been used for geological and environmental mapping since the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972. Today, imagery covering from visible, infrared thermal and microwave section of the electromagnetic spectrum are being used to support exploration and production activities. The Geosat Technology method, which can be applied independently of geographical or political situation on the whole globe will revolutionize the exploration of hydrocarbons.

Why we are different?

The product of the Geosat Technology Ltd. are maps with exact location of hydrocarbon traps. Through our mathematical methods we are able to achieve a very high resolution and detailed description of the geological structure. The principle method of the Geosat Technology is the superimposing of structural lineament analysis, analysis of thermal infrared images and spectral analysis and incorporation of geological, litho logical and if available also geophysical data. A special value gains the Geosat method by the possibility, to detect also other natural resources such as diamond, gold, uranium, etc. as well as the most valuable resources water. The technology could be used for onshore as well as for offshore exploration (shallow water up to maximum water depth of 200 m). The Gesoat Method a cost effective, time-saving and environmental friendly alternative to the conventional exploration methods.

InnoExTM – Innovative Exploration

Using the Geosat method and based on its results the application of further complementary technologies are used to determine accurate drilling points. Microbiological and Geochemical and/or Geo-electrochemical analysis combined well as with Magneto Telluric survey over prospects determined by the Geosat method can define whether it is oil, gas or gas condensate and can also define the top of the reservoirs as well as porosity. Such surveys are rounded up by High Resolution Ground Magnetic (HRGM). The combination of these technologies with the Geosat method is unique and extremely cost and time effective.

Future-oriented market chances

In order to attain a global competitive advantage with this technology, Geosat Technology Ltd. expands their presence in the upcoming years from the head office in Europe to existing branches in North and South America to Asia and Africa. Recently a contract for a large-scale project in Egypt has been signed, further projects in South America are presently discussed. On an oil and gas conference in London in March 2007 (APPEX) it was stated that 55% of the assumed world-wide oil and gas reserves still have not been found yet. The Geosat Technology Ltd. is able to find oil and gas prospects fast, economically much more effectively. Hence, the future potential is enormous.

Source GEOSAT
Source YourOilandGas

Current and historical documentation and publications on the European Commission’s Space Policy at ec.europa.eu


Practical guide to EU funding opportunities for research and innovation

• Are you a researcher with an idea for a research or innovation project?
• Do you need to upgrade the skills or the capacity of your research organisation?
• Are you an entrepreneur who would like to undertake research and innovation activities?
• Are you already engaged in commercial innovation activities whether or not arising from
research and development?
• Are you a cluster manager who seeks to internationalise a cluster and make it more
innovative?
• Are you a regional innovation policy-maker, information officer or research programme
manager and want to exchange good practices with your peers from other EU Member
States?
There may well be funding opportunities available at EU level that can help you implement your plans. The objective of this guide is to explain how to get to relevant information on funding opportunities (“getting through the maze”) and make the best use of the possibilities offered by individual instruments or their combination.

PDF

Council Resolution Taking forward the European Space Policy
2891st COMPETITIVENESS
(INTERNAL MARKET, INDUSTRY and RESEARCH) Council meeting
Brussels, 26 September 2008

PDF

COMMISSION WORKING DOCUMENT EUROPEAN SPACE POLICY PROGRESS REPORT

Following the adoption of the Space Council Resolution in May 2007, this Report provides an overview on the main progress achieved in the first year of the implementation of the European Space Policy (ESP), as elaborated jointly by the European Commission and the Director General of the European Space Agency (COM212). The need to establish a European Space Policy has also been endorsed by EU Heads of State and Government. The Member States of the EU and ESA highlighted that the further implementation of the GALILEO and GMES programmes, the development of a Strategy on International Relations in Space and the need to develop adequate instruments and funding schemes for Community actions in the space domain should be first priorities, followed by improved coordination and synergies between defence and civilian space programmes and technologies, in a user-driven approach. This report describes both the important steps forward made since May 2007 and the further actions which are priorities in the coming period.

PDF

EU-ESA Framework agreement

COUNCIL DECISION of on the signing of the Framework Agreement between the European Community and the European Space Agency

PDF

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

‘‘In the middle of the 20th century, we saw our planet from space for the first time. Historians may eventually find that this vision had a greater impact on thought than did the Copernican revolution of the 16th century, which upset the human self-image by revealing that the Earth is not the centre of the Universe. From Space, we see a small and fragile ball dominated not by human activity and edifice but by a pattern of clouds, oceans, greenery and soils’‘. Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, UN 1987

PDF

EU Research for the Environment 2007-2013

This brochure summaries environmental research funded by the European Union and is divided in two parts. The first provides the context of environmental research – the historical roots and the political framework as well as an introduction to environmental research in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), under the theme “Environment (including climate change)”, an ambitious research programme. The second part gives an overview of the ten research priorities within the “Environment (including climate change)” research theme, and highlights some of the most successful projects in environmental research.

PDF [6.9 Mb]

The Role of Science and Technology in GEOSS

This document describes the role of science and technology in advancing the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) through the Group on Earth Observations’ (GEO) 2007-2009 Work Plan. The Science and Technology Committee is working to strengthen this role by encouraging the wider scientific and technology community to participate as contributors to and benefactors of a sustained GEOSS.

PDF [1.4 Mb]

SMEs keep local -go international. Opportunities for transnational research

The first source of funding for transnational research projects is offered through the Community Seventh Framework Programme for research (FP7). New additional opportunities are now being developed through the coordination of national and regional funding programmes, with the support of FP7 funding. This will mutually reinforce these Programmes and help SMEs to access transnational research via their established national and regional partner agencies. Some of the most important initiatives are presented in this publication.

PDF

Research for SMEs and Research for SME Associations at a glance

These are two dedicated initiatives to strengthen the innovation capacities of SMEs by providing the support they need to outsource research critical to their core business. This brochure conveniently spells out how these initiatives are designed and explains in plain terms how the funding model works in practice. If you are an SME, this publication will aid you in your proposal preparation as you submit your application for funding. In addition to this guide, the European Commission’s SME TechWeb hosts a user friendly spreadsheet that instantly calculates the EC’s estimated contribution to your project.

PDF

SMEs in FP7: A Hands-on Guide

FP7 provides financial support for transnational research for and by SMEs wishing to innovate and improve their competitiveness, by enhancing their investment in research activities to acquire new knowledge for growth in Europe’s knowledge-based economy. Four specific Programmes comprise the major building blocks of FP7, three of which have direct relevance for SMEs. These are: the Cooperation Programme which will promote collaborative research; the People Programme which will develop human potential; and the Capacities Programme which will strengthen research capacity. This publication is designed as a step-by-step guide showing SMEs exactly where and how they can obtain funding to help their businesses grow.

PDF

Supporting SME – Participation in Research Framework Programmes

While the architects of the EU´s Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) were firmly committed to large-scale research collaboration as the means to achieve breakthrough results, they also retained a strong awareness of the need to support the involvement of SMEs. As well as allocating substantial funds for SME-specific measures, the European Commission made a considerable effort to encourage across-the-board participation of the smaller enterprises that are seen as dynamic drivers of competitiveness and job creation in Europe. Despite this, some problems still remained unresolved. These were addressed by special actions introduced during the lifetime of FP6, resulting in an increase in SME requests for funding. The experience gained offered some useful lessons, which have been applied to good effect in making FP7 even more SME friendly.

PDF

Special FP7 edition

Special feature under Enterprise on SMEs in European funded projects see “Right on track” and “Oceans: the final frontier”

LINK

SineQuaNet project

The SineQuaNet project, through the combined efforts of ESA (European Space Agency) and the European Commission, specifically addresses often prohibitive factors that discourage SMEs’ full participation in the space sector. It connects engineering firms with the necessary experts who can help them succeed in tapping the potential of the space sector.

PDF

Research for SMEs scheme

FP7 provides financial support to innovative SMEs investing in the acquisition of new knowledge from RTD providers to improve their competitiveness.

PDF

OTHER KEY DOCUMENTS

The UAE’s first remote-sensing earth observation satellite, DubaiSat 1, is ready for launch later this year.


Dubai, September 23: The UAE’s first remote-sensing earth observation satellite, DubaiSat 1, is ready for launch later this year, the country’s top science institute announced in Dubai on Tuesday.

The satellite will provide the UAE with its first dedicated “eye in the sky” and will be launched onboard by a Russian rocket through the Moscow-based International Space Company, Kosmotras, the Emirates Institute for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) said in Dubai.

DubaiSat 1 has been developed by SatrecI in South Korea and EIAST engineers participated in its development. “It will be one of the most advanced small size satellite of its kind and not only this but the UAE team which participated in its development was also the highlight of the project,” Director General of EIAST Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori said.

The development team of DubaiSat-1 has already started working on finalising designs for DubaiSat-2 and strategic partners for the project are also being selected, Mansoori said. He added that the new satellite’s planned launch is 2012.

Source

Since the closing of the summer period our Earth Observation and Geo-information community has gained some strong additional momentum. The GMES conference in Lille organized under the French Presidency of the European Union has not only been a success in terms of organization and networking with about 860 participants, but also it has demonstrated the maturity of several applications and the support of all the important European institutions for GMES-KOPERNIKUS.

The new name KOPERNIKUS for GMES is also a symbol which allows to rally even further those who recognize themselves in the concern for our Planet and its global environment.

For our Association too, this period is unique: for the first time since its creation almost twenty years ago, we have opened a permanent office in Brussels as of October 1st, 2008. This office will be a key rallying point for our members, will be the new regular meeting place of our Board in Brussels and will be hosting our new Secretary General. It is also a move forward to strengthen the development of Geo-information services. This opening of this new office in Brussels is in line with European Industry’s ambition to closely work with the governing bodies of KOPERNIKUS and in particular to be associated closely with the work of the Bureau in charge of it. It will help strengthen the excellent relation developed in particular with DG Enterprise and the GMES Bureau during the past couple of years.

New EARSC Office: Strengthening EARSC’s support to the geo-information services industry

On the European Space Agency side, EARSC looks with high interest towards the preparation of the coming Ministerial conference in the Hague on November 25 and 26. Indeed the ESA Executive is proposing to the European delegations to fund Segment 2 of GMES, including the funding for the second models of the Sentinels 1, 2 and 3, which represent major elements of the future European involvement in operational Earth Observation and thus a major issue for EARSC. In the same time the strong interest shown by the European EO community, and in particular EUMETSAT, for the operational oceanography program Jason is another demonstration of the willingness of Europe to continue to play a strong role in operational Earth Observation and to be able to contribute to the international negotiations on climate change issues.

Our Spring 2009 Event will be dedicated to Operational Earth Observation and the associated Geo-information Business and we look forward to meet you there. In the mean time we encourage you to go on reading our magazine, visiting our web site and…now our new office in Brussels.

With best regards,



Paul Kamoun
EARSC Chairman

ESA received 12 proposals offering to provide data from more than 40 Earth Observation satellites to GMES Services over the next years. Accordingly the fleet of GMES contributing missions is constantly increasing.

ESA, the European Space Agency, is the coordinator of the space component of GMES and is ensuring the flow of Earth Observation data into GMES Services along with the access to these data. ESA received 12 proposals offering to provide data from more than 40 European and non-European Earth Observation satellites to GMES Services over the next years.
Thus, the fleet of GMES contributing missions is constantly increasing – the German 5-satellite RapidEye constellation remains as the latest mission, launched on 29 August 2008. Among other satellites there are ESA Member States’ missions, such as France’s Spot and Pleiades satellites, Germany’s TerraSAR-X, Italy’s CosmoSkyMed, the UK-led DMC constellation. ESA and EUMESAT (the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) offer their data free of charge, while other agencies do favourable conditions to the GMES Services.

Thanks to harmonised protocols and standards developed by European Space Agencies through the Heterogeneous Mission Accessibility (HMA) Project, ESA is able to harmonise the data flow and data access.

Moreover, to ensure that GMES Services have quick, easy and coherent access to the data from all of the missions, ESA will provide a dedicated Data Access Portal where GMES Services can obtain relevant information and access the data products.

More information at:
http://www.esa.int/esaLP/SEMOBSO4KKF_LPgmes_0.html

Source GMES.Info

Source Space News, Peter B. de Selding, PARIS


The European Defence Agency (EDA) is quietly moving toward involvement in the military-space sector by providing Europe’s civil space authorities with a list of military requirements for future civilian-financed Earth observation and space-situational awareness projects, according to EDA and other European officials.

It remains unclear how far the effort will go, and already some heads of individual European government space agencies are protesting that they are being asked to fund programs with military specifications but no military funding.

EDA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the commission of the 27-nation European Union have agreed to create a task force with European space-hardware manufacturers to identify technologies that Europe needs but does not have on its own.

Leonardo Argiri, an EDA research and technology project officer, said one EDA role will be to encourage its member governments to coordinate with ESA on what manufacturer to use for a given technology deemed to be in short supply in Europe.

Argiri said during a Sept. 25 presentation at a space-technology seminar organized by the Eurospace space-industry association that by coordinating supply-chain decisions with ESA and the European Commission, EDA can help assure that the space sector maximizes its chance of assuring low-volume production of critical space hardware.

European government and industry officials say a key roadblock to Europe’s self-sufficiency in certain space technologies is that the customers for these products do not agree to use the same suppliers. Without a sufficiently large market, manufacturers of high-end electronics components are unlikely to maintain production lines.

“The idea is to select, for a given component, one company that we can agree to,” Argiri said, “and to agree among the governments that we won’t try to duplicate that product throughout Europe.”

Some European governments, such as France, have long welded civil and military space into a single research and development organization. The French space agency, CNES, is funded by the French research and defense ministries and does work for both.

But other governments, as well as ESA, have maintained a strictly civil role for their space agencies, if for no other reason than that they have no military space ambitions.

But these governments have agreed, through the European Commission and ESA, to fund programs that have clear military applications. One, called Kopernikus, is a fleet of Earth observation satellites planned for the next decade — many of interest to military users. Another, which ESA calls Space Situational Awareness, is a proposal that ESA coordinate existing ground-based radar and optical assets in Europe to get a better look at what is in orbit over European territory.

“There are reasons for combining our work in the context of the Commission’s European Security and Research Program, of the [Kopernikus] community and of ESA,” said Dick Zandee, EDA’s head of planning and policy.

“How do we do this?” Zandee asked during the Sept. 9 conference with ESA and the European Commission that set up the task force. “First, where others can take our military requirements into consideration, [EDA] will provide them. We have already provided the commission with military requirements for [Kopernikus] use for maritime surveillance. In the future, military requirements for wider military use of [Kopernikus] will be developed. We have also started work on military requirements for Space Situational Awareness, though these will not be available before 2009.”

Argiri said that in addition to these areas, EDA is interested in military satellite telecommunications and in satellite data relay. In Europe, most military satellite communications technologies are based on commercial work. ESA has launched a data-relay capability with the Artemis satellite in geostationary orbit and ESA governments are expected to be asked to fund a follow-on data-relay system when they meet in late November to vote on ESA’s long-term budget.

Christian Breant, EDA’s research and technology director, said EDA is active in assuring that the next generation of military or dual-use reconnaissance satellites are built as a network rather than independently as is the case of existing or currently planned observation satellites in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

These nations, joined by Belgium and Greece, have formed a group to design what is called the Multinational Space-Based Imaging System, or MUSIS, to assure that future reconnaissance systems can be used by all members. The MUSIS goal is to have these nations agree, by mid-2009, on a design architecture for all future European reconnaissance satellite programs.

By Peter B. de Selding, PARIS
Space News Staff Writer

Source SpaceNews