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Since the 1990‘s, ESA‘s approach to observing the Earth from space has
been dedicated to furthering our understanding of how Earth processes
work, monitoring climate change indicators, testing new observational
techniques and making contributions to operational meteorology. It is
now time to take stock of what has been achieved, but more importantly
look to the future to ensure that ESA continues to provide the best
possible service to its users.

To this end, a framework for a new Earth observation strategy has
been developed and follows on from the previous guideline strategy the
“Science & Research Elements of the Living Planet Programme” (ESA
SP-1227) established in 1998. The new strategy will be presented to the
science community at a meeting entitled ‘The Changing Earth, Scientific
Challenges for ESA’s Living Planet Programme Strategy Workshop’.
The aim of the workshop, which will be
held at ESA-ESRIN, in Frascati, Italy on 15-16 February 2006, is to
open the forum to the science community to provide their feedback on
research areas to focus on in the next phases of the Programme. This
approach is fundamental to the Living Planet Programme, which aims at
the development of Earth Observation Missions in close cooperation with
the scientific community.
Over the last 8 years, six Earth Explorer
mission concepts have been developed to provide us with a wealth of
invaluable data about the Earth, its climate and changing environment.
Despite the loss of the CryoSat mission in October last year, the Earth
Explorer missions are still on track to help satisfy our quest for
knowledge about the Earth. In addition to this research component, the
Living Planet Programme incorporates an Earth Watch element designed to
facilitate the delivery of data for use in operational services – such
as meteorological missions and new missions focusing on the environment
and civil security under GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and
Security).
Although the framework for the new Living
Planet strategy addresses the scientific challenges through the areas
of oceans, atmosphere, cryosphere and the Earth interior, it is
apparent that none of these areas can be dealt with in isolation. None
of the major Earth science disciplines, when studied at global scales
and over different timescales, can be separated from other disciplines.
Real understanding of the Earth system must come from connecting
different processes. In addition, understanding and monitoring the
impact that nature and human activity are having on the Earth system is
vital if we are to ever correctly predict the effect of a changing
climate.
The workshop will be a cornerstone in the
evolution of what is already a successful programme, and will help in
consolidating the strategy. It shall assure that the future of
observing the Earth from space is as meaningful and useful as possible,
providing the answers to the many questions we have about our
environment.
For more information about attending the workshop please click here
see:
www.congrex.nl/06C20

AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. won the 2005 IT business achievement award of Environmental Business International.

AMEC Earth & Environmental Inc. won the 2005 IT business
achievement award of Environmental Business International for
developing market leadership in the use of space-based Interferometric
Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology to locate and predict land
subsidence and earth fissure threats to dams, utilities, mines,
highways and other infrastructure. InSAR utilizes satellite data
acquired at two different times along orbits of a similar trajectory to
detect minute changes in the ground surface. Under a
technology-demonstration contract with the European Space Agency and
through the development of centers of excellence in Western Canada and
the Southwestern United States, AMEC has assisted clients worldwide.
AMECps InSAR projects include Palabora Mine in South Africa, McMicken
Dam near Phoenix, Ariz., a pipeline corridor in British Columbia,
Hayden Hill Mine in California, an underground utility pipeline network
in Arizona, and railways in Germany for Die Bahn and in the United
Kingdom for Network Rail, among others. AMEC also is using InSAR as
part of an early-warning system for landslides at Turtle Mountain in
Alberta, Canada. InSAR does not depend on the deployment of crews into
the field and therefore is highly valuable for acquiring information at
remote sites or areas considered unsafe for personnel to enter.
(Credits AMEC)
Related Links:

The Warsaw Conference on “Integration of the new EU Member Countries
into the GMES Programme” was attended by around 160 experts from space
and user institutions, infrastructure and service industry, research
centers and academia. More than 40% of the audience was from outside
the space sector, and about half of the participants came from new
Member Countries.

Conclusions
The Conference focused on active
participation of the New EU Members States (NMS) in the future
development and application of GMES. It is the second in a series of
GMES-related conferences following the Berlin event and preceding the
Toulouse and Budapest ones, concluding with the Graz Conference to be
held in April 2006.
The participants acknowledged with
satisfaction the outcome of the European Union Space Council (Nov 28
2005) and the ESA Council meeting at ministerial level (Dec 5/6 2005)
at which a GMES programme was presented to Member States. In
particular, the decision of the ESA Council to launch the first phase
of the optional GMES programme with an over subscribed budget was
welcomed by the participants who saw it as a strong encouragement of
their effort toward building and integrating operational services. The
formal invitation by the ESA Council meeting at ministerial level to
countries from new EU member states to join the programme as fully
participating states was received with great enthusiasm and underlined
the relevance of the Conference. However, the participants expressed
their wish to see a greater commitment of the EU Member States,
supporting the swift implementation of GMES through the European
Commission.
During the discussion, the participants
agreed that the involvement of user organisations, research
institutions and industry from the New EU Member States in GMES is
essential for ensuring the success of this programme in the enlarged
Europe. A number of stake holders from the NMS, most notably user
organizations and service industries, already participate in both the
ESA and EC GMES projects. Their involvement is presently limited to
land and ocean GMES projects, but must be extended to the GMES security
projects such as RISK-EOS, LIMES and PREVIEW. Participants were
convinced that industries in the New Member States have all the
required skills to participate as active players within GMES. In
particular, Industrial leaders already active in GMES welcomed the
participation of NMS industry in all roles within GMES, including space
and ground hardware, distribution/ processing / calibration, validation
and service provision. However, the potential of New Member States in
GMES is still not fully exploited, and there is a pressing need to
increase the involvement of New Member States actors in GMES.
For this purpose, a resources and
dedicated framework need to be made available and accessed within the
institutional set-up. The key GMES European-level stakeholders
including EC and the JRC, ESA, EUMETSAT, EUSC and EEA are all
developing new links and enlarging their respective membership and
cooperation with NMS national organizations. This clearly sets the
long-term institutional and programmatic framework for GMES.
Priority should be given to making full use of existing programmatic
and funding mechanisms to achieve this, including national funding from
the New Member States, activation of the ESA PECS (Plan for European
Cooperating States) mechanism, access to funds available through EC
Programmes, and involvement of NMS organizations in GMES.
Recommendations
The following specific recommendations emerged from the discussions that took place during the meeting:
1) The formal integration of the New EU
Member States to the GMES programme needs to be accelerated in order to
set-up the mechanisms facilitating collaboration at all levels. In
particular, ESA and officials from the New EU Member States are invited
to accelerate their efforts toward reaching agreements, either via the
PECS mechanism or the “Programme participation” mechanism of ESA.
2) The legal framework related to Earth
Observation applications, either at National or EU level, does not
support the development of services. The European Commission and
National Legislators are invited to undertake a careful screening of
existing legislation and required adaptations, following for example
the case of the water framework regulations.
3) In particular, the timely availability, the pricing and licensing
of data, services and products are critical for the deployment of GMES,
and need to be foreseen in the respective legal instruments.
4) Partnerships are seen as a key factor
for the development of the GMES Programme in general and the
integration of the new EU Member States in particular. It was
recognised that in addition to national and EU levels, the regional
(sub-national) level and cross borders (adjacent) coordination and
applications are essential and need to be supported. The GMES
institutional actors, in particular the EC and ESA, are invited to
foster the development of specific downstream services through
bilateral partnerships of new Member States’ and old Member States’
institutions.
(Credits Eurisy)

Today, EUMETSAT will take over control of the second of the new
generation of weather satellites, Meteosat Second Generation (MSG-2)
from the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) and immediately start
commissioning operations.

ESOC was responsible for the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP)
after the launch of the satellite on 21 December and ensured that the
satellite arrived safely on station at 6.5° West longitude in
geostationary orbit at 36,000 km above the Earth.
From its Control Center in Darmstadt,
EUMETSAT will now activate the onboard instruments, SEVIRI and GERB,
and will verify that all electronic components are performing well. The
first MSG-2 signal was already received by the EUMETSAT commissioning
team on 28 December 2005 from the MSG ground station in Usingen.
During the commissioning period, which
will last until Summer 2006, the satellite and ground systems will be
carefully tested and tuned to prepare it for routine operations.
The first image from MSG-2 is foreseen for
end of January 2006 and dissemination of imagery to the meteorological
user communities for evaluation purposes is expected for spring.
The Meteosat Second Generation satellites
provide improved information and imagery for weather forecasting as
well as other applications such as hydrology, agriculture and
environmental studies. The data collected are routinely used for the
study of weather and climate change and have proven to be vital in the
context of severe weather situations were they help to reduce losses of
human life and property.
Please also view Mikael Rattenborg’s
interview (EUMETSAT Director Operations) on the following webpage:
http://www.eumetsat.int/

EUMETSAT
The European Organisation for the Exploitation of
Meteorological Satellites, is an intergovernmental organisation that
establishes and maintains operational meteorological satellites for 18
European States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom). EUMETSAT
has signed 12 Cooperating State Agreements. Those with Bulgaria,
Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia,
Slovenia and the Czech Republic have entered into force whereas the
Agreement with Serbia and Montenegro and Iceland are to be ratified in
the near future.
EUMETSAT is currently operating Meteosat-6, -7 and -8 over Europe and Africa, and Meteosat-5 over the Indian Ocean.
The data, product and services from
EUMETSAT’s satellites make a significant contribution to weather
forecasting and to the monitoring of the global climate.
More info at press@eumetsat.int
(Credits Eumetsat)

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2008 as the UN
International Year of Planet Earth, the biggest ever international
effort to promote the Earth sciences.

The aims of the initiative include reducing health problems
through an improved understanding of the medical aspects of Earth
science, enhancing understanding of the occurrence of natural resources
in order to reduce political tension, improving understanding of the
evolution of life, increasing interest in Earth sciences within society
at large, and encouraging more young people to study Earth science at
university.
According to a statement by the
organisers, the International Year of Planet Earth ‘aims to raise 20
million USD from industry and governments and will spend half on
co-funding research, and half on outreach activities’.
Ted Nield, chairman of the outreach
programme committee, told CORDIS News that the 20 million USD figure
was ‘plucked out of the air’ when the idea was first conceived in 2001.
‘Now we would be hoping for more than 20 million, as inflation has
caught up with us since then,’ he said.
‘Of course, 10 million dollars is a lot
of money for outreach activities,’ stressed Dr Nield. ‘It‘s not such a
huge amount for science perhaps, but it will operate as a co-financing
scheme, so we‘re looking for proposals from researchers that have
already secured some funding. The system is modelled on the
international geoscience programme, which has proved very effective.’
Indeed, expressions of interest from researchers are already being
sought under ten separate research themes, chosen for their societal
relevance and outreach potential and set out in ten science
prospectuses. These are: groundwater, hazards, Earth and health,
climate change, resources, megacities, deep Earth, ocean, soil, and
Earth and life.
However, Dr Nield believes that whilst
the science component will be very important, the wider and more
fundamental objectives of the International Year of Planet Earth are
achieving the public outreach and political impact needed in order to
raise the global profile of Earth sciences. ‘Although I am saying this
as the chair of the outreach programme, you understand!’ he joked.
Dr Nield adds that the public outreach
element of the initiative will play the key role in attracting the
desired corporate investment, ‘because that‘s where companies will see
the benefit of investing their PR dollars’. He also believes that
achieving endorsement from the UN, as well as the backing of 97
countries representing 87 per cent of the world‘s population, will open
many doors. ‘We felt UN backing was important – and it has been a four
year task to achieve it – because we want to attract new money from
industry, and for this we thought we would need the endorsement of the
UN,’ Dr Nield told CORDIS News.
The initiative was originally launched
jointly by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and
UNESCO, and was promoted politically within the UN by the People‘s
Republic of Tanzania. Eduardo de Mulder, former president of IUGS and
project leader of the initiative, said: ‘The International Year of
Planet Earth aims to contribute to the improvement of everyday life,
especially in the less developed countries, by promoting the societal
potential of the world‘s Earth scientists.’
Professor de Mulder concluded: ‘Around
the shores of the Indian Ocean, some 230,000 people are dead because
the world‘s governments have not yet grasped the need to use
geoscientists’ knowledge and understanding of the Earth more
effectively. Yet that knowledge is readily available in the practical
experience and publications of some half a million Earth scientists all
over the world, a professional community that is ready and willing to
contribute to a safer, healthier and wealthier society if called upon
by politicians and decision makers.’
For more information click here
(Credits Cordis)

VEGA Group PLC (VEGA), the independent Programme and System Assurance
company, and their partners A.C.S. S.p.A. have been awarded a contract
worth €2.2 million by the European Space Agency (ESA) to build and
deliver the Core Payload Data Segment for the ADM-Aeolus satellite.

ADM-Aeolus is part of the ESA’s Living Planet Programme and its
objective is to observe global wind profiles and provide information to
improve weather forecasting. The Core Payload Data Segment is part of
the ground-based hardware and software systems that receive, archive
and manage earth observation data from the satellite.
As Prime Contractor, VEGA will be fully
responsible for the integration of the system and delivery to the
European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) based near Rome. ACS will
provide the core Aeolus Processing Facility (APF), based on their
generic PDS elements successfully used for the Cryosat and GOCE ground
segments. KSAT of Norway will be responsible for the ADM-Aeolus X-band
Acquisition Station and associated equipment, with which the core APF
will be integrated.
The ADM PDS is the first project to be
awarded to VEGA and ACS, following signature of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations in October 2005.
This MoU covers the further development
and distribution of a highly innovative solution for ground processing.
According to this MoU and based on their combined experience, a generic
Earth Observation data processing system has been designed and will be
promoted by both companies worldwide. This solution forms the basis for
the ADM-Aeolus Core Ground Segment and is highly configurable to
process data received from any sensing satellites.
VEGA Group is one of Europe’s leading
designers and developers of spacecraft ground segments and has worked
on every ESA Earth Observation mission for the past 25 years. The
company’s experience covers both the Flight Operations Segment and
Payload Data Segment. VEGA is also involved in a number of non-ESA
missions, including priming the consortium that provided the complete
ALOS ground segment to the European Space Agency. ALOS is a Japanese
satellite to be launched later this year.
VEGA
also develops user support tools such as EOLI, for searching and
ordering EO images, and X-View, for visualizing and analyzing EO data.
The partnership with ACS considerably
strengthens and complements VEGA’s capability in the Payload Data
Segment. ACS has developed ground processing systems for various
satellites such as Landsat, SPOT, ERS, Envisat and, more recently, GOCE
and Cryosat.
ADM- Aeolus Artist´s view, © ESA
Contact:
John Auburn,
Business Development Director, Space
VEGA Group PLC,
Tel: +44 (0)1707 391999
Email: john.auburn@vega.co.uk
and
Karen Rogers,
Marketing Manager, Space
VEGA Group PLC,
Tel: +44 (0)1329 223838
Email: karen.rogers@vega.co.uk
More info at:

VTT is an impartial expert organisation employing approximately 2700
staff members. Its objective is to develop new technologies, create new
innovations and value added thus increasing customer‘s competencies.
With its know how VTT produces research, development, testing and
information services to public sector and companies as well as
international organisations.

VTT renewed its operating models and structures from the beginning
of 2006 in order to implement the strategy better. This means striving
for functioning closer to customers and being a partner for them,
having better knowledge of customer’s market and recognising business
development opportunities.
VTT’s technology
operations are based on the R&D process, which consist of 45
knowledge centres. A separate Business solutions operation serves key
customers.
Strategic research operation concentrates
on the development of new technologies and competences. Testing,
analyses and certification is handled by Expert services. The new
operations model opens up a chance to participate in the customer‘s
business through Business solutions function, which also manages and
develops actively VTT’s patent portfolio.
The new structure makes it possible to
serve domestic and foreign customers even better in the field of earth
observation that is among the core competence areas of VTT. We are
specialized in the development of science based value added products
for forestry, environment, and natural disasters. The product
development includes the whole value adding chain from data
pre-processing, management, analysis and delivery. Optical and radar
data have an equal weight in our R &D.
Present projects include participation in the GSE Forest Monitoring as
a service provider for French government and environment monitoring
system Envimon. In the Envimon project six applications are developed
for the environmental monitoring. The applications use a common
software framework, which makes the development work effective
including future expansion of the system. The modular structure of
Envimon follows the web services concept.
Additional information
Tuomas Häme
Research Professor
+358 20 722 6282
Tuomas.Hame@vtt.fi
(Credits VTT)

TRE, in cooperation with Miami University, has recently applied the PS
Technique to create the first space-derived image of subsidence in New
Orleans.

In reconstructing the flood defences, following the ravages of
Hurricane Katrina, knowledge of prevailing subsidence rates is an
important input to the design of the rehabilitated levees.
Tele-Rilevamento Europa (TRE) specializes in satellite-borne radar remote sensing. TRE’s products are derived using the POLIMI PS TechniqueTM – a technology that detects and measures small scale surface deformation.
TRE, in cooperation with Miami University, has recently applied the PS Technique to create the first space-derived image of subsidence in New Orleans.
In reconstructing the flood defences, following the ravages of
Hurricane Katrina, knowledge of prevailing subsidence rates is an
important input to the design of the rehabilitated levees.
Levelling data have already suggested that
most of the city and the larger delta are subsiding relative to the
mean sea level, potentially leading to catastrophic flooding. This is
due both to the natural compaction of Holocene sediments and to the
localized compaction of deeper sediments from the extraction of oil,
water and natural gas. However, levelling data can be affected by local
phenomena and in situ effects. In such a situation, an independent
technique featuring high spatial density of measurements points is
therefore valuable. The POLIMI PS Technique™ is such a tool.
On behalf of the University of Miami, TRE
processed 33 radar scenes acquired by Canada’s Radarsat satellite
between April 2002 and July 2005, using the PS Technique™. The study
area was approximately 1,500 km2, around greater New Orleans, where
urbanization provides a good distribution of radar targets. Also, a ten
year record from a high precision GPS station in the greater New
Orleans area provided a control reference to calibrate the PS results.
The results of the analysis will be published in a joint paper written by TRE and the University of Miami.
About TRE
Milan-based Tele Rilevamento Europa, TRE,
is the first spin-off company of the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI)
University. It was conceived to deliver the PS Technique – patented by
POLIMI in 1999 – to public and private sector customers.
The PS Technique is a unique tool that detects, measures and monitors
different geophysical phenomena (e.g. subsidence, uplift, landslides,
seismic faults, etc.). It also monitors the stability of individual
structures.
TRE complements its commercial activities
by extending the academic research of POLIMI in PS technology into
applied research and development of new service products.
For more information contact:
Alessandro Ferretti
Managing Director
+39 02 4343121
alessandro.ferretti@treuropa.com
(Credits TRE)

SPOT Image Corporation has been awarded a contract by the US Geological
Survey (USGS) for the purchase of satellite imagery products and
services. The SPOT satellite constellation collects imagery ranging
from 2.5m to 20m, from any location on Earth.

The SPOT satellite constellation collects imagery ranging from
2.5m to 20m, from any location on Earth. SPOT imagery applications
include map updating, creation of 3D terrain models, land-use and
environmental analyses, and disaster response.
“We’ve always maintained a very good
working relationship with USGS, and they’ve worked to integrate our
products into their programs over the 20 years we’ve been in commercial
operations, ” explains Neal Carney, president of SPOT Image
Corporation. “This contract recognizes the need for more global
cooperation in providing a broad range of image options for U.S.
government users.”
“SPOT provides a unique set of imagery
products, bridging the gap between our government Landsat system, and
the higher resolutions of aerial photography and other U.S. satellite
providers,” explains Barbara Ryan, USGS Associate Director for
Geography. “The type of data that SPOT provides will assist the USGS in
fulfilling its mission by providing impartial natural resource and
earth science information to other government agencies, resource
managers, and to the public. We look to expand this relationship, and
help ensure that U.S. users have access to the broadest, most valuable
range of imagery options available.”
SPOT Image Corporation is the exclusive
provider of SPOT satellite imagery products and services to the U.S.
government, serving both defense and civilian agencies at federal,
state and local levels. They work closely with a variety of value-added
firms to ensure that high quality high-value finished products are
reliably delivered to end users. All inquiries concerning SPOT
satellite image products should be directed to SPOT’s U.S.
headquarters, at the address listed below. Headquartered in Toulouse,
France, with subsidiaries and offices in Australia, Brazil, China,
Japan, Mexico, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United
States, the Spot Image group leverages a global network of ground
receiving stations, channel partners and distributors to bring
geographic information derived from satellite imagery to public- and
private-sector decision-makers worldwide.
(Credits Spatial News)

The Environment Agency has awarded SciSys a three year contract to
provide core services in support of the development and enhancement of
key regulation systems in England and Wales.

Approximately £15m is being budgeted for by the Environment Agency
to provide technological enhancements to enable improved and
streamlined delivery of regulation processes.
This latest agreement capitalises on
SciSys’ regulatory knowledge and experience, gained from existing
agreements with the Environment Agency. These have resulted in the
implementation of many key regulation business systems, including the
Permit Administration System (PAS), which is core to the Environment
Agency’s modernising regulation agenda.
Speaking today, Chris Bale, Director of Performance and Innovation at
the Environment Agency said, “SciSys has proven its ability to deliver
and maintain a robust and reliable infrastructure to support our
regulatory activities.
“This contract will make sure the
Environment Agency continues to benefit from this knowledge and
expertise, and at the same time, enjoy substantial cost savings through
the innovative design and implementation of improved regulatory
solutions.
“We are working with the regulation team
at SciSys to use the latest in technology and thinking to radically
change our business processes and service delivery. This regulation
solution will release staff to genuinely add value to the process:
advising businesses on which regulations apply to them, educating them
on how to comply; encouraging a sense of corporate social
responsibility and so reducing the enforcement burden whilst improving
outcomes for the environment.”
Mark Hampson, SciSys Managing Director added, “I am very pleased the
Environment Agency has selected SciSys as a preferred strategic
partner. This is a reflection of the long term relationship we have
built with the Agency and our continued commitment to delivering
innovation and improvement for our customers and to the wider
Regulation market. SciSys has invested in and can deliver a unique and
technically innovative approach that supports the efficient ‘build
once, use many’ strategy that can be used to build and deploy
regulatory solutions within the Environment Agency rapidly and at a
much reduced cost. SciSys is committed to the goal of being a market
leader for Regulation. The award of this contract is clearly an
important milestone in the achievement of this goal.”
The SciSys regulation solution will
eventually be used to support the whole of the Environment Agency’s
regulatory obligations, ensuring staff have more time and resources to
fully evaluate permit applications and their implications, and for
managers to co-ordinate work-scheduling and resource-planning more
effectively.
(Credits SciSys)