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The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has set in place contracts for a service which will provide EU Member States with processed satellite data for the monitoring and detection of illegal discharges and accidental oil spills at sea.

The focus of the service will be to provide Member States with continuity of service, economies of scale and rapid response times in supplying processed information.
Eurimage S.p.A., as the authorised commercial licence distributor, will provide ASAR (Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar) images from the European Space Agency (ESA) ENVISAT satellite.
EMSA was tasked under Article 10 of Directive 2005/35/EC of 7th September 2005 on Ship-Source Pollution and on the Introduction of Penalties for Infringements of the European Parliament and Council, to “work with the Member States in developing technical solutions and providing technical assistance in relation to the implementation of this Directive, in actions such as tracing discharges by satellite monitoring and surveillance.”
CleanSeaNet is a European operational system for satellite detection of oil slicks. The service will begin operating in mid-April 2007 and will provide analysed images from ENVISAT and RADARSAT satellites. A network of receiving stations in Norway, Italy and, from 2008, the Azores will receive the data, which will be relayed to control centres for rapid processing and analysis by trained operators, who will assess the images, together with meteorological information, for the possible presence of oil on the sea surface and the source of the pollution. The processed information will be sent simultaneously to the national authorities in the affected Member States and to EMSA. The time from data acquisition by the satellite to the receipt of processed information by pollution control authorities will be a maximum of 30 minutes.
A consortium of service providers, consisting of Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (Norway), Telespazio s.p.A (Italy) and Edisoft (Portugal) will be responsible for the downloading, processing, analysis and dissemination of the images and derived information, including alerts, to participating coastal states and to EMSA.

“This is a first, and significant, step in the process whereby EMSA assists Member States and the Commission in detecting illegal and accidental discharges at sea,”
said EMSA Executive Director, Willem de Ruiter. “The Member States have the responsibility for implementing Directive 2005/35/EC and this service will ensure that they will be given the necessary support so that maritime pollution monitoring and detection can be done on a larger and more sustainable scale.”
Eurimage Managing Director Marcello Maranesi said: “The oil spill service for EMSA is the first operational monitoring service at European level based on Satellite data. Satellite Radar data are going to introduce a temporal dimension in our services and new missions, like Cosmo Sky-Med, Terrasat and Radarsat-2, will soon open up a new operational scenario for operational services.”
(Source Eurimage)

RapidEye, Germany´s first remote-sensing company operating it´s own satellite system, has assembled the first satellite completely. Its testing program has commenced.

Jena Optronics delivered the first payload in February to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) in England for integration with the satellite bus. “The fact that the first payload has been completed constitute a significant progress for the program. We are looking forward to the other four units to follow quickly.” said Pietro Widmer, Manager for Operations and Engineering at RapidEye.
Integration and testing of the first satellite is proceeding per plan. The second payload has in the mean time also arrived at SSTL. The other four satellites will enter the integration and testing phase in the next couple of months.
Meanwhile the MDA developed image data and DEMs processing and archiving system that also includes the acquisition planning, calibration and order handling functions, underwent in January three weeks of rigorous and successful acceptance testing in Vancouver. This provided the green light for shipping it to RapidEye.
About a dozen crates of equipment arrived at RapidEye Headquarters at the end of February. Installation and another round of acceptance testing confirmed that the system is fully functional and the On-Site Acceptance Test milestone was successfully passed March 15th. This system joins in RapidEye‘s operations facilities the Satellite Control Center system, which had been delivered last September. Integration and test of the overall ground segment has started.
The five RapidEye earth observation satellites are planned to be launched before the end of this year from Baikonur (Kazakhstan).
(Source RapidEye)

Gisat is a member of the winning ETC-LUSI consortium in a recent EEA tender

The company was named as one of the key member of the European consortium that won in a prestigious tender recently launched by the European Environmental Agency (EEA)
Gisat experts have been involved for more than a decade in European land cover mapping (CORINE Land Cover programme run by EEA) and various LC/LU data applications including land accounting and indicator development. In 1997-2000, Gisat was a leader of EEA PHARE Topic Link on Land Cover, in 2001 – 2006 it was a member of EEA European Topic Centre on Terrestrial Environment (ETC-TE) and since 2007 it is a member of EEA European Topic Centre on Land Use and Spatial Information (ETC-LUSI).
ETC-LUSI is an international consortium assisting the European Commission and the European Environment Agency in their attempts to achieve sustainable development and to improve European environment. This process involves the European Information and Observation Network (EIONET), in which 33 countries are participating, and other main stakeholders. ETC-LUSI includes a valuable expertise in Europe to handle data in its topic area, and to analyse the environmental data with regards to developments in society and the economy and with regards to environmental and sectoral policies covering the full geographical area of EEA member countries.
The ETC-LUSI is an international consortium composed by 10 organisations from 9 different EU Member States building a bridge between the research and the policy and decision making community. This consortium is led by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) from Spain, UAB was also leading the former European Topic Centre on Terrestrial Environment (ETC-TE), being the new ETC-LUSI the continuation of this consortium work that have been done during last years.
More information can be found at ETC-LUSI web site.
(Source Gisat)

TLCC project aims to create the automated land cover classification methodology.

Gisat, Czech leader in remote sensing applications coordinate the TLCC project aiming to create the automated land cover classification methodology. Having on board partners experienced with land cover classification activities both on European and the New Independent States (NIS) level, the Technology of Land Cover Classification (TLCC) project aims to create the standardized, well-documented and formalized model and technology for automated land cover classification. More it aims develop model ensuring classification robustness and guarantee compatibility and quality of land cover production. In order to achieve these objectives, the TLCC project has to investigate the number of fundamental research issues present both at the level of multi-purpose land cover nomenclature specification, class model classification definition as well as practical implementation of such models. In particular, the project will focuse on development and implementation within the OBIA approach framework.
Technology of the Land Cover Classification (TLCC) creation is carried out according to the National Space Program of Ukraine as part of Ukrainian GMES segment. More, the Ukraine national technical committee of standardization is aiming to introduce TLCC as the Ukrainian land cover mapping standard. The project outputs will contribute also into the European GMES land monitoring programme.
Consortia partners include GISAT – Czech Republic (lead), Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS) – Denmark, Dniprocosmos State Company (DSC) – Ukraine, Scientific Centre for Aerospace Research of the Earth (CASRE) – Ukraine, IBA – Ukraine and United Institute of Informatics Problems (UIIP) – Belarus.
TLCC project is supported by National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU), CNES and by INTAS – The International Association for the Promotion of Co-operation with Scientists from the New Independent States (NIS) of the Former Soviet Union. INTAS is an independent International Association formed by the European Community, European Union Member States and like-minded countries to promote East-West scientific co-operation between INTAS members and INTAS-NIS partner countries.
More information: www.gisat.cz or www.intas.be
(Source GISAT)

The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security – GMES -Programme was introduced to H.E. Ban Ki-moon by Dr. Christian Hoffmann, CEO of the GeoVille group, on the occasion of an invitation of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.

(Feb 2007) Mr. Hoffmann explained how GMES, one of Europe‘s flagships in space, can assist the UN in their environmental & humanitarian aid programmes.
Among the United Nations organisations identified to profit from GMES are the World Bank, the Environment and Food Programme, UNESCO and the Offices for Humanitarian Affairs. Examples centred on countering negative effects of urban sprawl, monitoring of habitats and adaptation to climate change as key challenges of the 21st century.
GMES
GMES represents a concerted effort to bring together data and information providers with users. Thereby they can better understand each other and make environmental and security-related information available through enhanced or new services. GMES is driven by the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA), together with their Member States.
GMES will strengthen Europe‘s role as a world leader in collecting and managing environmental and civil security information for the benefit of its citizens and institutions.
GeoVille group
GeoVille is an internationally operating group based in Austria and Luxembourg and uses satellite data to provide products and services in the environmental and geo-spatial domain.
GeoVille group is a leading GMES service provider supplying geo-information products to the EU, ESA the European Environment Agency as well as national ministries and regional administrations. GeoVille products centre on land based applications related to land use and land cover mapping, urban and regional planning, forestry, environmental monitoring and modelling.
GeoVille group has long term project experience in working with UN organisations such as the World Bank, United Nations Operational Services and UNESCO. Currently GeoVille is implementing a habitat monitoring system in seven Central American countries for ESA and UNESCO.
In GMES, GeoVille group is putting urban growth on the map in nine European countries within the ESA financed GSE Land project. In the project geoland, financed by the EU 6th
Framework Programme, Geo-Ville has successfully developed environmental indicators for urban and regional development.
(Source GeoVille Group)

GMV has signed a licensing agreement with Raytheon Company to migrate software support services for the satellite ground system software originally provided by Raytheon to some 65 Boeing-manufactured commercial, geostationary satellites around the world.

GMV will provide software maintenance, training, operations, analysis, consulting, help-desk support, on-site support, software upgrades, and software patches to commercial operators around the world who are currently operating their Boeing-manufactured satellites with Raytheon‘s telemetry command and ranging (TCR) software, Orbital Operations (OrbOps) software, and related software programs.
This agreement allows GMV to significantly expand its reach to commercial operators around the world, and will provide a valuable service to those customers whose satellites have years of life left in them. With this agreement, GMV will be providing operational SW and support services to over 150 satellites around the world.
GMV is one of the leading suppliers of satellite ground system software in the world, and is the global leader in satellite flight dynamics for all types of satellite missions (LEO, MEO, GEO, HEEO and interplanetary). GMV has been providing satellite ground system software to satellite manufacturers, commercial operators, and Space Institutions around the world for over 22 years. There are currently more than 70 satellites being operated from five continents and 18 countries with GMV‘s operational software.
(Source GMV)

GMV has been nominated for the 2006-2007 “Premios Príncipe Felipe a la Excelencia Empresarial” (Príncipe Felipe Prizes for Business Excellence) in the category of Technological Innovation of major firms.

The “ Príncipe Felipe a la Innovación Tecnológica ” Prize is a special mention for those firms that have successfully brought an important technological innovation product or project onto the market or have managed to open up lines of great interest to society at large. GMV submitted Palview, the platform of internet-based fleet-tracking services .
The Premios Príncipe Felipe a la Excelencia Empresarial are given in a total of nine categories. The prizes have now been up and running for nine years and are recognized as the most prestigious award for business excellence in Spain.
The prize-giving ceremony, presided over by His Royal Highness Príncipe Felipe de Asturias (April in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade).
(Source GMV)

Indra Espacio will draft a study that will enable the European Space Agency to provide efficient support to European companies in the sector for their export activities in the Latin American market.

Indra Espacio will draft a study for the European Space Agency (ESA) that will allow it to define a strategic plan for providing efficient support to European companies in the Earth Observation sector for their export activities in the Latin American market, with special emphasis on promoting cooperation between companies and institutions on both continents.
This ESA initiative is based on initial market studies that indicate that only approximately 15% of the turnover in the sector‘s added value companies comes from international markets outside of Europe.
The duration of the project, called Jaguar, is 12 months, during which time the characteristics of the Latin American market will be analyzed through contacts and interviews with different players: national space agencies, local businesses, major institutional and private clients, etc. Contact will also be made with the most important international donation agencies that work in the region, such as the Inter-American Development Bank or the World Bank.
The study also establishes the selection of an initial group of users to whom a series of pilot services will be provided for evaluation. The areas of interest in the region include, among others, risk management, town planning, agriculture, forest management or oceanographic applications.
(Source Indra Espacio)

Infoterra provides lidar height data to Wessex Water. Infoterra supplies aerial imagery for new flight simulator scenery. Infoterra Ltd re-awarded prime contractor role for GMES Respond.

Infoterra provides lidar height data to Wessex Water (March 2007)
Infoterra Ltd, a leader in the provision of geospatial products and services, has supplied regional water and sewage treatment provider Wessex Water with lidar* height data of the urban landscape throughout the South West of England.
Infoterra supplies aerial imagery for new flight simulator scenery (March 2007)
Infoterra Ltd (an EADS Astrium company and a leader in the provision of geographic information products and services) today announced that it will receive further funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) for the next phase of the GMES project Respond, which provides the humanitarian relief community with geographic information services and support.
Infoterra Ltd re-awarded prime contractor role for GMES Respond (February 2007)
Infoterra Ltd (an EADS Astrium company and a leader in the provision of geographic information products and services) today announced that it will receive further funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) for the next phase of the GMES project Respond, which provides the humanitarian relief community with geographic information services and support.

One of the greatest challenges to be met by man in the coming years is to understand and contain global climate change.

This also includes investigation into whether and to what extent the ice masses are changing at the Earth poles. This question will be answered by Cryosat-2, a new research satellite being developed and built by Europe’s largest space company Astrium for the European space agency ESA. First hardware components have arrived in recent days at the Astrium satellite centre in Friedrichshafen, thus enabling the start of the mechanical integration of CryoSat-2. The satellite is expected to commence its space activities in March 2009.
Scientists assume that the polar ice masses will retreat considerably due to global warming; up to now, however, there is little selective data on these large, unpopulated and difficult-to-access polar regions. The radar satellite CryoSat-2 will remedy this information deficit and provide a global overview for researchers.
For at least three and a half years, CryoSat-2 will measure the thickness of sea-ice and changes at the land-ice margins with a precision previously unattained. The radar satellite data will help to pin down the connection between the melting of the polar ice and the rise in sea levels.
The first CryoSat was completed by Astrium in 2005. But because of a technical launcher defect, the satellite plunged into the Arctic Ocean during the launch attempt in October 2005. A few months later, ESA decided to build the satellite again. the design and configuration of CryoSat-2 are mainly based on CryoSat-1. Nevertheless, as many as 85 modifications are implemented in CryoSat-2.
Polar ice as a climate factor
Polar ice plays a key role in regulating the global climate. Despite being thousands of kilometres away from the most inhabited areas, the ice has a profound effect on the climate in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Three aspects are most important:
Firstly, the polar ice reflects a large portion of the sun‘s light. As polar ice melts, less sunlight is reflected, leading to the polar regions becoming warmer. Consequently, more ice begins to melt and the reflective capacity is further reduced. This could result in a self-accelerating cycle of global warming.
Secondly, open water radiates a large quantity of heat during the night. Thick sea-ice has a negative effect on this. To a certain extent, it acts as a thermal blanket and therefore plays a significant part in regulating the heat balance of the Earth.
Thirdly, melting polar ice can greatly affect the ocean currents with unforeseen consequences for the climate. They act as giant heat pumps, distributing the energy stored in the oceans around the globe. The best known example is the Gulf Stream, which transports warm water from the tropical latitudes across the Atlantic to northern Europe.
Radar provides more detailed views of ice
CryoSat-2 will circle the Earth in a polar orbit at an altitude of 720 kilometres. The special on-board radar instrument will provide data to determine the thickness and circumference of the polar ice sheets and sea-ice cover. Earlier radar satellites, such as the European ERS 1 and 2 or Envisat, are only equipped with a single antenna which enables them to gather information about uniform ice surfaces over a large area. CryoSat-2, on the other hand, has two antennas. Similar to the way in which humans, with two eyes, can see in 3-D, CryoSat‘s double radar will be able to scan the surface very precisely. This is called radar interferometry.
With this system, an average accuracy of one to three centimetres can be reached. Thus it can also collect data on non-homogeneous ice structures with very steep sides in the polar seas, glaciers or ice sheets. CryoSat-2‘s radar altimeter works day or night and can also penetrate clouds. Therefore, it is particularly suited to the research of the large polar ice sheets, which rise up to 4,000 metres above sea level and which are often covered by clouds. The data from the CryoSat mission will provide information about the rate of change of these huge ice sheets.

Astrium and CryoSat-2
Astrium, as the prime contractor for CryoSat-2, is responsible for a consortium of around 25 companies. Astrium in Friedrichshafen is building the satellite platform and integrating all instruments. Ultimately, Astrium is responsible to ESA for the reliability of the whole satellite. The industrial contract is valued at approximately €75 million.
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2006, Astrium had a turnover of €3.2 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are: the business units Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure and Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment, and its wholly owned subsidiary Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2006, EADS generated revenues of €39.4 billion and employed a workforce of more than 116, 000.
Media Contact:
Mathias Pikelj
+49 (0) 7545 8 91 23
Cryosat-2 Figures
Mass:
720 kg
Dimensions:
4.6 x
2.34 x
2.2 m
Payload:

Radar
altimeter (SIRAL)

Data
receiver (DORIS)

Laser
retro-reflector
Star
trackers (3)
Height
resolution:
1 to
3 cm
Horizontal
resolution:
approx.
300 m
Industrial
contract:
approx.
75 million euros
Mission
duration:
at
least 3,5 years
Orbit:
720 km altitude,
92
degrees inclination
Planned
launch date:
March
15, 2009
(Source EADS Astrium)