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26th May 2016 – Westminster, London: Earth-i (www.earthi.space), the innovative UK-based distributor of image and data services from the DMC3 / TripleSat satellite constellation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with space technology and enabled services specialist, Telespazio VEGA.


MoU will allow both companies to offer customers data that combines their specialisations in remote optics and radar technology

This MoU will permit each company to provide each other’s specialist products and services to their respective customers. In the case of Earth-i, this will permit them to provide new and existing customers with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from the COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation alongside their existing optical data.

Telespazio VEGA is owned by European aerospace and defence giants Leonardo– Finmeccanica and Thales. Benefiting from over 35 years of industry experience, their UK operations, which include their ground control centre at Harwell, are headquartered in Luton. Telespazio VEGA, accessing the four satellites of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation, and Earth-i with the DMC3 / TripleSat constellation, will collectively be able to offer seven highly advanced and complementary imaging resources with multiple imaging opportunities each day.

Richard Blain, CEO of Earth-i, commented: “This agreement signed by both parties demonstrates a collaborative relationship between two geospatial companies who can now offer their customers the best of both worlds. By combining SAR and optical data we can provide ever more detailed metrics, analytics and information extraction. All of us look forward to working with our friends at Telespazio VEGA to find new and innovative applications and capabilities from our shared resources.”

Founded and run by prominent and experienced individuals from the Earth Observation industry, Earth-i is another success story from the UK Space industry along with its close neighbours and the satellites’ manufacturer, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). Earth-i is significantly increasing its imaging and data services from the DMC3 / TripleSat constellation and places specific focus on fast, easy and convenient access for data users.

Three identical 1 metre resolution optical satellites make up the DMC3 / TripleSat constellation. The unique combination of high spatial and temporal resolution, along with industry-leading technical specifications, serve data users and support a wide range of applications in market sectors including oil and gas, security and defence, agriculture and construction.

Leveraging the inherent high revisit capability of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation, the collaboration with Earth-i will add a minimum of twice daily imaging over any location worldwide and with the advantage of a UK based ground station, it offers unprecedented levels of high assurance imaging regardless of weather conditions combined with much lower latency between acquisition in space and receipt on the ground to around 30 minutes in ideal circumstances.

The high frequency of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation makes it ideal for monitoring applications from wide area maritime surveillance and vessel detection to regional forestry and agricultural compliance applications, near real time flood mapping down to site specific sub-millimetre surface deformation monitoring of individual buildings, roads and bridges.

About Earth-i Ltd:

Earth-i is a British company dedicated to facilitating the distribution of data from the DMC3/TripleSat Constellation. As the master distributor appointed by 21AT, Earth-i provides a portal for data users wishing to take advantage of the advanced data and services made possible by this uniquely capable Earth Observation satellite constellation.

Earth-i is co-located on the Surrey Research Park in the UK with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, the manufacturer of the DMC3/Triplesat constellation. www.earthi.space

About Telespazio VEGA UK Ltd:

Telespazio VEGA is the subsidiary of Telespazio (a joint venture of Leonardo – Finmeccanica and Thales). The company is one of the leading UK space services companies and with nearly 40 years’ experience of delivering high value projects and programmes.

Telespazio VEGA is the exclusive distributor for COSMO SkyMed (CSM) radar satellite imagery for the UK on behalf of e-Geos. The images can be delivered in Near Real Time (NRT) using the CSM User Terminal based at the Satellite Applications Catapult in Harwell, Oxfordshire.

For further information, please contact:
Richard Blain
Chief Executive, Earth-i Ltd
Phone (24hrs): +44 (0)333 433 0015
7 Huxley Road,
Surrey Research Park
Guildford, GU2 7RE
United Kingdom
E-mail: richard.blain@earthi.co.uk

(Munich, 24/05/16) Researchers in Greece reveal that using satellite imagery can improve the quality of wine and help manage the grape harvest.

Normally grapes need to be tested throughout the growing season by people walking through the fields using hand-held spectrometers. The data collected is used to determine when nutrients, pesticides and additional water should be applied to optimize grape growth. But gathering this way is a slow process, expensive and it is hard to analyse the whole field at once.

In a recent case study published by European Space Imaging – “Multispectral VHR Imagery Supports Crop Management in Vineyards”’, the Remote Sensing Laboratory at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece explains the benefits of using pan-sharpened, multispectral WorldView-2 satellite imagery for improving grape quality.

They tested the data information quality in four vineyards in northern Greece comparing data gathered on the ground with the information collected via the satellite sensor at the same time on the same day with the aim of understanding if there is a benefit using Earth observation data.

The University worked with TotalView, a European Space Imaging reseller in Greece, to coordinate the collection of the satellite imagery concurrent to the collection of the field measurements. For them this was the best way to be able to obtain two comparable two data sets.

“We were very satisfied because WorldView-2 (data) provided atmospherically corrected images that correlated with the field observations,” said Konstantinos Karantzalos, Assistant Professor at the University’s Remote Sensing Laboratory. “We plan to continue research using the WorldView-2 image data and believe a commercially viable service involving the creation of high-resolution vegetation index maps for winemakers could become reality in the near future. The accuracy and value of these maps will be greatly enhanced through collection of satellite data at multiple times during the growing season.”

The study proved that information from satellite imagery is of equal quality to the ground-based measurements but can cover a greater area of the vineyard in a shorter period of time. This means that viticulturists who decide to include satellite information in their crop management planning could benefit from improved harvests.

Of course, the real aim is to assist the winemakers to produce more and better wines, which will also be a positive outcome for wine lovers.

Read the case study

About European Space Imaging
European Space Imaging (EUSI) is the ‘go to’ company in Europe if you are looking for very high-resolution satellite data. They always offer customers access to the highest resolution imagery available. Their current ’best’ offering is 30 cm data from the DigitalGlobe WorldView-3 satellite. EUSI also operate a multi-mission ground station to provide direct satellite tasking. This enables optimized image collection strategies, flexibility and real-time weather assessments for new collections. With a reputation for expert and personalized customer service EUSI has been providing tailored VHR imagery solutions from their Munich headquarters to meet the diverse project requirements of their customer base since 2002.

About TotalView
TotalView is a WorldView Global Alliance authorized reseller based in Athens, Greece. With a strong engineering background, the firm provides advanced image processing capabilities to agricultural and other organizations involved in commercial and academic projects. TotalView resells and offers value-added services related to a variety of satellite, aerial and UAV remote sensing platforms.

About Remote Sensing Laboratory
The Remote Sensing Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens was established in November 1987 to serve research and educational needs in the fields of Remote Sensing and Image Analysis, as well as support various applications in Earth observation, environmental monitoring, agriculture and cadastral mapping.

Airbus Defense and Space has been selected as a 2016 honoree in the Hexagon Shaping Smart Change Recognition Program for their innovative imagery solutions and use of Hexagon technologies. Airbus Defense and Space was recognized during a ceremony held at HxGN LIVE, Hexagon’s international conference held June 13-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

The Shaping Smart Change Recognition Program recognizes Hexagon customers or partners for their vision in the use of Hexagon technology to make significant contributions to their business, the industries they serve and communities worldwide.

“When selecting the Geospatial honoree, we considered organisations that have achieved distinction in their fields and exemplify leadership and excellence by pushing the boundaries of innovation, “said Mladen Stojic, President of Hexagon Geospatial. “We are thrilled to recognize Airbus Defense and Space as our Shaping Smart Change recepient. “

Within their partnership, Airbus Defense and Space and Hexagon Geospatial provide Smart M.Apps users and developers easy, cost-efficient access to very-high- and high- resolution optical imagery from the Pléiades and SPOT satellites. In addition, they enable end users with powerful technology and imagery to transform this data into useful information across multiple market segments.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from Hexagon,” said Greg Buckman, Head of Airbus Defense and Space’s Intelligence activities in North America. “We are committed to continuing to grow and strengthen our partnership, which enables larger numbers of people to utilize the valuable insights provided from combining accurate imagery and advanced analytic capabilities.”

The partners will continue to foster innovation and expand access to more data through Hexagon Geospatials Smart M.Apps platform. In addition to the current data offerings, the plan is to also provide powerful synthetic aperture radar data from the TerraSAR-X satellite and a range of digital elevation models from the Airbus Defense and Space’s portfolio.

Contact:
Fabienne GRAZZINI + 33 5 62 19 41 19
fabienne.grazzini@astrium.eads.net

Airbus Defense and Space and 3v Geomatics Inc. (3v Geomatics) have signed a multi-year agreement that will provide 3v Geomatics with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery acquired by TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites. Both sensors deliver imagery access with resolution ranging from 25cm to 40m, an unrivalled geometric accuracy combined with the unique ability to collect anywhere in the world, independent of weather conditions.

The multi-year agreement will provide 3v Geomatics with the ability to utilize both the unique radar imagery archive, as well as a series of new TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X acquisitions. As a leading provider of Interferometric SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) monitoring services, 3v Geomatics has extensive technical experience in providing accurate change detection information, to detect surface movements which result from Oil, Gas and mining activities or constitute possible threats for structural integrity of infrastructure.

“We are thrilled to leverage the unique capabilities of TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X to help 3v Geomatics meet the needs of their customers” said Greg Buckman, Head of Airbus Defense and Space’s Intelligence Business activities in North America. “3v Geomatics is now able to offer a unique combination of radar imagery interpretation and information extraction to deliver actionable information over areas where near-real time information is needed.”

Adrian McCardle, President of 3v Geomatics, said: “We are pleased to continue strengthening our relationship with Airbus Defense and Space through this partnership agreement. We look forward to further expand and develop our joint business, and to provide radar solutions that facilitate the requirements of our customers across all sectors.”

TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X are specifically optimized to meet the requirements of users around the globe who require readily available, high-quality and precise Earth observation data – independent of lighting and weather conditions. Airbus Defence and Space holds the exclusive commercial distribution rights for the data of the two satellites.

Contact
Fabienne GRAZZINI
+ 33 5 62 19 41 19
fabienne.grazzini@astrium.eads.net

Paris, Washington D.C., Montreal, Yokohama, July 7, 2016 – According to Euroconsult’s latest report, Prospects for the Small Satellite Market, we are on the cusp of a major revolution for the space sector and overall space ecosystem, as more than 3,600 smallsats are expected to be launched over the next ten years, a significant increase from the previous decade. The total market value of these satellites is anticipated to be $22 billion (manufacture and launch), a 76% increase over that of 2006-2015. This rate of growth is unprecedented for the space sector and will bring about fundamental changes as both new and established industry players attempt to increase their capabilities in order to gain market share.


3,600 smallsats expected to be launched through 2025

“Earth observation is expected to exhibit the strongest growth in terms of units launched; over 2,100 satellites are anticipated from 2016 to 2025. Four companies plan to launch more than 1,400 satellites during this period alone: Planet, Spire Global, BlackSky and Satellogic,” said Adam Keith, Managing Director of Euroconsult Canada and editor of the report. “Satellite communication smallsats will also increase significantly to nearly 800 during the same period of time (discounting SpaceX’s STEAM constellation). There are six constellations foreseen, however OneWeb makes up the bulk of these units.”

Including all third-party and in-house manufacturers, around 200 organizations built a smallsat between 2006 and 2015; the coming decade shows a similar pattern. Smallsat suppliers are entering the industry to capitalize on demand with flexible COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) equipment, bringing down costs and development times. Larger integrators focused on larger missions do not necessarily have the capacity to create these smaller, nominally lower-cost solutions at a profit or have the platforms available to support small mission development.

In the next decade, launch services are expected to generate $5.3 billion, a 76% increase over the previous decade. Small-lift vehicles in development will add further specialized supply. Prices from Firefly, Rocket Lab and Virgin Galactic are not expected to undercut existing supply prices. However, with smallsat operators impacted by the launch bottleneck and affected by delays in ridesharing and the like, despite the higher price per kg, the benefit of quicker and dedicated access to space could be attractive for operators.

About the Report
Prospects for the Small Satellite Market presents the various factors that will drive/inhibit growth in demand for small satellites over the next 10 years. The forecast was built on the basis of a qualitative and quantitative analysis conducted from two sources: A dedicated database and a combination of primary and secondary research. This report considers satellites by four mass categories, six regions, five satellite applications and five manufacturer typologies. This report contains thousands of data points and the expert interpretation and analysis found with all Euroconsult research.

About Euroconsult
Euroconsult is the leading global consulting firm specializing in space markets. As a privately-owned, fully independent firm, we provide first-class strategic consulting, develop comprehensive research and organize executive-level annual summits for the industry. With 30 years of experience, Euroconsult is trusted by 600 clients in over 50 countries. Euroconsult is headquartered in France, with offices in the U.S., Canada and Japan.

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(Munich, 11/07/16) Planning to take your summer holiday in Santorini? Now, due to a study carried out by TotalView and the Municipality of Santorini based on using very high-resolution satellite imagery you can be rest assured you are sitting under the shade of a legally placed umbrella.

European Space Imaging has just published a case study showing how very high-resolution satellite imagery has aided Santorini to claim back its public space from illegally placed umbrellas. Very high-resolution imagery from WorldView-2 satellite has also assisted in the mapping the beaches and in the easy ongoing monitoring of umbrella locations to help ensure businesses pay fees for umbrellas located on the public beaches.

In Greece the beaches belong to the community and are public spaces requiring free access. Each summer specific spaces on the beaches are allocated to businesses to set up and rent beach umbrellas. But it is common to find more beach umbrellas placed in the allotted area than permitted – sometimes trespassing on the public beach.

The pilot study was initiated by TotalView, a Greek geo-spatial company, and GEOTHIRA S.A owned by the Municipality of Santorini, who were searching for a solution to simplify beach umbrellas permits and receive the correct fees for the beach space occupied. European Space Imaging collected high-resolution satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 satellite over the region which became the basis of the study.

“The 50 cm and better resolution of the WorldView-2 imagery allow us to clearly identify and count beach umbrellas”, said Vana Giavi, TotalView. “It is possible to define exact geo-coordinates for the areas under permit and to monitor the beach use over the summer period to check that businesses fulfilled their contracts with the Municipality”.

Using WorldView-2 satellite imagery to get regular updates on the situation and to through creating beach maps outlining exactly where umbrellas should be located has helped businesses fulfill their permit contracts. The imagery is a neutral observer and can be provided as evidence when businesses fail to stay within their boundaries or increase the number of umbrellas to those outlined in their permit.

“The municipality doesn’t make money on the fines. This concept and process is meant to convince businesses to respect the permit contracts and the beach as a public asset.” says Manolis Koronios, Project Manager, GEOTHIRA S.A.

Positive results from the study are that businesses on Santorini are sticking to their allocated zones, increasing public beach areas. Also, now that clear maps have defined umbrella areas and the yearly mapping is automated, engineers working for the municipality can use their time and resources more efficiently in the municipality. The obvious success of using very high-resolution satellite imagery for this project has meant that other municipalities are showing interest in applying this case to their own beaches.

So when you are relishing the shade of that Santorini umbrella this summer you can also enjoy knowing that the umbrella is legal.

Read the case study


Santorini umbrella map July 2015 imaged by WorldView-2 satellite. © TotalView


Beach umbrellas on Santorini

About European Space Imaging
European Space Imaging (EUSI) is the ‘go to’ company in Europe if you are looking for very high-resolution satellite data. They always offer customers access to the highest resolution imagery available. Their current ’best’ offering is 30 cm data from the DigitalGlobe WorldView-3 satellite. EUSI also operate a multi-mission ground station to provide direct satellite tasking. This enables optimized image collection strategies, flexibility and real-time weather assessments for new collections. With a reputation for expert and personalized customer service EUSI has been providing tailored VHR imagery solutions from their Munich headquarters to meet the diverse project requirements of their customer base since 2002.

About TotalView
TotalView is a WorldView Global Alliance authorized reseller based in Athens, Greece. With a strong engineering background, the firm provides advanced image processing capabilities to agricultural and other organizations involved in commercial and academic projects. TotalView resells and offers value-added services related to a variety of satellite, aerial and UAV remote sensing platforms.

About GEOTHIRA
The GEOTHIRA is a corporation owned and operated by the Municipality of Santorini and its corporate objective is the management of municipal property assets.

To learn more please contact:
Penelope Richardson, Marketing Manager
European Space Imaging
Arnulfstrasse 199, Munich 80634
Tel: +49 (0) 89 1301420
Fax: +49 (0) 89 13014222
prichardson@euspaceimaging.com
www.euspaceimaging.com
Copyright © 2016 European Space Imaging, All rights reserved.

Coastal zones are among the most productive areas in the world, but at the same time, the excessive exploitation of natural resources puts enormous pressure on our coastal ecosystems, with great risks for the coastal and marine environment.

The protection of coasts and sea waters is one of the big pillars for the European Union, which made big efforts defining common rules in Europe (e.g. Marine Strategy Framework Directive; Water Framework Directive; Common Fisheries Policy) and making huge investments in programs such as Copernicus to monitor the status of the environment and give tools to decision makers.

The sustainable management of coastal and marine environment involves, both EU Member States, with their local and regional governments, which are required to monitor and report the state of the environment, and private organizations, which uses the marine resources for their business.

To help organizations in their monitoring activities and decision making, Planetek Italia has launched Rheticus®Marine, a geoinformation service specifically designed for the monitoring of coastal waters.
The service is available at www.rheticus.eu

By using satellite Open data – such as the ones from AQUA/MODIS and Sentinel-3 missions –, Rheticus®Marine is able to provide information compliant with the indicators required by the EU Water and Marine Strategy Directives.

The service is composed of geoinformation products designed to meet the environmental reporting requirements of local governments in compliance with the EU Directive on “Marine Strategy” and to support fishing activities by providing updated information on the potentially most productive fishing areas.
The service includes a periodic (up to daily) update with monthly, quarterly and annual summary reports.

Users of the service are:
National and local public administrations as regions, fishing companies, aquaculture and plants operating near the coast (desalination, waste water treatments, etc.).

What purpose does it serve

  • Coastal seawaters quality monitoring
  • Reporting activity compliant to the EU’s Marine Strategy
  • Monitoring of the level of (primary) productivity of seas
  • Algal blooms monitoring

Gisat has been contracted to implement CzechAgri study focusing on full country demonstration of integrated use of Sentinel 1&2 imagery for agricultural monitoring.

The CzechAgri study was jointly initiated in December 2015 by DG JRC, ESA and SZIF (The Czech State Agricultural Intervention Fund). It is set up as a proof-of-concept of what could be achieved in Europe by analyzing Sentinel imagery with the combined use of the national Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) and a sub-sample of IACS declarations for calibration and validation. CzechAgri intends to be an R&D contribution to the preparation of future Copernicus service components in support of Agriculture as recently proposed to the Copernicus User Forum by DG GROW.

CzechAgri is run within the ESA Sentinel-2 for Agriculture project managed by the Université Catholique de Louvain. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the unprecedented capabilities of the Copernicus Sentinels by pilot agricultural crop mapping at national scale in 2015 and 2016. Combined time series of radar Sentinel 1 and optical Sentinel 2 imagery (complemented by Landsat 7&8 imagery) are processed and analyzed to provide full country crop map products covering the 2015 and 2016 crop vegetation season. The initial results at national scale have been presented at the 2016 European Space Agency Living Planet Symposium held in May in Prague. The results included the independent accuracy analysis and comparison of SAR and multispectral data performance.

Gisat provides wide range of geoinformation services based on Earth Observation technology. It focuses on operational application of satellite mapping to monitor various aspects of our environment and development of dedicated web based platforms for geoinformation analysis and assessment
Web // E-mail // Tel:+420 271741935 // Fax: +420 271741936

EUROSENSE (in cooperation with the Dutch company Hermess) was selected to execute a research project on air quality modelling in cities using detailed 3D city models.

The purpose of the study is to find the right balance between production time of the 3D model based on recent satellite data (e.g. Sentinel)and the best quality that can be handled by the actual air quality models, without losing the necessary details that influence the dispersion of polluted air in a 3D city environment.

EUROSENSE as a specialist in 3D city models and Hermess as a company with a large experience in air quality models are very pleased with this promising cooperation. If successful, this project could result in the set-up of a world-wide service.

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The Intelligence team of Airbus Defence and Space hosted their 2016 Channel Partner Conference (CPC) from 11-12 May 2016 in Toulouse, France. During the event, DHI GRAS was awarded the ‘Rising Star 2015’ award for the Northern Europe and Middle East region. This achievement is a continuation of our winning streak, having been awarded the ‘Best Newcomer’ category in 2014.

This award is the result of DHI GRAS’ commercial success and proactive attitude in our work, providing satellite-based products such as high-resolution satellite images and digital elevation models from the Airbus portfolio.

“I was delighted to award DHI GRAS with the Rising Star award for 2015 in recognition of their extensive groundwork with significant customers. I believe this would pave the way for a very successful 2016 and beyond. I have been involved with DHI GRAS since the signing of the original Channel Partner Agreement and have always been impressed by their enthusiasm and professionalism that spurs Airbus Defence and Space in our support for them. Here’s to a mutual success!” said Martin Holt, Regional Sales Director at Airbus Defence and Space.

‘At DHI GRAS, we are very delighted about this recognition given by Airbus Defence and Space and we are grateful for the dedicated and qualified support we are receiving from the entire Airbus team.’ Rasmus Borgstrøm, Managing Director, DHI GRAS

Do contact us for more information on specific Airbus products DHI GRAS can provide access to.

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