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(16 September 2015) The first 1-metre high resolution optical satellite imagery from the DMC3/TripleSat Constellation satellites has been released today.

This follows the successful launch of the three Earth Observation mini-satellites on an Indian PSLV in July and in-orbit commissioning and calibration by engineers from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL).

The very high resolution imager on board the satellites provides 1-metre native ground sampling distance (GSD) in panchromatic mode and 4-metre GSD in multispectral mode with a swath width of 24km.

The Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Company Ltd (21AT), a commercial Earth observation satellite operator based in Beijing, has bought 100% of the imaging capacity of the three satellites for 7 years to provide their satellite data services from the TripleSat Constellation. 21AT will also create new applications for customers and business opportunities for worldwide partners through its operational information services powered by the TripleSat Constellation.

The wide swath width of the imagers combined with agile off-pointing will enable the TripleSat Constellation to target anywhere on Earth at least once per day and provides the best combination of spatial resolution and time resolution – aiming at stimulating operational monitoring applications, such as urban planning and intelligent management, based on changes detected by timely regular, cloud-free, very high-resolution imagery.

The DMC3 satellites were placed into a 651km sun-synchronous Low Earth Orbit by a PSLV-XL launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota launch site in India on 10th July 2015. The launch was provided by ANTRIX and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The DMC3 satellites in the TripleSat Constellation are phased 120 degrees apart around the same orbit using their on-board propulsion systems. 21AT has contracted SSTL to provide satellite platform services for the Constellation in orbit.

The DMC3/TripleSat Constellation satellites use the 450kg SSTL-300S1 series platform, which provides 45 degree fast slew off-pointing and is capable of acquiring multiple targets in one pass using multiple viewing modes.

SSTL has already manufactured a fourth SSTL-S1 Earth Observation satellite for another customer and has a production line ready to deliver further satellites of this type. In agreement with 21AT, future satellites may have the opportunity to join the TripleSat Constellation.

About SSTL

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world’s leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science and communications. The Company designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, with 450 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.

Since 1981, SSTL has built and launched 47 satellites for 20 international customers – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA , international governments and commercial customers, with an innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

Headquartered in Guildford, UK, SSTL is part of the Airbus Group

About 21AT

Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd. is the first and only Earth Observation commercial satellite operator in China. With headquarters in Beijing, 21AT employs more than 300 people and has been providing remote sensing applications in China since the launch of its first satellite, Beijing-1, in 2005. Beijing-1 was one of five satellites in the Disaster Monitoring Constellation providing disaster response through an International Charter. Based on the success of Beijing-1, 21AT has acquired the new capability of three 1-metre satellites in a constellation for imagery data services. 21AT will provide in-depth application support from its comprehensive value added services and create business opportunities for worldwide partners through its operational monitoring services powered by the TripleSat Constellation. 21AT (Asia) in Singapore has been established to support streamlined access to the worldwide market.

(source: SSTL)

Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today a new software solution, the Trimble® Remote Sensing Suite. The new software suite enables geospatial professionals to efficiently extract high-quality information from satellite imagery for environmental, urban planning, agriculture, oil and gas, mining and engineering applications. The Remote Sensing Suite is a powerful combination of Inpho® SATMaster module for satellite imagery processing and eCognition® software for object-based feature extraction.

The announcement was made today at INTERGEO 2015, the world’s largest conference on geodesy, geoinformatics and land management.

Quickly extracting relevant and accurate information from large satellite data sets can transform work processes for better decision making,” said Alain Samaha, business area director of GIS and Software for Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “Our new remote sensing package combines highly accurate image processing with leading satellite image analysis capabilities to create an end-to-end data to intelligence solution.

Satellite Imaging Software Suite Optimizes Big Data Analysis

Trimble’s Remote Sensing Suite combines the capabilities of the new Inpho SATMaster module and eCognition software. SATMaster streamlines the workflow to process satellite-based imagery and deliver high-quality results. Through satellite triangulation, geospatial professionals can generate digital surface and terrain models from overlapping satellite scenes, providing a rich model of the real world. These models can be used to quickly generate terrain-corrected orthophotos and continuous, seamless mosaics over large project areas. The models and imagery can be easily combined within eCognition software for the automated extraction of GIS-ready layers using powerful object-based image analysis. Professionals can create high-quality, valuable information in a streamlined workflow – saving time and operation costs.

Enhanced Information Extraction with Change Detection

To enhance decision making, eCognition Essentials software now supports time-based analysis for imagery and GIS data. The new capabilities allow remote sensing and GIS professionals to determine imagery changes over time or relative to GIS layers, supporting applications such as vegetation change, deforestation or urban planning. Users can efficiently produce change information to export directly as a raster or as a new GIS layer.

Customizable for Various Applications

To maximize flexibility, the new software suite is available in different configurations to fit application and professional needs. For applications such as environmental mapping and monitoring landscape changes, the base suite provides a streamlined, easy-to-use workflow to efficiently analyze satellite images and extract spatial data. For more advanced applications, such as monitoring planning permits and vegetative clearances, geospatial professionals can leverage the full capabilities of eCognition software, which enables sophisticated image analysis and updating of GIS layers.
With satellite imagery becoming an important component of a geospatial professionals’ workflow, Trimble is taking another step to combine and enhance its existing portfolio to allow customers to be even more productive and efficient.

To learn more about Trimble’s new remote sensing solutions, visit.

Availability

The Trimble Remote Sensing Suite is available now through Trimble’s Geospatial Distribution Channel.

About Trimble’s Geospatial Division

Trimble’s Geospatial Division provides solutions that facilitate high-quality, productive workflows and information exchange, driving value for a global and diverse customer base of surveyors, engineering and GIS service companies, governments, utilities and transportation authorities. Trimble’s innovative technologies include integrated sensors, field applications, real-time communications and office software for processing, modeling and data analytics. Using Trimble solutions, organizations can capture the most accurate spatial data and transform it into intelligence to deliver increased productivity and improved decision-making. Whether enabling more efficient use of natural resources or enhancing the performance and lifecycle of civil infrastructure, timely and reliable geospatial information is at the core of Trimble’s solutions to transform the way work is done.

For more information, visit.

About Trimble

Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

(24 September 2015) DigitalGlobe today announced that the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has executed the next year of the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery (Global EGD) program under the NGA EnhancedView contract starting Sept. 1, 2015.

This agreement builds on more than a decade of service providing the NGA and its customers with unclassified, sharable, high-resolution imagery in support of operational planning, emergency response, and situational awareness.

Global EGD products are available in ready-to-use formats, and the platform enables access to more than 6 billion square kilometers of high-resolution earth imagery to thousands of government users. DigitalGlobe keeps Global EGD current by uploading more than 1 million square kilometers of new imagery every day. The median delivery timeline for this imagery is less than four hours after downlink, and as quickly as 11 minutes. This next year agreement for Global EGD includes even easier access and expanded content for government end users in classified domains.

“We are proud to continue delivering the Global EGD service to the NGA and its end users around the globe,” said Jeffrey R. Tarr, DigitalGlobe President and Chief Executive Officer. “This program exemplifies the value that DigitalGlobe provides with our best-in-class commercial imagery that is unique in its ability to meet demanding U.S. Government requirements.”

About DigitalGlobe

DigitalGlobe is a leading provider of commercial high-resolution earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions that help decision makers better understand our changing planet in order to save lives, resources and time. Sourced from the world’s leading constellation, our imagery solutions deliver unmatched coverage and capacity to meet our customers’ most demanding mission requirements. Each day customers in defense and intelligence, public safety, civil agencies, map making and analysis, environmental monitoring, oil and gas exploration, infrastructure management, navigation technology, and providers of location-based services depend on DigitalGlobe data, information, technology and expertise to gain actionable insight.

(source: DigitalGlobe)

spaceref

Spacemetric and ÅAC Microtec have announced today their partnership on innovative technologies for smart downlinking of satellite Earth observation data. The new Bluestone technology will optimise the downlink of imagery from satellites to ground stations addressing the problem of handling the ever increasing volumes of data generated in space.

Mikael Stern, Spacemetric’s CEO, commented “Bluestone is a critical enabler as constellations of imaging satellites face the challenge of getting high-value data back to Earth at a sustainable cost”. The collaboration between the two companies sees ÅAC Microtec providing expertise in onboard systems while Spacemetric brings long experience in ground-based image data management and processing.

“This innovation is a solution that bridges the traditional gap between space segment and ground segment systems”, noted Mikael Andersson, CEO of ÅAC Microtec, “and in doing so opens up a wide range of new opportunities that add value for the customer by saving costs on downlinking large amounts of data.” The technology underpinning Bluestone is the subject of a recent US patent application.

About ÅAC Microtec:
ÅAC Microtec is a leading supplier of compact, capable and reliable avionics for small satellites. To date, ÅAC Microtec systems have orbited the Earth onboard US, Japanese and European satellites.

www.aacmicrotec.com

About Spacemetric:
Spacemetric is a leading provider of image management solutions for satellite and airborne sensors, streamlining data access and processing from image capture to analysis. Spacemetric solutions are deployed worldwide in a wide range of operational applications with customers including Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, Airbus, ESA and Harris.

www.spacemetric.com

Fugro’s UK geotech companies are restructured as Fugro GeoServices Ltd. The renaming completes the integration of Fugro Seacore, Fugro Engineering Services, EM Drilling, Fugro Loadtest, Fugro Instrumentation & Monitoring and Fugro Aperio.

Renamed to reflect the depth and diversity of its offering, Fugro GeoServices Ltd employs close to 600 staff and undertakes seven key activities: nearshore geotechnical, offshore geotechnical, marine installation, onshore ground investigation, cone penetration testing, geophysics and instrumentation and monitoring.

The company also has geotechnical laboratories and carries out a range of built environment surveys and testing.

The restructure is in line with Fugro’s continued integration of its global capabilities ‘without boundaries’ to deliver world class multi-service projects more efficiently in challenging market conditions.

Wide Range of Projects

The company works offshore and on land providing engineering and geotechnical services for clients in the energy, infrastructure and mining sectors worldwide. Projects include the Kribi port development (Cameroon), BP’s Azeri oilfield (Azerbaijan) and Flamanville nuclear power plant (France). Significant UK projects include Hinkley Point nuclear power station, Gwynt y Môr and Walney offshore wind farms, HS2, as well as the Garden Bridge, Shard and Thames Tideway projects in London.

Marcus Rampley is managing director of Fugro GeoServices, believing that restructuring as Fugro GeoServices makes the group better able to deliver the complex multi-disciplinary projects that they are respected for.

Copernicus Masters prize boosts Stevenson Astrosat’s commercialisation of space sector

Success in the Copernicus Masters, the prestigious earth monitoring competition, has led to further opportunities for Stevenson Astrosat, one of Scotland’s most ambitious space services and management companies.

Last year, it won the Copernicus Masters Transport and Logistics Challenge from the Satellite Applications Catapult for its Transport Sentry, a product in development that will utilise space-based radar to detect landslides or subsidence in road or rail networks.

Transport Sentry uses synthetic aperture radar and optical satellites to examine road and rail links that have previously been identified as potential problem areas and quickly report damage back to a transport infrastructure operator.

It is a vitally important tool, especially in remote areas places with poor communications infrastructure and it is now achieving significant attention in Asia as a potential export product.

The Copernicus Prize was a milestone for Astrosat, which has, since inception, demonstrated its impressive capabilities in Earth Observation, Satellite Communications and Hardware Development.

The Edinburgh-based company has transformed the way space-based information can be used to bring previously unattainable benefits to energy, transport and aquaculture enterprises. It is also engaged in technology transfer and creating innovative spacecraft systems.

Success with Transport Sentry helped Astrosat to develop the Recovery and Protection in Disaster (RAPID) system, designed to provide valuable data sourced from every available satellite to allow a developing country to “plug the gaps” in their economies and provide large costs savings through greater resilience and recovery from disaster.

Astrosat’s RAPID digital maps allow users to interact and gain real time data. They provide an overview for clients by taking raw satellite data and translating it into a form that can be accessed and understood.

It also led to its Coastal Sentry product, focused on coastal erosion monitoring. Coastal erosion is a problem for coastal communities worldwide. As communities develop and utilise coastlines, more knowledge of how they are changing is key to ensuring safety and sustainable development. This product also has significant export potential.

Astrosat was founded by CEO Steve Lee, who has assembled a hugely-respected team of scientists with skill sets ranging across disciplines including astrophysics, astronautics, oceanography, hydrography and geoscience.

Its aim is to be at the forefront of the commercialisation of the space sector, helping its end users meet their needs in a sustainable manner using space technology.

Astrosat takes data from both geo-stationary satellites and polar orbiters and merges it with data mined from earth-based resources. This combination allowed the company to found ThermCERT, a thermal and carbon efficiency reporting tool which has now been spun off.

ThermCERT uses space-derived data to enhance quality and scanning frequency over the lifetime of a thermal investment and increases the effectiveness of carbon credits/trading.

It reduces thermal waste, particularly over large areas or in large buildings, and is vital in lowering global carbon emissions. It provides a suite of tools for targeting, measuring, reporting on, verifying, communicating and promoting thermal efficiency investments.

Astrosat is using similar data conflations and configurations to trial WaveCERT, which will allow marine renewable energy companies to decide on ideal locations for installation without the need for costly marine surveys.

WaveCERT extends Astrosat’s existing “CERT Suite” of renewable, low-carbon, space-driven technologies. Through the integration of space-derived oceanographic data with advanced numerical tools, WaveCERT aims to revolutionise marine surveying.

Other products include Field Aware, a mobile data centre in the field for use in disaster situations or simply operating in remote locations. It is designed to deliver important Earth Observation data direct to end users in the field so that informed decisions can be made where they are most needed.

Astrosat’s Geo-Secure product enhances communications security in the field. Communications security (especially via satellite) depends on good software encryption – but even the best codes can be broken. This service utilises satellite positioning systems to ensure the highest possible level of security.

The company is also developing an innovative solution for identifying space debris in the increasingly congested satellite zones above Earth. The Lifeless Space Beacon which could be carried by spacecraft and would transmit a signal which would let ground stations identify its position and track it, even if the satellite itself lost power.

Astrosat’s innovations have been award-winning since inception. It won the DLR Environmental Challenge in 2012 for ThermCERT and the Astrium Radar Challenge in 2014 for WaveCERT.

Source

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) has signed an expanded satellite support contract with a total value of 205 MNOK (21,8 MEUR) with the European Space Agency for the Sentinel satellites in the Copernicus program.

KSAT has signed an expanded and extended contract for ground station support to the European Copernicus program. KSAT are to build and operate a new station in Inuvik in Canada, in addition to the activities at Svalbard. KSAT is the main supplier of ground station support for the EU-lead program for climate and environmental monitoring, Copernicus. KSAT is responsible for data collection from the six Sentinel satellites, and delivery of payload data to the relevant European organisations. KSAT has signed framework agreements related to this program with a total value of 68 MEUR. The duration of each contract is 3 to 5 years.

The first satellite, Sentinel-1a, is a radar satellite especially important to Norway since it is used in maritime surveillance in the northern areas. Data from this satellite can improve the safety and preparedness in the area. The satellite is used in operational services related to oil-spill monitoring, as well as ice- and ship detection. It constitutes a very efficient tool for Norway’s situational awareness in the northern most areas. Sentinel-2a, which supplies information for forest- and land purposes, will also use the station.

KSAT is providing services from its ground station on Svalbard, Norway, and from Inuvik in Canada from 2016. The antenna installations are controlled from the Tromsø Network Operation Center (TNOC), located by the company head office in Tromsø, Norway. The contract reinforces KSAT’s position as the world leading provider of services related to satellite data reception and control for satellites in polar orbit.

For further information, please contact:
President Rolf Skatteboe, telephone +47 91198985, or
CFO Alf Eirik Rokenes, telephone +4795058451

Monday 5 th october we had the pleasure of hosting two leading young Indian politicians at our headquarter in Tromsø.

Mr Sachin Pilot (Congress party) and Dr. Heena Gavit (BJP) are presently in Norway on a study tour arranged by the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, and in Tromsø, the politicians got a chance to explore the beautiful Norwegian nature, and learn more about the Arctic from The Norwegian Polar Institute and Kongsberg Satellite Services, KSAT.

At KSAT the guests could hear about how KSAT, through its unique polar ground stations, are able to capture data from anywhere in the world and also deliver analyzed information to end users on oil spill, vessel positions and ice movements only minutes after the satellite image is acquired.

KSAT and the Indian Space Agency ISRO have been working together for more than 10 years and KSAT is a proud provider of ground station services to a growing fleet of Indian satellite missions. RISAT-1 is an Indian satellite owned by ISRO and recently KSAT was granted the right by ANTRIX to schedule acquisitions, download, process, and deliver RISAT-1 imagery to commercial users worldwide.

Soruce

…features from MEOS, Sentinel-1A CollGS…etc

This issue features the:

  • ESA´s Instrument Processing Facility successfully integrated in our Collaborative Ground Segment solution
  • Tracking antenna for data reception and control for the Norwegian AIS Satellites
  • MEOS™ 3.8 m antenna installed at Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Bratislava
  • Sentinel-1A CollGS system delivered to Kongsberg Satellite Services

in addition to the upcomming events, latest contracts, newest upgrades and latest information from Kongsberg Spacetec.

You will find it here

Source

Bari, Italy, September 22-23, 2015. Interregional cooperation is fundamental for a harmonised development of industrial capacity and systematic use of space in European Regions.

This is the rational that pushed the Puglia Aerospace Technological Cluster (DTA) and the Greek Space Technologies and Applications Cluster (si-Cluster) to jointly organise the 2nd workshop “Interregional Cooperation in Space”, that took place in Bari last 22-23 September.

This event aimed to reinforce the dialogue between the two clusters and to discuss more in detail the possible areas of cooperation, at regional, national and European level.

The workshops, that included two sessions, one political and one technical, brought together representatives from space industries and clusters, regions, space agencies, the Nereus network, academia, research institutions and universities, to share their views on how develop a space policy for the benefits of regions, territories, companies and citizens.

“Regions” commented Roberto Battiston, President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) “are a key player in the national space policy. We need to work together and take benefit from regional and national resources to build a strategic model of a national policy in Space”

Puglia and Attica regions consider space, a pillar of their 3S strategy and they believe in the importance to invest regional resources in space, an engine for innovation, growth and knowledge.

“In 2014, the DTA signed a cooperation agreement with the si-Cluster”, highlighted Nichi Vendola, President of Nereus. “The cooperation among clusters and regions is fundamental, and at European level, our network, represents a unique platform to share expertise, to reinforce cooperation with National Space Agencies and the European Space Agency to identify synergies between the 3S Strategy at Regional and National level”.

The technical session took place on the 23rd in the premises of Sitael. The first part was devoted to the presentation of 2014-2020 European Territorial Cooperation Programmes that involve Puglia Region and Greece allowing the audience to learn more how exploit regional strategies programmes and instruments – such as particular structural funds – to support regional space activities.

Representatives from ESA, ASI, Puglia space industry, DTA, si-Cluster and the Hellenic Association of Space Industry were present to discuss how they can benefit from their own expertise and contents in order to give a concrete contribution to develop the regional dimension of space.

In compliance with the topics of the technical sessions, two main areas were investigated: In Orbit Demonstration Project (IOD) and the Thematic Exploitation Platform (TEP).

For the IOD, Puglia space companies – Enginsoft, IMT, Planetek, Selex-ES, Sitael – presented their skills and technology to the topic. In particular, Sitael representatives highlighted how they can contribute to the IOD project includes its Small Platforms (50 Kg, 75 kg).

About the TEP, Planetek representatives presented the Data Fusion Centre (DFC), a web-based system for final users that provides updated knowledge of the territory and its evolution, through the provision of maps and indicators obtained by integrating Earth Observation data with other cartographic and ancillary data.

At the end of the session, Giovanni Sylos Labini, DTA BoD, and Jorge Sanchez, MoB of si-Cluster & CFSO of Corallia, summarized technologies and applications for common projects and agreed on the importance to combine their strengths in content, networks and capacities to build a common strategy to identify areas of cooperation and to understand how this could fit in the ESA, H2020 and other Work Programmes.

“This is a very good example”, commented Giovanni Sylos Labini “of how the Regional Dimension of Space can exploit operational cooperative activities among the Regions in a coordinated way with National Agencies, ESA and the EU”.

The results of this workshop pave the way for a new event in Athens next February under the umbrella of Nereus.


Political Session and presentation of 3S strategy, Bari Airport ‘Karol Wojtyla’