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The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Airbus Defence and Space as the prime contractor to develop and construct the first Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 satellite.

Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 is a mission to carry out high-precision measurements of ocean surface topography.

The Jason-CS (Jason Continuity of Service) or Sentinel 6 radar altimeter mission is a continuation of the existing partnership for Jason-3 between the US (NOAA and NASA) and Europe (EUMETSAT, ESA, CNES) and industry.

The satellite will measure its distance to the ocean surface with an accuracy of a few centimetres and use this data to map the topography globally, repeating the cycle every ten days. Observing changes in sea-surface height using such a high level of accuracy provides insights into global sea levels, the speed and direction of ocean currents, and ocean heat storage. The measurements made are vital for modelling the oceans and predicting rises in sea levels.

The Sentinel-6 mission is part of the European Earth observation programme Copernicus, and is a continuation of a programme of global ocean-surface measurements made by satellites that began in 1992. Weighing around 1 tonne and flying at an altitude of around 1,300 kilometres, the Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 satellite will ensure that measurements are carried out on a continuous basis from 2020. The satellite is designed to orbit for five and a half years, and operations will be overseen and managed by EUMETSAT in Darmstadt, Germany. Development of the satellite will be based on the highly successful CryoSat programme.

“For this project we will rely not only upon the proven and efficient designs and processes applied to numerous Earth observation missions, but also, of course, upon the experienced Cryosat team of experts,” said François Auque, Head of Space Systems.

As with CryoSat, Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen will be the prime contractor for the space segment and heads the industry consortium on behalf of ESA. Thales Alenia Space France will construct the main instrument, a radar altimeter, whose predecessor is already being used on CryoSat-2. Further instruments are being constructed by NASA/JPL in the USA and provided by the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 mission.

Source: Airbus Defence and Space

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The Swedish National Space Board recently received final reports from Spacemetric and Metria containing analyses and recommendations on how Sweden should respond to the Sentinel satellite missions of the EU/ESA Copernicus programme.

In the study, Spacemetric defined the scope and content of a Collaborative Ground Segment for Sweden (CGSS), an infrastructure to enable Swedish users make best of the opportunity and challenges offered by the Sentinel missions.

The Sentinel-1A mission – based around an imaging radar sensor – was launched in April 2014 and provides all-weather, night-and-day imaging of land, oceans and ice. It will be followed in 2015 by Sentinel-2A, an optical remote sensing satellite for land and coastal-area imaging, and then by Sentinel-3A for ocean and regional land imaging. A second B-series satellite of each type will be launched from 2016. All of the satellites have 7-year operational lifetimes.

A Collaborative Ground Segment for Sweden is an important initiative to derive the most benefit from investments made in the Copernicus programme, and specifically the Sentinel satellites. Member States of the European Space Agency have access to a dedicated Data Hub that provides a temporary repository of the latest Sentinel imagery. But the CGSS would ensure that users in Sweden have effective access to imagery over longer time periods and to products and services suiting specific, national requirements, such as images in Swedish coordinate systems.

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Remote Sensing Application Center – ReSAC, Bulgaria in a consortium with other organizations won a tender for Mapping flood hazard and flood risk in East Aegean River Basin Directorate (EARBD) in Bulgaria.

The project is a second step in implementation of the Flood Risk Directive in Bulgaria, namely preparation of the flood hazard and risk maps. The territorial scope of the project contains 31 areas with significant potential flood risk with a total length of 1078 km. in the rivers. In addition for 19 reservoirs a scenario for dam break and dam overflow will have to be modeled.

The territory of the EARBD is almost 1/3 from the territory of Bulgaria. The second largest river in the country flows here – Maritsa River which is a transboundary river for Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. The other important rivers also transboundary are Arda River, which takes the water from the East Rhodopy Mountain and Tundzha River – both of them tributaries to Maritsa.


Location of the East Aegean River Basin Directorate

The project is a continuation of the activities and professional expertise ReSAC provides to the specialized governmental authorities in the past several years related with disaster management and especially these related with the Flood Risk Directive. ReSAC as a center of excellence supports the Ministry of Environment and River Basin Directorates in the implementation of the Directive since 2011 with the Preliminary Flood Hazard and Risk Assessment for Danube Region River Basin Directorates (DRRBD), in 2012 with the Determination of the Areas with Significant Potential Flood Risk for DRRBD and participation in the Danube FloodRisk Project with preparation of Flood Hazard and Risk Maps for Bulgarian Sector of Danube River and training of the local users and stakeholders.

The duration of the project is one year and the flood hazard and flood risk maps for the EARBD should be ready until the end of 2015.

For more information

Remote Sensing Application Center (ReSAC)
61, Tzar Assen Str., fl. 2, 1463, Sofia, Bulgaria. Tel: +35929800731 / Fax: +35929818216. 
E-mail

e-GEOS is helping to draw a safer way for Matteo Miceli, avoiding icebergs along the route.

e-GEOS confirms the presence of an iceberg along the route of Matteo Miceli, the sailor who aims to circumnavigate the globe nonstop in five months on board of the 12-metre sailing boat Eco 40.

The radar data of COSMO-SkyMed constellation identified the 2360 meters iceberg with numerous fragments around, about 60 km east of the Prince Edward islands. This data will be useful for the team which is driving Matteo to rectify the route of the boat. Matteo Miceli as part of the Roma Ocean World project, will circumnavigate the globe being completely energy and food self-sufficient and e-GEOS supplies information from the satellites of COSMO-SkyMed radar constellation.

e-GEOS provides information from the satellites, in particular on wind and waves strength and direction, as well as on the presence of icebergs while the boat navigates the Antarctic. Telespazio also offers satellite connectivity in L band thanks to an agreement with Inmarsat.

e-GEOS, is collaborating with a team of technicians and professors coordinated by Paolo De Girolamo from the University of Rome La Sapienza, who developed the on-board instruments and the satellite communication system.


The eastern portion of Kereguelen islands (lat: 49° South, long: 70° East ) imaged on December 24th by COSMO-SkyMed, searching for icebergs along the route of Matteo Miceli (ECO40). The radar image shows the effect on the sea surface of the atmospheric lee waves generated by the strong westerly winds blowing across the archipelago.

Resources
More images available at e-geos website
More info at ESA website

(6 January 2014) Thales Alenia Space announced today that it has been selected by French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) to build the oceanography satellite SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography).

Produced in collaboration with U.S. space agency NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on behalf of the French and American space agencies, SWOT is an oceanography program that will demonstrate new applications, and is a follow-on to the Jason-1, 2 and 3 operational missions. It will incorporate unprecedented technological innovations in altimetry.

As the name indicates, it is designed to study ocean topography and surface water on the continents. SWOT comprises both an oceanography and a hydrology mission. For oceanography, the satellite will provide measurements of ocean surface and wave height with higher resolution than its predecessor Jason satellites. This data will be used to analyze and understand the effects of coastal circulation on marine life, ecosystems, water quality and energy transfers, resulting in more accurate models of the interactions between oceans and the atmosphere. The hydrology mission will evaluate continental surface water, to study changes in water storage in humid zones, lakes and reservoirs, as well as flow rates in rivers.

Thales Alenia Space will develop a new-generation platform for the SWOT satellite, offering, for the first time, a controlled atmospheric reentry of the satellite at end-of-life, in line with the French Space Operations Act. The company will also handle satellite assembly, integration and testing (AIT), delivery to the launch center, and operations for the launch campaign.

The SWOT payload comprises two subassemblies, KaRIn and NADIR. Built by JPL, KaRIn (Ka-band Radar INterferometer) comprises two Ka-band antennas, located 10 meters apart but precisely positioned in relation to each other. It offers two-dimensional observation capability over a 120-kilometer swath, with horizontal resolution of 50-100 meters, programmable on either side. The interferometry type altimeter will provide coverage of lakes, rivers, reservoirs and oceans, at a repeat rate of twice every 21 days. Thales Alenia Space is also offering to supply the RFU (Radio Frequency Unit), which is at the heart of this instrument.

The NADIR module comprises the same instruments as on the Jason satellites, including the Poseidon dual-frequency altimeter made by Thales Alenia Space. It also includes the Thales-built Doris system for precision oribital determination, an AMR (Advanced Microwave Radiometer), the GPSP (GPS Payload) and the LRA (Laser Retro-reflector Array) built by JPL.

Weighing about 2 metric tons at launch, SWOT will be placed into orbit at an altitude of 890 km, with an inclination of 77.6°. Compatible with the Antares, Falcon 9 and Atlas V launchers, it is expected to be launched in 2020 for a demonstration mission lasting about three years.

“I would like to thank CNES for choosing us to build this new oceanography satellite, which will mark a break with previous generations,” said Hervé Hamy, Vice President for Observation and Sciences at Thales Alenia Space France. “SWOT will be the very first satellite to offer controlled reentry, and will also incorporate new-generation avionics that perfectly match CNES’s new ISIS standard. Winning this new contract paves the way for our product policy to include swath altimetry, and bolsters Thales Alenia Space’s world leadership in space altimetry.”

About Thales Alenia Space

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%), is a key European player in space telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, exploration and orbital infrastructures. Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio form the two parent companies’ “Space Alliance”, which offers a complete range of services and solutions. Because of its unrivaled expertise in dual (civil/military) missions, constellations, flexible payloads, altimetry, meteorology and high-resolution optical and radar instruments, Thales Alenia Space is the natural partner to countries that want to expand their space program. The company posted consolidated revenues in excess of 2 billion euros in 2013, and has 7,500 employees in six countries.

(source: Thales Alenia Space) and spacenewsfeed

Airbus Defence and Space, the world’s second largest space company, is selling its subsidiary Tokyo Spot Image KK (TSI) to PASCO CORPORATION (hereinafter PASCO). At the same time, PASCO enters into a new distribution agreement with Airbus Defence and Space for a SPOT 6/7 Direct Receiving Station (DRS) with associated data distribution rights.

This deal marks a significant milestone in the long-term collaboration between the two companies, which began in 2003 when PASCO acquired its first Pixel Factory. Later, several distribution contracts have been signed for the Japanese market. This began with TerraSAR-X Direct Access Station deployed in 2005, followed in 2011 by Pléiades DRS and Pixel Factory systems in 2012. Last year, PASCO purchased the Street Factory product, therefore becoming one of the main customers of Airbus Defence and Space.

Founded in 2002, Tokyo Spot Image KK is a 100% subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space. During the past 12 years, TSI has been focussing on the development of the civilian market, with significant successes in the mapping, agriculture and forestry sectors, generating profit every single year. The sale of TSI to PASCO is a logical step toward a full cooperation between the two companies.

At the same time, and only a few days after the commercial launch of SPOT 7, PASCO selected to be equipped with a SPOT 6/7 DRS, and thus will take full advantage of the Airbus Defence and Space constellation of four optical and two radar satellites. By adding this SPOT 6/7 DRS to its existing Pléiades and TerraSAR-X DRS, PASCO will be able to serve its institutional and commercial clients in the long term, with the highest reactivity and product quality, leveraging the advantages of high and very high-resolution data in optical and radar domains.

We are very pleased with this combined deal, allowing PASCO to distribute the most up-to-date portfolio of our satellite products. We look forward to the new opportunities this cooperation will bring within the Japanese market. This deal is a clear signal for the confidence we have in the continuous success of high-resolution data distribution. PASCO is a long standing partner with whom we are glad to pursue a very close working relationship based on high mutual respect and common business interests.”
Bernhard Brenner Head of the Geo-Intelligence Program Line at Airbus Defence and Space

We enter into a new era of our trusted partnership. I am confident to achieve productive sales in Japan by utilizing the know-how of PASCO, Airbus Defence and Space and Tokyo Spot Image KK. It gives me a great pleasure to establish these prestigious agreements with Airbus Defence and Space and I firmly believe that we will be able to fulfill the fast-growing demand of geospatial information products for our valued customers.”
Yuji Mesaki President and CEO of PASCO CORPORATION

More than 25 organisations around the world have already chosen to be part of Airbus Defence and Space’s Direct Receiving Station network and this number is continuing to grow.

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The European Space Policy is shifting from technology and systems development to services and applications. Space industry is now recognized as a driver for growth and innovation, generating highly qualified jobs and market opportunities.

Growing emphasis is put on the promotion of industrial competitiveness, seeking to secure maximum returns from Europe’s investments in space. New space services and applications shall support a broad range of European policies and serve economic and societal needs. To this end, ESA is seeking an enforced mandate from Member States for stimulating European space services and bridging the gap between technology development and operational services systems. Member States increasingly allocate national space budgets to the development of services and applications.

The utilitarian perspective of European Space Policy strongly impacts on the regulatory framework, giving rise to new questions:

  • Should national legislation for licensing commercial space activities be more streamlined?
  • Is harmonization beneficial to support the commercial provision of earth observation data to European and global markets?
  • Can open data policies stimulate downstream markets or could they even have adverse effects on existing service providers?
  • Is there a need for a sector-specific procurement directive?
  • Can Innovation Procurement be utilized for developing space services?
  • How can Public Private Partnerships be set up effectively to bridge the gap between development and towards operational services systems?
  • Can space industry benefit from the new Concession Directive?
  • Are Service Level Agreements the right tool for guaranteeing performance of space services?
  • What regulatory measures could ensure an adequate role of satellites in the Digital Agenda?
  • How can liability risks from space services be covered by the insurance market?

These questions will be debated at the 2-day conference, bringing together leading policy, legal and economic experts from EU bodies, ESA, national space agencies, industry associations, and academia. The conference will provide a platform for analysing the suitability of existing and the need for future laws and regulations governing the provision of space services and applications in Europe.

The conference is scheduled for the 18th and 19th February 2015 and will take place in the Evangelische Akademie Tutzing, at the lakeside of the Starnberger See near Munich, Germany.
Please find all additional information in the attached conference flyer.

  • BavAIRia International Legal Symposium Flyer151214.pdf
  • Hotelliste.pdf

Very high-resolution satellite images can effectively support the monitoring of water quality during dredging activities for the installation of new off -shore infrastructures.

Project Background

Saipem S.p.A, an Italian oil and gas industry contractor, which was contracted for designing and constructing several pipelines all around the world, has adopted this innovative approach in water quality monitoring. The new approach integrates traditional analysis methods with daily collections of high-resolution satellite images over the area of interest.

Issues & Needs

During trench excavation, small soil particles remain temporary suspended in the seawater creating a peak of turbidity at the excavation time that progressively reduces its own values until reaching natural ranges.
The aim of the activities described is to evaluate in near real-time the possible presence and diffusion of sediments and their impact on the surrounding area.

Solution

The performed activities consisted in near real-time turbidity monitoring through high resolution satellite images.
The new methodology offered by Planetek, starting from raw satellite data and through several processing steps (e.g.: atmospheric correction, conversion from digital number to reflectance), realizes a fast production of turbidity maps ready to be used few hours after the satellite acquisition.

Results & Perspectives

The performed activities consisted in turbidity monitoring through high-resolution satellite images, using an innovative near real-time methodology and considering as a real case of application the excavation works. The advantages, proving that the satellite methodology and the automated workflows, can be resumed as:

  • capability to define spatially and quantitatively the sediment dispersion;
  • capability to receive the turbidity data in near real-time;
  • capability to carry out the monitoring without involvement of workers on site;
  • capability to document in a detailed and indisputable manner the work footprint, in case of any observations or claims by the client;
  • capability to use the monitoring data for the predictive modelling calibration.

Related Info
Planetek Italia
via Massaua 12 70132, Bari Italy.
http://www.planetek.it
info@planetek.it

DMC International Imaging (DMCii), a global provider of satellite imagery products and services, has made major improvements to its data centre, involving a full internal upgrade of processing systems. Over five billion square kilometres of data, the equivalent of ten times the Earth’s surface, is under management in DMCii’s new virtualised environment.

According to DMCii, the introduction of the newest generation of market-leading hardware infrastructure from EDS and others has heightened the company’s satellite imaging performance and enhanced the resilience of its servers.

DMCii’s facility in Surrey Research Park, UK, a renowned hub of scientific innovation and technological advancement, has helped pave the way towards these advancements.

Faster processing performance has reduced retrieval time from ground station by a third, boosting DMCii’s abilities to provide the world with satellite imagery at top speeds. This ability is essential in disasters where a rapid delivery of the first image is crucial to producing maps, assessments of infrastructure and information on the extent of the disaster, the company stated.

Furthermore, these enhancements will allow DMCii to provide highly developed commercial services to its customers. For instance, those that purchase DMCii satellite images for agricultural purposes will receive their data faster, allowing them to plan future fertiliser application with improved confidence.

This is the first step in a sustained investment in DMCii’s services worldwide, said Dave Hodgson, managing director of DMCii. DMCii has expanded hugely since it was established in 2004, with the imagery sales rising by 40% year-on-year.

Multispectral imagery

The new facility quadrupled DMCii’s floor space, providing much-needed room for expansion. This increased infrastructure supports the growing demand for DMCii’s 22m multispectral imagery, as well as the forthcoming commercial 2.5m panchromatic, 1m and 5m multispectral imagery and SAR data.

These developments have given DMCii the chance to restructure its expert satellite imaging team, in a bid to provide customers with more precise data using new innovative techniques. DMCii’s ongoing developments are paving the way towards an entirely new system of identifying and purchasing its world-class daily global satellite images in the near future.

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ScanEx RDC will perform monitoring of the condition and use of land on the Russky Island by the request of the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography. Activities execution date is November 1, 2014.

Monitoring will be carried out using Earth observation satellite images followed by a thematic processing of the received data. It is expected that satellite monitoring will help improve the efficiency of authorities in charge of the state land supervision.

The goal of the project is to get updated information on the status and use of land on the island. The data will be used to evaluate different types of natural and human-induced hazards, to carry out activities on public land supervision of the land use for the intended purpose, to perform targeted audits of land laws abidance; this data is also to provide up-to-date information on the status of land of the island to state and local municipal government agencies.

A number of activities will be realized under this project, including:

  • collection of archived material on the status and use of land
  • analysis of cartographic material and other data on land plots
  • preparation of maps based on fresh high resolution Earth remote sensing data
  • definition of land plots status and land use types
  • identification of areas not used for its intended purpose or where measures are not taken to bring the land to a condition suitable for the intended purpose
  • detection of land law violations and mapping of such areas
  • compilation of the analytical reports
  • training of the Primorie Territory Rosreestr employees

Starting from 2006, a tremendous amount of work was carried out on the island to create the infrastructure for tourism and sports, to build modern facilities for business and cultural life. Since in the long run it is the Russky Island that is supposed to become a growth point for the entire Far East Region and a major center of international cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Region countries, the control of execution of strategic plans of the Russian President and Government is an important component for the effective accomplishment of the objectives.

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