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PCI Geomatics receives recognition for successful business development in China

PCI Geomatics, a world-leading developer of geo-imaging software and systems, received the 2010 Mayor’s Award for Business Achievement during a recent Gala dinner organized by the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce.

Dave Barrow, Mayor of the Town of Richmond Hill, nominated PCI Geomatics for the 2010 award following a trip to China in February 2010, where he had the opportunity to work first hand with the PCI China team members. PCI Geomatics has been very successful in China, implementing its sophisticated image processing software solutions for commercial and government clients who need to work with Earth Observation imagery collected by National and commercial satellite sensors. These satellites collect images of the earth, which are used by scientists and operational end users who derive information for applications such as agriculture, disaster management, and natural resource management.

“We are very honoured to receive this award,” said Robert Lang, Chief Financial Officer at PCI Geomatics, who accepted the award at the Gala organized by the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce. “We greatly appreciate the recognition and support received by the Town, and the Chamber of Commerce.”

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PCI Geomatics to implement a high speed GXL system to derive ecological indicators from RADARSAT-2 imagery

PCI Geomatics, a world leading developer of geo-imaging software and systems, today announced that the company has been awarded a contract valued at over $520,000 (CAD) through the Canadian Space Agency’s Earth Observation Applications Development Program (EOADP).

PCI fulfillment of the contract – which is based upon its GeoImaging Accelerator (GXL) product – has two main objectives. The first is in assisting Parks Canada in meeting its Ecological Integrity initiatives as mandated under the New Parks Act of 2002.

The second objective is developing advanced and innovative methodologies, systems, and products for Parks Canada and Environment Canada to increase their utilization of RADARSAT-2 data to transition its usage into Government of Canada operations and to support the RADARSAT-2 user community at large.

“This project represents a great opportunity to showcase the power and automation of our GXL technology, which offers the ability to process more data with fewer resources in less time, which in turn will foster greater innovation and productivity for the user community to expand their outreach,” said David Stanley, Chief Technology Officer at PCI Geomatics. “We believe that this contract award speaks to the value of our GXL technology, as well as the innovation and expertise of the PCI Geomatics team.”

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PCI Geomatics working with RADARSAT-2 data to develop operational SAR tools for ESRI’s ArcGIS technology

PCI Geomatics, a world-leading developer of geo-imaging software and systems, is pleased to announce it is collaborating with MDA Geospatial Services Inc., to implement operational software tools for ArcGIS using RADARSAT-2 demonstration data. PCI introduced GeoImaging Tools for ArcGIS in 2010, and is currently developing a Radar module, which will allow ArcGIS users to perform coherent change detection, time series analysis, image classification, and feature extraction using RADARSAT-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data as well as other commercially available SAR imagery.

PCI Geomatics has had a long and fruitful relationship with MDA Geospatial Services Inc., stretching back to the initial launch of RADARSAT-1 in 1995. At that time, PCI was first to implement CEOS support in addition to image filtering and registration capability. The technology developed by PCI Geomatics made it possible for the international community working with RADARSAT-1 data to analyze the imagery, and develop operational applications. PCI Geomatics added support for the next-generation RADARSAT-2 satellite in 2005 with the release of its SAR Polarimetric Toolkit (SPW), two years ahead of the RADARSAT-2 December 2007 launch.

Through its business partnership with ESRI, PCI Geomatics is excited to further develop the SAR user base, by introducing simple to use yet powerful analysis tools for SAR data to millions of ArcGIS users worldwide.

RADARSAT-2 is an all-weather day/night commercial satellite that has a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument, capable of taking images at multiple resolutions ranging from 100m to 1m. In addition, RADARSAT-2 can collect simultaneous multi-channel imagery with differing polarization (fully polarimetric), providing a greater ability to discriminate and classify features on the ground from a single date. MDA Geospatial Services Inc. is a leading provider of Earth observation data, information products and services, and the exclusive holder of distribution rights to Canada’s RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. The Canadian Space Agency partnered with MDA to develop RADARSAT-2, which is now managed and operated by MDA.

“SAR has tremendous potential for delivering unique information and complementing optical data collections”, said David Stanley, PCI’s Chief Technology Officer. “Our key objective is to develop powerful, simple-to-use tools that can be integrated into GIS workflows, enabling the next generation operational application development of SAR imagery through a well-established and broad user base. RADARSAT-2 imagery will be used to develop compelling application examples for GIS users to adopt SAR imagery into their everyday operations”.

More info

Source PCI

We are proud to present our first issue of Kongsberg Spacetec newsletter.

The Kongsberg Spacetec newsletter seeks to inform our customers and contacts about the latest news and product releases from Kongsberg Spacetec.

This first issue features the latest contracts, new products, newest upgrades and latest information from Kongsberg Spacetec.

We would like to draw your attention to our new products on the following pages:

  • Multi-Mission Earth Observatino System (MEOS). Polar 3.x release ready for FY 3 and future NPP and JPSS.

The new version MEOS™ Polar is organized around the new Monitor and Control system and stores status telemetry and scheduling info in a database.

  • MEOS. GEO 3.0 release

The new MEOS™ GEO 3.0 release marks a transition for the GEO systems. Main platform is now SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and package based system for simple install and easy upgrade.

  • New ESA contract

Kongsberg Spacetec won a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and deliver Modems for the Sentinel 1, 2 and 3 satellites.

  • Next edition:

- MEOS. Antenna – MEOS. Capture

Source Spacetec

GISAT has set up operational snow monitoring service since beginning of this year.

The service is based on Earth Observation Terra MODIS system in spatial resolution of 250 m and temporal resolution of one day. The system supports the existing hydrological activities of the Czech Hydro-meteorological Institute.

Satellite images bring synoptic view on the snow cover dynamics in the Czech Republic with daily acquisitions. Cloud-free acquisitions, covering at least one third of the total country area, are processed into classification maps. The maps are presented as raster or vector product and can be viewed via the Google Earth & Google Maps applications.

Beside that, snow occurrence probability maps are calculated from 80 meto-stations measurements. In case of cloud coverage in the optical images the cloud information is substituted by the probabilities. This way uncertainty in the maps is reduced. So-called hybrid map is presented for further analysis. Additionally, catchments snow statistics is calculated. Graphs of snow statistics present percentage snow coverage in the catchments according to land cover types and altitude levels.

The service products are available daily via dedicated mapserver or weekly by means of flash reports in pdf sent to the user every Monday.

Source

With this certificate, GIM puts emphasis on customer satisfaction, quality and continuous improvement in our company.

GIM has achieved the ISO 9001:2008 certificate.

With this, GIM meets all the requirements of the internationally recognized agency.

ISO 9001:2008 is a standard that demands quality management of an organization. This is checked by means of an analysis of the different business processes, ranging from tender to delivery and everything in between.

To achieve this certification, GIM has prepared a thorough preparation, followed by an external audit conducted by AIB Vinçotte. They certify that GIM meets the quality requirements imposed by ISO.

GIM is certified for the sales and delivery of:

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Earth Observation 5EO) and GEO-ICT Projects with result commitment
  • GIS, EO and GEO-ICT Support Services (technical assistance and expertise through time/materials commitment)
  • Geo Products Supply (Software and Geodata)
  • GIS Training Services

Every year there is an external scrutiny to insure continuity of quality to customers and suppliers.

Source VITO

(March 2011) RapidEye, the only geospatial solutions provider to own and operate a constellation of five identical Earth Observation satellites, announced today that Fugro NPA Ltd. has signed an agreement with RapidEye to be its first reseller in the UK covering the areas of Britain and Ireland.

John Ahlrichs, Vice President of RapidEye commented, “Fugro NPA is a great addition to our distribution team, and we’re specifically glad to have them as part of our UK distributor team. Their long history supporting the British market in addition to their leading role as a geospatial center of excellence with the Fugro Group will increase availability and use of our imagery worldwide.”

David Morten, Managing Director of Fugro NPA said, “We are pleased to have been selected to be part of the RapidEye distributor network and expand our satellite data solutions, in particular our ability to offer enhanced monitoring service capabilities.”

Source NPA

An unparalleled collection of high-resolution satellite imagery covering sub-Saharan Africa in a single season is now available in the DMCii image archive, providing an invaluable snapshot of more than 40 countries, including Cameroon, Congo, and Ethiopia for assessing phenomena such as deforestation, urbanisation and desertification.

Sub-Saharan Africa is a vast and diverse landscape with climatic extremes ranging from arid Ethiopian desert to the Congo rainforest. Satellite imagery is an invaluable tool for monitoring region-wide changes in land use and the environment. The DMCii coverage, acquired for the European GMES programme, captures a moment in time – providing an irrefutable marker for changes in the landscape against which future coverage can be compared. A second annual coverage of the Northern half of Africa including the Maghreb countries was also completed during the first three months of 2011.

Since the DMC satellites acquire very large images, up to 650km wide, such vast areas can be mapped quickly and in detail, using 22metre resolution imagers. Because the DMC imagers are accurately calibrated to Landsat, they enable detailed comparison with the past 30 years of imagery to identify changes in crops, forests, rivers and towns. Most importantly, because huge areas can be imaged by the DMC constellation within a short time-frame the images are acquired at a similar point in time, which is vital for effective change detection and monitoring. Processing is also minimised for the end-user – large contiguous images can be assembled to produce clear and accurate continental-scale maps with minimal image analysis and manipulation.

Tropical forests present specific challenges. Because rainforests are frequently obscured by cloud, single satellites often have to acquire images for a decade to map an area. In contrast, DMCii liberates forest management from this constraint by coordinating a constellation of satellites which, through daily imaging, acquire cloud-free images whenever there is a gap in the cloud. For the first time, annual and seasonal tropical forest maps are available, providing vital information for REDD+ monitoring of forest carbon resources.

About DMC International Imaging Ltd

DMC International Imaging Ltd (DMCii) is a UK based supplier of remote sensing data products and services for international Earth Observation (EO) markets. DMCii supplies programmed and archived optical satellite imagery provided by the multi-satellite Disaster Monitoring Constellation. DMCii’s data is now used in a wide variety of commercial and government applications including agriculture, forestry and environmental mapping.

In partnership with the UK Space Agency and the other Disaster Monitoring Constellation member nations (Algeria, China, Nigeria, Turkey and Spain), DMCii works with the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’ to provide free satellite imagery for humanitarian use in the event of major international disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, fires and flooding.

DMCii was formed in October 2004 and is a subsidiary of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the world leader in small satellite technology. SSTL designed and built the Disaster Monitoring Constellation with the support of the then British National Space Centre and in conjunction with the other Disaster Monitoring Constellation member nations listed above.

For more information, please see www.dmcii.com

Notes to editor:
This press release can be downloaded from http://fwd4.me/vKM
High quality JPEG images of coverage are also available upon request from Robin Wolstenholme.

DMC International Imaging Ltd is not affiliated in any way with Intergraph Corp., Z/I Imaging Corp., or their registered trade mark DMC.

Press contacts:
Robin Wolstenholme, bcm public relations, www.bcmpublicrelations.com
Tel: +44 (0)1306 882288 Email: r.wolstenholme@bcmpublicrelations.com
Paul Stephens, Sales & Marketing Director, DMC International Imaging Ltd.
Tel: +44 (0)1483 804299 Email: p.stephens@dmcii.com

TerraSAR-X Data available following Japan Earthquake / Astrium recognised for its pioneering work in the commercialisation of radar imagery / Marine and coastal geospatial data now available to download from Geostore …


TerraSAR-X Data available for Research following Japan Earthquake (24 March 2011)

The German radar satellite TerraSAR-X is collecting data stacks of the area of Sendai, severely affected by the devastating Earthquake that hit Japan on 13. Mar 2011.

This data will be made available free of charge via the GEO Supersites mechanism by DLR and Astrium GEO-Information Services in a joint effort. First datasets are now accessible, additional datasets will be uploaded regularly.

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Astrium’s Satellite Imagery Expertise for Japan (18 March 2011)

Astrium GEO-Information Services makes its satellite imagery experts available to the international community: Astrium GEO-Information Services is the sole distributor of the Formosat-2 satellite’s imagery. This high resolution satellite is the only satellite, due to its atypical orbit, capable of taking images of the same point every day. This unique ability enables the international community to follow the evolution of the Japanese earthquake disaster day by day. This is why Astrium is making its satellite imagery experts available to provide analysis reports regarding the affected areas.

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TerraSAR-X Acquires Imagery of Japan (15 March 2011)

Since the first news of the severe Earthquake and following Tsunami in Japan and the Pacific, the German radar satellite TerraSAR-X has reliably been acquiring data of the affected areas. This data is being downlinked regularly to ground stations both in Japan and Europe.

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Astrium recognised for its pioneering work in the commercialisation of radar imagery (10 March 2011)

Astrium’s GEO-Information Services Division through its German operation, Infoterra has been recognised for its outstanding achievement in successfully commercialising space-based radar imagery at Aviation Week’s 54th Annual Laureate Awards.

Read more

Marine and coastal geospatial data now available to download from Geostore (8 March 2011)

Astrium GEO-Information Services has introduced new marine and coastal geospatial data that is now downloadable from its www.geostore.com store. The new data includes the Admiralty Raster Charts, and a new generation of vector data known as Marine Themes that is based on information sourced from the UK Hydrographic Office.

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Astrium GEO-Information Services – North America Kickoff Meeting (1 Marc 2011)

more info
(Source Astrium Services)

COSMO-SkyMed images and maps of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, e-GEOS provides maps and updated data of Libya, GeoEye-1 Imagery of Cairo…


(14/3/2011) COSMO-SkyMed images and maps of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan more>>

COSMO-SkyMed images and Maps of the areas of Japan hit by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March are now available from e-GEOS. In the wake of the disaster, e-GEOS acted immediately to document the situation in the areas affected using satellite images and maps.

(14/3/2011) Very-high-resolution imagery of the Fukushima Nuclear reactor more>>

GeoEye-1 50 cm imagery of the damaged nuclear reactor at Fukushima, Japan

(14/3/2011) Very-high-resolution imagery of damage from the Japanese Tsunami more>>

e‑GEOS provides COSMO-SkyMed derived maps to Google Crisis Response to help track the progress of the disaster.

(7/3/2011 e-GEOS provides maps and updated data of Libya more>>

Following the Libyan crisis, the Emergency Team of e-GEOS was rapidly activated, at the request of the Italian Ministry of Defense, to provide satellite images and maps of towns in the North African country.

The initiative is being carried out under the G-MOSAIC project (GMES services for Management of Operations, Situation Awareness and Intelligence for regional Crises) of the European Union, coordinated by e-GEOS.

e-GEOS is providing Italian authorities with updated data and maps of critical points such as ports, airports, embassies, hospitals and main roads. In addition, e-GEOS is engaged in the monitoring of some Libyan border crossings.

(4/2/2011) Unrest in Egypt GeoEye-1 Imagery of Cairo from January 29 more >>

On 29 January 2011, the e-GEOS emergency team worked around the clock to make available to our key customers in the security and defense sectors a GeoEye-1 image of the Egyptian city of Cairo in the early days of the uprising.

(Source e-geos)

ITT has released a new ENVI toolkit for DEIMOS-1 satellite.

(Feb 2011) The toolkit is able to read, ingest and process the DEIMOS-1’s products levels L1R and L1T.

In addition the toolkit is able to calibrate files to radiance or sensor reflectance, using the information extract from the DIMAP file associate with the image file.

The reflectance estimation can be calculated by means of two methods; the fast method (an unique sun zenit angle for the entire image) and the accurate method (an unique sun zenit angle for every pixel).

For further information, please visit ITTVIS

(Source Deimos Imaging)

(Chelys) ESA has signed the Miravi upgrade contract

The new version, installed 28 February 2011, now includes support for processing ASAR Level1 products as well as a renewed MERIS Level0 processor, which has improved geolocation accuracy that reaches sub-pixel resolution.

The Miravi web interface has also been redesigned, and now offers support for the Google Earth browser plugin. The performance is still first rate: between 4 and 20 seconds for generating an ASAR image.

Miravi can be accessed through the following link miravi.eo.esa.int

Source Chelys