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UN-SPIDER September 2011 Updates.

UN-Spider news

  • UN-SPIDER supports the Russian Federation’s efforts to boost the use of space-based information for disaster risk management and emergency response in Central Asia
  • UN-SPIDER’s RSO in Ukraine tests new approaches to flood hazard mapping
  • UN-SPIDER’s RSO in the I.R. of Iran supports upcoming World Space Week Activities
  • UN-SPIDER’s RSO in Romania organises a Summer School on Crisis Management and Emergency Response
  • UN-SPIDER’s RSO in Pakistan publishes a monthly Bulletin on Crop Monitoring
  • UN-SPIDER’s RSO in Algeria provides maps of areas sensitive to desertification
  • ADRC, a UN-SPIDER RSO, organises a Training Course for Central Asia and the Caucasus
  • Regional Training Activity on the use of Remote Sensing and GIS for disaster management in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
  • Africa and China step up cooperation on drought risk
  • UN-SPIDER contribution to the Second Meeting of ITU-D Study Group 2
  • Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) to Sri Lanka
  • UN-SPIDER participation in the 3rd Anniversary Celebration of HJ-A/B Satellites
  • UN-SPIDER supports APSCO’s “Third International Symposium on Earth Quake Monitoring and Early Warning by Using Space Technology” Beijing, 13 to 15 September, 2011
  • Progress on the VALID Project: Extended support and first stakeholder feedback

Community News

  • International Charter develops geographic tool to provide information about satellite data used for activations
  • New Oil Monitoring research project coordinated by KSAT of Norway
  • Monitoring Volcanic Ash and Impacts on Agriculture: CSA, NASA and World Bank Cooperation
  • Uganda plans early warning ICT system
  • The Philippines to use sophisticated geohazard map for disaster reduction
  • NASA Satellites Busy at the Peak of Hurricane Season
  • Sentinel Asia assists in response to five disasters
  • International Charter activated for Flood in Japan and Earthquake in India
  • The UNLock project

Upcoming UN-SPIDER Outreach Activities

Upcoming UN-SPIDER events

  • Second UN-SPIDER International Expert Meeting: Crowdsource Mapping for Preparedness and Emergency Response, Geneva, 16 November 2011
  • United Nations International Conference on Space-based Technologies for Disaster Risk Management “Best Practices for Risk Reduction and Rapid Response Mapping”, Beijing, 22 – 25 November 2011

Upcoming events supported by UN-SPIDER

  • Pacific Island Countries GIS/RS User Conference, Suva, 28 November – 2 December 2011
  • “APSCO Training Course on Environment and Disaster Monitoring Through Space Technology” Dhaka, Bangladesh, 22 November to 1 December 2011

This publication will also be accessible at UN-Spider September2011
Source UN-SPIDER Team

Government demand continues to drive the market, but remains concentrated in a handful of countries

(Paris, August 25, 2011) – Euroconsult, the leading international research and analyst firm specializing in the satellite and space sectors, forecast today that an estimated 1,145 satellites will be built for launch during the next ten years (2011-2020), 51% more satellites than the previous decade_2_. These projections come from Euroconsult’s just-released “Satellites to be Built & Launched by 2020, World Market Survey.” According to the report, now in its 14th edition, revenues from the manufacture and launch of these 1,145 satellites will be worth $196 billion worldwide, of which 70% can be attributed to government demand.

“Governments continue to dominate the space market, as satellite systems are critical infrastructure for communications and geo-information solutions for civilian and military users” said Rachel Villain, Director for Space for Euroconsult and editor of the report. “The government market is worth more than double the commercial market, but is largely closed to non-domestic manufacturers. However export opportunities for manufacturers exist with governments in countries with no space industry.”

Government agencies from 50 countries will launch a total of 777 satellites in the decade ahead, though more than 80% of these satellites will come from the six major space powers ( i.e. the United States, Russia, the European countries, Japan, China, and India). Accounting for this 80% is the fact that established space countries are replacing systems that have already been operational, in addition to launching new satellites, whereas newcomers are only building and launching new systems, as they are not yet at the stage of replacing existing satellites.

Over two-thirds of the government satellites to be built for launch in the coming decade are for civilian and dual-use; dedicated military satellites remain concentrated in a limited number of countries (the US, Europe, Russia, China, Japan and Israel). Defense and security agencies generally favor proprietary systems for secure communications and imagery intelligence, but budget constraints for defense spending are leading to more public-private partnerships (PPP) and government payloads hosted on commercial satellites. An even more limited number of countries will launch space surveillance and missile defense satellite systems to be used in combination with ground networks.

Civilian government agencies are expected to procure more satellites for operational missions in Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, and communications. In most countries, communications satellites (comsat) are no primarily acquired by private companies for commercial services, but several governments continue to fund comsat technology development domestically to ensure they have cost-effective systems when needed. As more national and multilateral agencies require imagery for a variety of purposes, Euroconsult expects over 200 government Earth observation satellites to be built for launch over the decade, making it the largest civilian government satellite application. The Euroconsult report also indicates that governments will develop more missions for space science and exploration (up 30% over the previous decade), with missions varying widely in terms of complexity and cost.

In the commercial space business there are approximately 50 companies operating communications and broadcast satellites in geostationary orbit, and an additional ten companies operating satellites in lower altitude orbits for communications and Earth observation services. This market is driven primarily by established operators’ investment cycles for replacing in-orbit capacity (representing 70% of orders in the past), and to a lesser degree by new systems for newer commercial companies and governments.

Euroconsult forecasts 203 commercial communications satellites with a market value of $50 billion will be launched into the GEO arc over the next ten years. Some of these satellites were recorded in satellite manufacturers’ order books during the flurry of ordering activity over the past five years.

Commercial satellite services outside the geostationary orbit will get a boost over the next decade with a total of 165 satellites to be built and launched into medium and low Earth orbits (MEO and LEO). Three quarters will be communications satellites to replace the first LEO generation satellites (operated by Iridium, Globalstar and Orbcomm) and for O3b’s first- generation system, which will be the first commercial constellation launched into MEO. In addition, about 40 satellites will be launched into LEO for commercial optical and radar imagery (e.g. Astrium Services, GeoEye). According to Euroconsult, the market value for manufacturing and launch of these 165 satellites will be one fifth the figure for GEO comsat satellites. This is largely because they are smaller and launched at lower altitudes.

Report Profile

The 14th edition of Satellites to be Built & Launched is the landmark study for all industry actors concerned with satellite systems and their launches. The report provides all information key to understanding the global space market, present and future. The report includes exclusive 10-year forecasts including breakdown by customer and by orbit, number & mass of satellites to be manufactured and launched and market value. The report offers a review of strategic issues from both supply (industry) and demand (customers) perspectives and a performance analysis for ten leading suppliers. It also includes a comprehensive and detailed demand database for commercial and government satellites including: application, launch date, satellite platform, manufacturer, launch provider.

About Euroconsult

Euroconsult is the leading international research and analyst firm specialized in space, satellite applications and Earth observation. Euroconsult develops comprehensive research reports and forecasts; provides strategic consulting and analysis; produces world summits; and offers customized training. With 25 years of experience and more than 350 satellite-related consulting assignments, Euroconsult is a worldwide reference. Euroconsult has over 560 clients in 50 countries, including leaders throughout the satellite value chain: satellite operators and service providers; satellite manufacturers and launch service providers; equipment providers and integrators; space institutions; media and broadcasting companies; and banks and investors. For more information visit: www.euroconsult-ec.com

Source Euroconsult

“Satellites Going Local – 30 Regions, Cities and SMEs share good practice” is a collection of selected success stories of pioneering local or regional authorities and SMEs who have put satellite applications to work in delivering their professional goals in variety of fields such as environment, transport, health, urban and rural development, and others

These practical, down-to-earth examples, may give you helpful and transferable ideas on alternative routes, complementary tools, and new solutions to confronting professional challenges.

Download this collection of good practices for your own information and pass it on to others who may benefit from it. If you want to go further, consider Eurisy as a resource at your disposal.

This collection of success stories is the outcome of four years of work by Eurisy to collect and disseminate good practice, in the framework of its User Programme. If you have a success story of your own to contribute to future editions of “Satellites Going Local”, get in touch.

Download Eurisy handbook

The first high resolution satellite imagery is today released from NigeriaSat-2, as engineers from the Nigerian space agency (NASRDA) and the satellite’s manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) continue in the successful commissioning of the new satellite from NASRDA’s headquarters in Abuja.

Testing of all the systems on-board the satellite has been successfully completed, and calibration of the imaging payloads is ongoing with outstanding results already being produced.

This 2.5m resolution pan-sharpened example shows the airport at Salt Lake City, USA with the terminal buildings, runway layout and surrounding roads all clearly visible.

In the full resolution terminal buildings extract, aircraft can be seen at the stands as well as cars in the parking lot. In the runways extract painted numbers can clearly be read on the tarmac and there is sufficient detail to count the engines on larger aircraft. In another extract of a highway interchange, vehicles are readily discernable on the road.

NigeriaSat-2 is the first SSTL 300kg class satellite, and represents a significant step forward for NASRDA from its 100kg predecessor, NigeriaSat-1. The main reason for its increased size is that imaging at 2.5m resolution demands a larger camera – but the increased capability doesn’t end there. The distinctive heptagonal SSTL-300 platform is highly agile enabling it to roll off-centre to acquire images in a variety of modes to suit the application and the response times required and the data handling and power system are also significantly enhanced to provide greater throughput as well as quality of imagery.

During disasters, NigeriaSat-2 will complement its fellow Disaster Monitoring Constellation satellites by using its high resolution imager to “zoom in” on areas of interest and determine if individual buildings are damaged, bridges destroyed or roads impassable. It is also the first satellite in the African Resource Management (ARM) constellation.

Nigeria’s national space agency (NASRDA) also plans to harness the satellite’s new capabilities and fast image downloading to map the entire country in detail every four months. The high resolution and geo-location accuracy of the satellite make it possible to monitor urban development in sprawling cities such as Lagos, and for planning infrastructure such as roads. Geospatial data will also be used to update the land registry with accurate and current information.

There are also benefits for commercial imaging campaigns. NigeriaSat-2’s smaller pixel size improves the accuracy of the maps used for applications such as precision agriculture. In this case more granular data improves fertiliser application maps, meaning that fertiliser can be applied more efficiently.

At next week’s International Astronautical Congress in Cape Town, NASRDA and SSTL will present a selection of impressive high resolution images from NigeriaSat-2 collected in these early stages of the mission.

NigeriaSat-2 adds new, higher resolution imaging capability to the Disaster Monitoring Constellation, a fleet of separately owned small satellites, coordinated by DMC International Imaging Ltd (DMCii) for daily global monitoring.

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 over 400 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.

Since 1981 SSTL has built and launched 36 satellites – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA , international governments and commercial customers, with its innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

Based in Guildford, UK, SSTL is owned by EADS Astrium NV.
www.sstl.co.uk

Notes to editor:
Images are available from http://www.sstl.co.uk/media-gallery/images
Image captions: Salt Lake City Airport, USA, acquired September 2011
Images credits: Image acquired by NigeriaSat-2, copyright NASRDA.
High resolution images are available for media us from the press contacts below.
This press release can be downloaded as a Word or Pdf document at the following url: http://www.sstl.co.uk/news-and-events

SSTL Contact:
Joelle Sykes, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited
Tel: +44 (0)1483 804243 Email: j.sykes@sstl.co.uk

Press Contact:
Robin Wolstenholme, bcm public relations
Tel: +44 (0)1306 882288 Email: r.wolstenholme@bcmpublicrelations.com

The Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI), with funding from the Space Agency of the United Kingdom, has awarded contracts to eight industrial and academic teams around the country to develop new satellite technologies for observing the Earth from space.


The two largest projects will involve the development of technologies for measuring the make-up of the Earth’s atmosphere, providing data for use by climatologists and for the next generation of weather-forecasting satellites. Another climate-related project will help to measure the amount of carbon dioxide extracted from the atmosphere by trees and stored in forests. Five other projects will help to develop seedcorn ideas for future space missions.

Teams of scientists and engineers have been awarded contracts worth more than £500,000 to develop new satellite technologies for observing the Earth from space.

According to a statement, the two largest projects will involve the development of technologies for measuring the make-up of the Earth’s atmosphere, providing data for use by climatologists and for the next generation of weather-forecasting satellites.

The first will be led by RAL Space, part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and the second by Astrium.

RAL Space will test novel instrument technology that will be used to measure the effect on the climate of biomass burning and industrial pollution.

The tests will also check that the technology can survive the severe vibration that it will experience during launch and that it will continue to work properly at both the extreme temperatures and vacuum of space.

Astrium will lead a team — including JCR Systems, RAL Space and Systems Engineering & Assessment — that will develop instrument technologies designed to improve numerical weather forecasting by monitoring natural microwave emissions from precipitation, cloud ice and water vapour in the atmosphere and sea surface parameters such as temperature, wind and sea ice.

The measurements are expected to improve the accuracy of the computer modelling carried out by meteorologists for weather forecasting and is also important for oceanography and climate prediction.

Another climate-related project will help to measure the amount of carbon dioxide extracted from the atmosphere by trees and stored in forests.

Heriot-Watt University will look at how a space-based laser, using multiple wavelengths or colours, can be used to make global measurements of forests, including looking for changes occurring as a result of large-scale fires and deforestation.

Five other projects will help to develop seedcorn ideas for future space missions.

Source

23-24 February, ESA-ESRIN, Frascati, Italy

The European Space Agency is hosting an insurance industry workshop in ESA-ESRIN in Frascati, Italy on 23rd and 24th of February 2012. Earth Observation (EO) data and services can deliver significant benefits to the scientific, public and private sector communities and this workshop examines the potential value of this data to the insurance industry.
This will be a unique gathering, bringing together colleagues from the Insurance and Reinsurance communities with the Earth Observation community to address the real challenges that we face in the drive to realise the benefits of using EO information in global insurance processes and products.

Objectives for the Workshop

  • To ensure that the re/insurance community is aware of current and new generation Earth Observation capabilities
  • To provide an opportunity for key personnel from both insurance and space industries to exchange ideas and develop new possibilities
  • Identify blockages to increased uptake of Earth Observation based services, short and long term
  • Develop ideas for new innovative Earth Observation products relevant to the Re/insurance industry
  • To communicate Re/insurance requirements to satellite operators and service providers, so that the space sector can work to meet these requirements

Outline programme as follows:

  • Presentations from insurance and Earth Observation Data experts
  • Presentation of a real event scenario to stimulate discussion and ideas on how insurance can utilise earth observation data
  • Break-out sessions focusing on different insurance requirements and uses for Earth Observation Data
  • Panel discussions on future activities, key constraints and recommendations
  • Final Workshop report is likely to include possible “innovative” insurance tools, set of requirements for EO products and services, and a roadmap for future activities.

The European Space Agency is hosting an insurance industry workshop in ESA-ESRIN in Frascati, Italy on 23rd and 24th of February 2012. Earth Observation (EO) data and services can deliver significant benefits to the scientific, public and private sector communities and this workshop examines the potential value of this data to the insurance industry.
This will be a unique gathering, bringing togethe colleagues from the Insurance and Reinsurance communities with the Earth Observation community to address the real challenges that we face in the drive to realise the benefits of using EO information in global insurance processes and products.

Organising Committee

Fiona Shaw – Willis
Neil Smith – Lloyds
Jens Mehlhorn – Swiss Re
Ola Gråbak – ESA
Gary Timms – EARSC

Contact Points

Workshop Co-ordination
Earth Observation R&D Team
email: envmail@esa.int

Participation and fees

No participation fees will be charged. Participants are
expected to finance their own travel and accommodation
expenses. The workshop is open to:
• Reinsurers, Insurers, Brokers
• Risk Management Experts, Risk Modellers etc
• Earth Observation service providers
• Other Stakeholders: World Bank, IFAD, WFP, IFC, GFDRR, NGOs

Registration and Information
Further information can be found at http://earth.eo.esa.int/workshops/Insurance

NASA’s new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission’s anticipated discoveries. Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satelite de Aplicaciones Cienticas) observatory, is making NASA’s first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations – a key component of Earth’s climate. Salinity changes are linked to the cycling of freshwater around the planet and influence ocean circulation.


“Aquarius’ salinity data are showing much higher quality than we expected to see this early in the mission,” said Aquarius principal investigator Gary Lagerloef of Earth & Space Research in Seattle.

“Aquarius soon will allow scientists to explore the connections between global rainfall, ocean currents and climate variations.”

The new map, which shows a tapestry of salinity patterns, demonstrates Aquarius’ ability to detect large-scale salinity distribution features clearly and with sharp contrast. The map is a composite of the data since Aquarius became operational on Aug. 25. The mission was launched June 10 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Aquarius/SAC-D is collaboration between NASA and Argentina’s space agency, Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE).

“Aquarius/SAC-D already is advancing our understanding of ocean surface salinity and Earth’s water cycle,” said Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division at agency headquarters in Washington. “Aquarius is making continuous, consistent, global measurements of ocean salinity, including measurements from places we have never sampled before.”

To produce the map, Aquarius scientists compared the early data with ocean surface salinity reference data. Although the early data contain some uncertainties, and months of additional calibration and validation work remain, scientists are impressed by the data’s quality.

“Aquarius has exposed a pattern of ocean surface salinity that is rich in variability across a wide range of scales,” said Aquarius science team member Arnold Gordon, professor of oceanography at Columbia University in New York and at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in Palisades, N.Y. “This is a great moment in the history of oceanography. The first image raises many questions that oceanographers will be challenged to explain.”

The map shows several well-known ocean salinity features such as higher salinity in the subtropics; higher average salinity in the Atlantic Ocean compared to the Pacific and Indian Oceans; and lower salinity in rainy belts near the equator, in the northernmost Pacific Ocean and elsewhere. These features are related to large-scale patterns of rainfall and evaporation over the ocean, river outflow and ocean circulation. Aquarius will monitor how these features change and study their link to climate and weather variations.

Other important regional features are evident, including a sharp contrast between the arid, high-salinity Arabian Sea west of the Indian subcontinent, and the low-salinity Bay of Bengal to the east, which is dominated by the Ganges River and south Asia monsoon rains. The data also show important smaller details, such as a larger-than-expected extent of low-salinity water associated with outflow from the Amazon River.

Aquarius was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., and the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., for NASA’s Earth Systems Science Pathfinder Program. JPL is managing Aquarius through its commissioning phase and will archive mission data. Goddard will manage Aquarius mission operations and process science data. CONAE provided the SAC-D spacecraft and the mission operations center.

The new map is available at photojournal

For more information about Aquarius/SAC-D

Russia’s first Earth remote sensing satellite, the Kondor, may be launched in January 2012, a space official said on Thursday.


“We are developing Kondor and Arkon [satellites],” deputy head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Anatoly Shilov said. “Arkon is a distant future, but Kondor will hopefully fly in January.”

The Kondor is an 800 kg Earth remote-sensing spacecraft designed to provide high-resolution radar imagery and terrain mapping in real-time. It will be launched as part of the so-called Arktika Earth observation satellite grouping.

“As a rule, 90% of the time the Arctic region is covered with clouds or remains in darkness due to long polar night season. In such conditions these satellites are indispensible,” Shilov said.

The official added that Russia was planning to launch in 2012 two Earth optical observation satellites – the Resurs-P and the Canopus-B – to provide precision monitoring of natural and man-made disasters, particularly wildfires and environmental pollution.

Source

Euroconsult is a leading global research and analyst firm specializing in the satellite sector. Its annual awards for Excellence in Satellite Management honor companies for outstanding achievement. Awards are presented each September in Paris at World Satellite Business Week. A jury of industry experts applies rigorous quantitative and qualitative standards to determine award winners.


“From all of us at DigitalGlobe, I’d like to extend our thanks to the committee and to Euroconsult for this honor,” said Jeffrey R. Tarr, President and CEO of DigitalGlobe. “Receiving this award sends a clear message that we are succeeding where it matters most — using our industry leading constellation of satellites and analytic capabilities to help our customers save time, save resources and save lives.”

“The Euroconsult awards recognize companies and their leaders who, through their vision, innovation, and performance have significantly impacted the industry in the past year,” said Pacome Revillon, CEO of Euroconsult. “The Earth Observation Operator of the Year Award bestowed onto DigitalGlobe celebrates the company’s strong overall performance in 2010, including significant revenue growth in fast growing market segments such as location-based services (LBS). Furthermore, the award recognizes strategic initiatives such as the roll-out of direct access partner contracts to international governments.”

About DigitalGlobe DigitalGlobe is a leading global provider of commercial high-resolution earth imagery products and services. Sourced from our own advanced satellite constellation, our imagery solutions support a wide variety of uses within defense and intelligence, civil agencies, mapping and analysis, environmental monitoring, oil and gas exploration, infrastructure management, Internet portals and navigation technology. With our collection sources and comprehensive ImageLibrary (containing more than one billion square kilometers of earth imagery and imagery products) we offer a range of on- and off-line products and services designed to enable customers to easily access and integrate our imagery into their business operations and applications. For more information, visit www.digitalglobe.com .

SOURCE: DigitalGlobe and marketwatch

Organic agriculture provides healthy food and protects the environment by practicing methods that avoid the widespread dissemination of chemicals. ESA is now helping to develop the use of satellite images for certifying crops as organic.

Products can be labeled ‘organic’ only if they are produced according to a set of standards, undergo an evaluation and pass a yearly inspection.

Since organic and conventional crops are treated differently, their characteristics are also different.

ESA has been working with Ecocert, an organic certification organization, to use satellite images to spot these differences and support the certification process.

Observation from space can be applied to wide areas on a regular basis. The concept was tested on winter wheat and corn grown in relatively large fields.

Five different satellites were used during the trials to develop the new approach: SPOT-4, Kompsat-2, Landsat-5, Proba and WorldView-2

Multi- and hyperspectral satellite imagery were used to derive several indicators based on biophysical justification and crop management practices to differentiate between conventional and organic methods.

Candidate indicators that were investigated include crop spectral reflectance, yield forecasts and spatial heterogeneity.

According to Dr Pierre Ott from Ecocert, the trial results were “over and beyond what could have been envisioned initially.”

Dr Ott said, “Accuracy rates of 80% to 100% in discriminating organic from conventional fields are a performance in itself. It seems very promising as far as the potential of future developments is concerned.”

More tests are being carried out now to turn this concept into an operational service that is reliable and affordable for users.

This new approach for organic farming was developed by Keyobs, VISTA and Belgium’s University of Liège under the guidance of Ecocert, as part of an ESA Earth Observation Market Development project.

ESA