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(Apr 12). Minister defends blocking sale

After blocking a foreign takeover of the country’s largest satellite and space robotics firm, Industry Minister Jim Prentice is refusing to commit federal funds to offset the effect of nixing the sale.

Prentice defended the decision to halt the $1.3 billion sale of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), saying Canada has no choice but to hang on to its technological know-how if it wishes to have a vibrant aerospace sector and pursue vital policies like the protection of Arctic sovereignty.

“My bottom line is this: Canada must retain jurisdiction and control of technologies that are vital to the future of our industry and the pursuit of our public policy objectives,” he said. “We will not accept the loss of jurisdictional control to another party or another country.”

On Thursday, Prentice served notice that Ottawa was denying preliminary approval for the sale of Vancouver-based MDA, which produces the Canadarm, Dextre robot and Radarsat-2 mapping satellite, to U.S. defence contractor Alliant Techsystems Inc. of Edina, Minn.

Prentice was at the Canadian Space Agency, south of Montreal, yesterday to give a speech marking the 50th anniversary of Canada’s space program.

But during his address to a group of agency employees, he also shed more light on his decision to block the MDA purchase.

Prentice said the ownership of technology and the development of the space industry are “inextricably linked, you cannot have one without the other.”

He also spoke in greater detail about the proposed deal’s impact on Canada’s plans for northern development and climate change policies, among others.

“We use earth observation to keep track of our vast land mass … We can help in search and rescue operations and protect our sovereignty by monitoring those who enter our waters. … We will vigorously protect our Arctic sovereignty,” he said.

The federal government has invested heavily in MDA projects like Radarsat-2, which was decades in the making and has cost between $445 million and $800 million, depending on who does the accounting. Indeed, the company has received roughly 50 per cent of the space agency’s funding budget through its various contracts.

Critics of the sale have also raised concerns about who would control the imaging data gathered from the satellite, which could find itself subject to strict U.S. security regulations and be kept out of Canadian hands. Alliant has 30 days to contest Prentice’s ruling, made under a little-used provision of the Investment Canada Act.

Both ATK and MDA maintained Thursday that the review process is ongoing and that no final decisions have been made.

But from Prentice’s words yesterday it’s difficult to see how he could be swayed. Ottawa’s decision also scotches MDA’s restructuring plans. During a news conference, Prentice ducked questions on whether the federal government would be willing to step in with a financial assistance package as the opposition parties demand.

“I’m not here to announce specific investment decisions today,” he said, adding the federal government will continue to seek technology partnerships through the space agency.

Prentice also shrugged off the suggestion that his decision could create a chill for other foreign firms contemplating buying Canadian assets.

By Sean Gordon. Quebec Bureau Chief

Source Thestar

Shell Canada has incorporated Earth Observation data into its Sustainable Development Report, demonstrating the potential of satellites to provide a global and cost-effective way to measure objectively the sustainability of business activities.

Companies that aim to create wealth while also contributing to the long-term quality of life and respect for the environment regularly issue environmental audits of their Corporate Sustainable Development (CSD) activities and report on the ‘triple bottom line’ of economic, social and environmental impacts.

In order to quantify sustainability, accurate and timely information on the state of the environment is needed, which Earth Observation (EO) from space can provide.

“Unbiased, timed satellite images help build stakeholder trust because they clearly illustrate the activities taking place in our oil sands mine leases,” Ashley Nixon, Sustainable Development Integration Manager at Shell Canada, said.

“They present clear, accessible visuals, provide objective information on development and eventual reclamation of our oil sands leases and help us in our reporting on environmental performance.”

In 2005, ESA began working with large multinational companies as part of its Earth Observation Support for Corporate Sustainable Development Reporting (EO-CSD) project to integrate satellite data into CSD reporting practices across a wide variety of industrial sectors.

Under the project, Hatfield Consultants, an environmental consultancy firm based in Canada, led a team working with Shell Canada and Albian Sands Energy to provide EO-based geo-information to support environmental management and monitoring related to the exploitation of their Athabasca oil sands located in the north of the province of Alberta. Occupying some 141 000 sq km, the Athabasca oil sands are estimated to be the second largest known oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia.

These bitumen-saturated sand deposits represent the equivalent of between 17 and 25 trillion oil barrels, although unlike conventional crude oil they need to be mined or extracted in situ rather than simply pumped to the surface and then specially treated before they can be transported via pipelines.

As global oil reserves dwindle, the cost of extracting Canada’s oil sands has become feasible: one million barrels of oil are currently extracted daily and this figure has the potential to double in the next five to seven years. However this extraction should be carried out while managing the impact on the Alberta landscape.

Eyes in the sky

EO provides objective coverage across both space and time, EO images show the world through a wide-enough frame so that complete large-scale phenomena can be observed with great accuracy. Satellites also remain in place for long periods, making them able to highlight environmental changes occurring gradually.

The focus of the satellite data used in this project was to help quantify habitat change in various ways and to understand how a habitat may be influenced by the oil sand operations.
ESA’s Envisat satellite acquired eight Full Resolution images with its optical instrument, Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS), covering the entire northern oil sand region, from 2004 to 2006. Envisat’s Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) instrument acquired three alternating polarisation images, one in 2004 and two in 2006. SPOT-5 acquired five multi-spectral images of the same region, an area of approximately 18 000 sq km, in 2006.

Satellite images record the development of oil sand activities at the Muskeg River Mine and Jackpine Mine in the Athabasca region of northeast Alberta.

According to Shell, the images allowed them to monitor vegetation, track land use changes, capture roads, power lines and other installations that can fragment habitat. They also provide them with the capability to establish baseline environmental information before developing new areas.

Based on EO image analysis, mine activity and vegetation habitat change information was provided for the 2006 Shell Canada Sustainable Development Report, which was developed in accordance with the 2006 guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The GRI provides a framework for sustainability reporting, which includes a set of reporting guidelines to enable reporting on economic, environmental, and social performance.

The EO-based information provided as part of the project, sponsored by ESA’s Earth Observation Market Development (EOMD) Programme, was independently audited.

“Using 2006 as a baseline, mine development and progressive reclamation will be monitored every year. In addition, Shell will share learnings with industry associations to help establish best practices for sustainable development reporting,” Shell said in a statement on its website.

Knowledge sharing

The EO information is not only valuable for corporate environmental management purposes, but can also provide local residents with unbiased information regarding the impact of developments in their communities.

Therefore, the EO-CSD project team continues to work with local Aboriginal communities to demonstrate how EO can be used as part of Shell Canada and Albian Sands corporate commitments to sustainable development.

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) documented by the Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN), whose traditional territory borders Shell’s leases, was integrated with the satellite imagery with the aim of improving the ability of the community to monitor developments and reclamation on or near their traditional territories.

“In partnership with the FMFN, Shell will reclaim and restore mined areas by integrating satellite images with their traditional environmental knowledge,” Darrell Martindale, Manager of Environment and Regulatory Compliance at Albian Sands, said. “The FMFN can then monitor current and proposed developments and reclamation plans on or near their traditional territories.”

Credits: ESA/Hatfield/ACRI-st
Source: ESA Press service

The Space Economy, defined as the full range of economic activities in the course of exploring, understanding and utilising space, has become the next great frontier for business growth exceeding US$ 250 billion, according to Tuesday’s report by the Space Foundation, a non-profit research and education association.

More than 70 percent of total global space revenues were derived from the commercial space industry with US$ 173.4 billion in 2007. NASA’s budget by contrast is only US$ 17.3 billion in 2008. Commercial satellite services accounted for around 55 percent of total commercial space revenues. GPS-related services exhibited the fasted growth rate at 20 percent.

Phillips & Company, a global business development and market consulting firm based in Austin, Texas, launched its Space Technology and Commerce Practice today, on the 49th anniversary of the Mercury Seven press conference, when NASA introduced the first seven astronauts to the world. “We believe that the business opportunity in space technology and commerce will outpace and eclipse the growth we saw in the early days of the Internet,” said Rich Phillips, president of Phillips & Company.

“The Space Economy is a gold rush of growth opportunity for companies in communications, security, environmental monitoring, networking, entertainment and defence. As the networks of the earth are connected to the networks in space, this global communications revolution will make it possible to locate or communicate with any person or object anywhere on earth — or beyond,” Phillips said.

According to NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale, “The Space Economy impacts just about every aspect of how we live, work, and play, including weather and climate monitoring and space-based security applications that keep us safe. When we pay for gas at the pump, draw cash from an ATM or enjoy listening to satellite radio, we experience the benefits of the Space Economy.” NASA reports that the space economy has provided more than 1,500 kinds of technology that have worked themselves into our lives, most notably satellite radio, cell phones, global communication and laser technology.

The Space Foundation Space Index published by the Space Foundation, tracks the market performance of 31 public companies with predominantly space-related revenues. Since its inception in 2005, the Space Foundation Space Index has grown by 29 percent and outpaced S&P 500.

High-technology leaders are embracing the growth opportunities of the Space Economy. Since 2003, Cisco Systems has demonstrated a commitment to space-based networking extending the Internet to satellites with onboard routing. Google has also weighed in on the role of the Space Economy in a presentation to NASA and government leaders this January. “Isn’t it obvious that spacecraft should have an Internet on them, too?” said Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

NASA, which turns 50 this year, has been shifting its focus in recent years in support of a public-private partnership model that fosters increased collaboration with commercial enterprise. According to NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin, “The Space Economy today is much bigger than NASA and becoming more so. But NASA has another role to play, that of an important catalyst for new ideas and new technology by setting extraordinary goals and engaging the imagination and drive of entrepreneurs in the private sector.”

The Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation issues licenses for the operations of non-federal launch sites, or “spaceports.” There are currently 14 spaceports in the United States with eight more currently in the planning or construction phase, including Spaceport America in New Mexico. According to the FAA, space tourism could generate more than US$ 1 billion in annual revenue by 2021, the largest share comprising suborbital flights, like the ones proposed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.

By 2012, Galactic Suite, based in Barcelona, plans to bring its first guests to an orbital space hotel for several days of weightless rest and relaxation roughly 200 miles above the earth.

Conservatively, the Space Economy is expected to experience a CAGR between 12 and 18 percent over the next five years. Said Phillips, “If this trend continues, the Space Economy will be a trillion dollar market within 10 years. Companies that understand how to translate technology innovation into sound business practices will win. Regardless, no one can deny that our future is in the stars.”

About Phillips & Company

Phillips & Company helps leading companies achieve sustainable revenue growth through the creation and execution of strategic business development campaigns. Business solutions include brand positioning, business development, public relations, integrated marketing and government relations. Ultimately, Phillips helps companies create demand for their products and services by broadening and reinforcing the trust customers, partners and investors have in their company. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Phillips & Company has operations in Miami, London and Hong Kong.

(April 9th- source: Phillips and Company)

Ian Masser’s book, ‘Building European Data Infrastructures,’ can be read as a plea for more cooperation between European governments to collect and share geo-information through one digital geo-portal. To achieve this goal the EU created the INSPIRE project, in place since the end of 2006.

Without being too technical, Masser shows why this project is so important and how it can succeed: by a proactive attitude from stakeholders, much networking and trying to achieve a common sense so that everyone will be happy with the end results.

The importance of geo-information cannot be overestimated. Citizens and governments benefit from unambiguous and up-to-date geo-information. Collecting and storing this data happens in different ways in different EU countries. The same goes for making this data available within these countries, to say nothing of its availability on an international level.

The INSPIRE project was created by the European Union to offer European citizens a geo-portal with access to standardized geo-information for every EU country.

The project is modeled after an example in America where a national geo-portal already exists. To make this geo-portal work, national data needs to be collected, maintained, shared and harmonized within SDIs (spatial data infrastructures) that are not just databases within organizations, but that incorporate the bigger picture of legislation, technology, networks and organizations that collect, share and use spatial data. Beside the need to harmonize national geo-data, there is also a need to study certain appearances in an international context, like river basins that cover many countries. Harmonization of this information saves a lot of time, money and effort. To make this happen, much work needs to be done, states Masser, himself an authority on SDIs. In 84 pages he draws up the balance sheet of what has been done to date and what the future of INSPIRE will bring.

Legislative Context

Masser’s book can be divided into two parts. The first part is about such elementary concepts as GIS and SDIs and their benefits and necessities in practice. He stresses the social components of SDIs: it’s humans who collect, share, maintain and use this data, and technology is there to make this happen. In the second part of the book Masser gives three examples of SDIs in Europe, all part of the INSPIRE project. INSPIRE is a sequel to a previous European project, CORINE, that explored the possibilities around the use and exchange of geographic information. Much attention is paid to the development of the legislative context of INSPIRE that gives the project its right to exist and its continuation in the future. In 2009, when member states will have made changes to their national laws to meet the requirements of INSPIRE, the project will be fully operational. These are no more than the essential preconditions of the total INSPIRE project; to create a real European platform, organizations involved in creating SDIs will have to join hands and create public-private partnerships. Masser has written a very insightful book on the INSPIRE project. From the organizational perspective, the use and necessity of the project becomes very clear. The future will decide whether his message of networking will reach those for whom this book was written, namely those who make use of the information in SDIs.

More information on www.esri.com/esripress

By Eric van Rees
Editorial Manager of GeoInformatics.

Title: Building European Spatial Data Infrastructures.
Auteur: Ian Messer.
Uitgever: ESRI Press
ISBN: 978-1-589428-165-7
Aantal pagina’s: 91
Prijs: EUR 21,95

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC®) has issued calls for sponsors of two interoperability initiatives: the OGC Web Services, Phase 6 (OWS-6) Testbed, and the OGC Pilot in support of GEOSS.

OGC also seeks to establish alliances with standards bodies having technology relevant to the two initiatives.

The OWS series of Testbeds has been an effective mechanism for organizations to meet their interoperability needs through development of open geospatial standards. OWS-6 will develop interoperability specifications in the areas of Sensor Web Enablement, geoprocessing workflows, 3-dimensional information management including indoor location, aeronautical information systems, enterprise web services, mass-market geoservices and compliance testing of OGC standards. These “threads” address interoperability issues affecting emergency management and homeland security, defense, Earth observation, transport and logistics, e-commerce and other domains. Interested organizations are invited to a planning meeting on 30 April 2008 in Herndon, Virginia. The 30 April Sponsor Meeting will review the OGC standards baseline, discuss OWS-5 results, and identify OWS-6 requirements and plans.

The OGC is contributing to development of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) by conducting a Pilot interoperability initiative. OGC is a Participating Organization of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). OGC Pilot initiatives are an effective mechanism to rapidly deploy, test and validate standards-based services based on real-world use cases. The OGC Pilot for GEOSS is an effective way for sponsors to contribute to the GEOSS objective of achieving comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained observations of the Earth system. The GEOSS Pilot will bring GEOSS partners together with the broader industry and academic communities to cooperatively test, validate and demonstrate standards-based GEOSS capabilities. The pilot will advance the sponsors’ interest in adoption of standards and best practices as a basis of GEOSS Interoperability Arrangements.

Alliances with other Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) are a key element of developing OGC specifications for geospatial applications. Maintaining strategic SDO alliances assures cooperation and sharing among the SDOs and convergence of standards employed by OGC members. Therefore, the OGC is also seeking partnerships with other SDOs to develop sponsorship of OWS-6 Testbed and the GEOSS Pilot.

If your organization is interested in either of these initiatives, contact George Percivall.

OWS initiatives are part of OGC’s Interoperability Program, a global, hands-on and collaborative prototyping program designed to rapidly develop, test and deliver proven candidate specifications into OGC’s Specification Program, where they are formalized for public release. In OGC’s Interoperability Initiatives, international teams of technology providers work together to solve specific geoprocessing interoperability problems posed by the Initiative’s sponsoring organizations. OGC Interoperability Initiatives include testbeds, pilot projects, interoperability experiments and interoperability support services – all designed to encourage rapid development, testing, validation and adoption of OpenGIS standards.

The OGC® is an international consortium of more than 345 companies, government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available geospatial standards. OpenGIS® Standards support interoperable solutions that “geo-enable” the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. OGC Standards empower technology developers to make geospatial information and services accessible and useful with any application that needs to be geospatially enabled. Visit the OGC website.

Source SpatialNews

Institut Géographique National (IGN), a French leader in cartography and aerial imagery, and Microsoft Corp announced a five-year partnership at Geo-événement 2008, a leading trade show for geo-information specialists in France.

The partnership will allow Microsoft to license IGN’s aerial imagery of France and make this available on the Microsoft Virtual Earth platform and through Microsoft Live Search Maps.

“Our collaboration with IGN will help us bring a new level of realism to Virtual Earth in France,” said Arnaud Gstach, Microsoft Virtual Earth’s Business Development Manager in Southern Europe. “Consumers, businesses and government bodies will be able to access quality aerial imagery across the whole of France. This will give users an immersive experience of their neighbourhood or holiday destination, or provide businesses and government bodies with a mapping service for real-estate viewing, town planning, vehicle tracking and store locations.”

Currently, Microsoft Virtual Earth has high-resolution aerial imagery for nine major French cities and bird’s-eye imagery (45-degree angle) for 43 towns and cities in France. The BD ORTHO® aerial imagery, available in May 2008, will build on the existing Virtual Earth platform by expanding aerial imagery to the entire French territory and allowing users to zoom and pan at a higher resolution than before. IGN is the only French organisation able to provide seamless aerial imagery with 100 per cent coverage of the French territory.

In addition, aerial imagery of the entire French coastline and 45 kilometres (km) inland will be available on the Virtual Earth platform at an even higher resolution than the inland imagery. This is significant given that France was the world’s No 1 tourist destination, with 78 million foreign tourists in 2006.1 The coastal aerial imagery will be available on the Virtual Earth platform to organisations such as those in the tourism sector, and also to prospective tourists, allowing them to virtually explore the French coastline, architecture and amenities before visiting.

“We are happy that Microsoft Virtual Earth has turned to IGN to acquire its aerial imagery and take advantage of its expertise in this area,” said Patrice Parisé, IGN’s new general manager. “This partnership is testament to the quality of IGN’s geographical data.”

IGN will license its BD ORTHO aerial imagery to Microsoft Virtual Earth for five years. The partnership will allow the following imagery to be made available in Virtual Earth:

-Seamless aerial imagery of the entire French territory, including overseas territories, at 2.5 metres per pixel (m/pixel) resolution — available in Virtual Earth by early May 2008

-Aerial imagery with a 45 km coastal margin at a greater resolution of 1 m/pixel — available in Virtual Earth before the end of summer 2008

-Aerial imagery at an ultra-high resolution (50 centimetres per pixel) in urban areas of France with more than 50,000 inhabitants — available in Virtual Earth before the end of summer 2008

-IGN will also license its digital terrain model, BD Alti®, to Microsoft, allowing topography of the entire French territory at 25 metres to be illustrated in Virtual Earth 3D — available this summer

“Microsoft is committed to delivering the highest quality product for Virtual Earth customers, government organisations and consumers in France, and this imagery agreement is a significant investment helping to achieve this commitment in France,” said Erik Jorgensen, general manager of Mapping and Location Services at Microsoft.

Microsoft Virtual Earth is present at Geo-événement 2008, 9 April, where Arnaud Gstach will deliver a presentation titled “Localise, Integrate, Innovate!” and will present the IGN aerial imagery to be made available in Virtual Earth.

About Institut Géographique National
The Institut Géographique National (IGN) is an administrative public institution which was created in 1967 and is under the authority of the MEDAD (France’s Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development). Its mission is to describe the national territory and its land cover, using this for any relevant representations and transmitting the corresponding information. IGN offers a wide range of geographical information services and products to local authorities and government departments, businesses and the general public. IGN has successfully managed to adapt to today’s major technological advances (moving into the digital era, the development of satellites and so on). In this way, the public institution is strengthening its position as a major player on the Internet and in our digital world. These changing practices are bearing fruit –IGN’s e-services and digital products are used as much for professional activities as for leisure pursuits.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

Source Spatialnews

A planned new network to monitor life on earth from microbes to whales could help guide governments struggling to slow extinctions

A three-day meeting of 100 scientists and officials in Potsdam, Germany, will end with a deal on building blocks for a “Biodiversity Observation Network” for animals and plants facing threats such as pollution or climate change.

Until now, the world has lacked a system for tying together knowledge about the diversity of life — most observations are local, such as of butterflies in part of the Amazon rainforest or of rice growth in Indonesia.

“We haven’t had the capability to knit it all together,” Woody Turner, an earth scientist at NASA which is helping put together the global network that will include research institutes and governments, told Reuters.

He said the network would help plug gaps since the time of 19th century naturalists such as Charles Darwin, who published the theory of evolution in 1859 based partly on observations of the new monitoring network “will advance international efforts to rescue the world’s vanishing biological diversity,” the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), backed by more than 70 governments, said in a statement of the Potsdam plan.

U.N. reports say the world may be facing the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago due to human activities such as emissions of greenhouse gases. a tiny fraction of life in the Galapagos.

A U.N. Earth Summit in 2002 set a goal of slowing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 but set no baselines for judging success or failure.

DINOSAURS

“The lack of comprehensive information about the world’s biological resources continues to undermine the efforts of policymakers and managers to set priorities,” GEO said. GEO has prompted the new network with calls for better monitoring.

Initial monitoring by the network would “not be every species on earth. We have to bring it down to a few thousand,” said Anne Larigauderie, head of the Diversitas Secretariat in Paris which groups biodiversity experts.

Well-known species such as tigers, lions, whales or dolphins could make the initial list and also “species that play a key functional role”, she told Reuters.

Such species could include crops such as rice or wheat, insect pollinators or large trees that soak up carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. Diversitas and NASA will lead work to build the network, backed by GEO.

Turner said satellites, for instance, could add a new dimension to local studies of species.

“They don’t allow you to see the individual tiger or elephant, certainly not the individual microbe, but they let you see the context — how tree cover is changing, how changes in climate are affecting habitats,” he said.

Reuters – By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent and Editing by Mary Gabriel

Source REUTERS

Israel launched a radar satellite acquiring imagery with spatial resolution of 10cm

Israel launched an advanced spy satellite on January 21, 2008 that will be able to track events in Iran, the country it considers its top foe, even at night and in cloudy weather.

The TechSAR satellite is of particular importance for Israel because it can be used to keep tabs on Iran´s nuclear programme, which the US and Israel fear is a cover for pursuing nuclear weapons.

The satellite, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, operates with a special radar system, allowing it to view much more than existing Ofek satellites that use cameras.

The satellite was launched from the Sriharikota space station in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

Source

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Geo: International

Bluesky aerial maps help investigation of structural damage to new homesLeicestershire, UK, 25 March 2008 – Aerial survey specialist Bluesky is supplying the UKs NHBC (National House-Building Council) with aerial photographs to assist in investigations of structural defects in new homes.

Bluesky aerial images provide a snapshot of land use prior to construction helping NHBC engineers identify possible causes of structural defects such as trees, standing water or previous ground workings. Bluesky identifies the appropriate images for NHBC based on the exact location of the claim property and the date construction commenced.

NHBC is the standard setting body and leading warranty and insurance provider for new and newly converted homes in the UK. Working with the house-building and wider construction industry they provide risk management services that raise the standards of new homes, and provides consumer protection to new homebuyers.
The Bluesky aerial imagery is a useful tool for investigating claims from homeowners, commented Clive Entwistle, Principal Engineer of NHBC. With compelling evidence of land use prior to construction we can identify possible causes of damage and non compliance with our Technical Requirements that may help to validate a claim.

The NHBC has approximately 20,500 house builders and developers on their Register, all of whom agree to comply with published Rules and Standards. More than 80% of the new homes built in the UK each year are registered with NHBC and benefit from their 10 year warranty and insurance policy _Buildmark_™. Around 1.7 million homeowners are currently covered by Buildmark policies and over the past 70 years NHBC has protected more than 30% of all houses in the UK.

The Bluesky imagery offers exceptional levels of detail clearly depicting a site and its surrounding area prior to construction, continued Entwistle. This allows us to establish possible causes of ground movement that may be responsible for structural damage. For example, we can pick out individual trees, ponds or evidence of made ground. The geographical coverage and age of imagery is crucial and Bluesky deliver the images we need.

Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial imaging and remote sensing data collection and processing. An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography and 3D landscape/cityscape visualisations. Bluesky also runs a national mapping centre, providing digital maps, site plans, satellite imagery, aerial photography and ultra-high resolution imagery of cities and towns.

More at BLUESKY

Geo: International