Skip to content

First images pave the way for commencement of operational data services by Earth-i providing dependable, very high resolution, daily global imaging opportunities.

Earth-i expects to begin offering full operational imaging and data services later this year from the DMC3/TripleSat constellation and will place specific focus on fast, easy and convenient access for data users.

Founded and run by prominent and experienced individuals from the Earth Observation industry, Earth-i is located in the UK close to the Surrey Space Centre, and the satellites’ manufacturer, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

Three identical <1m resolution optical satellites make up the DMC3/TripleSat constellation. Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd (21AT) acquired the total capacity from SSTL in 2011 during a signing ceremony attended by the Chinese Premier and British Prime Minister. Subsequently, prior to the 10th July 2015 launch on an Indian PSLV-XL rocket, Earth-i signed an agreement with 21AT to become a strategic partner and master distributor.

The orbital position of the three satellites means the constellation is able to target any point on the earth’s surface at least once per day providing reliable and consistent information to data users, particularly useful for a wide range of applications including change detection.
The unique combination of high spatial and temporal resolution, along with industry-leading technical specifications, will serve data users and support a wide range of applications in market sectors including oil and gas, security and defence, agriculture and construction.

Commenting on the news of the first images from the constellation, Richard Blain, CEO of Earth-i, said: “We are excited to be the enabling organisation, based in the UK, providing data users with access to the unique combination of spatial and temporal capabilities offered by this new British-built constellation. We recognise the need across multiple market sectors for high resolution images and data that are convenient and easy to access and supported by a range of innovative value-add services.”

He continued: “The announcement of the first images from the three satellites is an exciting milestone along the road to the beginning of full operational data services towards the end of this year.”

Press Release Ends

For further information, please contact:

Richard Blain
Chief Executive, Earth-i Ltd
Phone: +44 (0)333 433 0015
7 Huxley Road,
Surrey Research Park
Guildford, GU2 7RE
United Kingdom
E-mail: richard.blain@earthi.space

About Earth-i
Earth-i is a British company dedicated to facilitating the distribution of data from the DMC3/TripleSat Constellation. As the master distributor appointed by 21AT, Earth-i provides a portal for data users wishing to take advantage of the advanced data and services offered by this uniquely capable Earth observation satellite constellation.

Earth-i is co-located on the Surrey Research Park in the UK with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, the manufacturer of the DMC3/Triplesat constellation. www.earthi.space

Source

(16 September 2015) According to the 8th edition of Euroconsult’s newly published report, Satellite-Based Earth Observation: Market Prospects to 2024, over 400 civil and commercial Earth observation (EO) satellites (>50kg) are expected to be launched over the next decade compared to 179 over 2005-2014.

This will result in $39 billion in manufacturing revenues over the period, an 80% increase over that of the previous decade. The increasing satellite unites will arrive from both government and private sources as more countries invest in EO technologies and the commercial business continues to evolve. In addition, over 1,200 <50kg satellites are anticipated to be launched to support the development of cubesat constellations, adding to the overall data supply.

Earth observation remains a government priority

Over 50 countries are now investing in EO programs, with total global investment close to $9 billion in 2014, a 9th year of continued investment growth. Investment is expected to top $10 billion in 2015. Government priorities depend on the stage of development of their EO program, and wider government policy objectives. Environment monitoring and climate change remain top priority areas in governments’ political agendas, supporting the development of science-driven EO missions within R&D programs such as NASA, ESA and JAXA; other EO programs are expanding rapidly with countries such as India and China striving towards self-sufficiency for data collection.

Commercial data market returns to strong growth

The commercial data market totaled $1.6 billion in 2014; this represents 12% growth over 2013, and a five-year CAGR of 7%. This return to growth follows a couple of years’ slowdown resulting from the reduced procurement by U.S. defense. Growth over the last year is in part a result of U.S. defense procurement stabilizing and then increasing following the launch of DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-3. Non-U.S. defense sales also continue to grow strongly brought about by continued global tensions and limited proprietary very-high resolution data supply. Discounting the U.S., global defense spending for commercial data stood at $620 million in 2014, and has grown at 13% CAGR over the last five years. Altogether, defense markets represent close to $1 billion, 61% of the total data market.

Non-defense markets totaled over $600 million in 2014. Natural resources monitoring and support to infrastructure and engineering projects are important application areas in developing regions to support wider economic growth. However, sectors such as energy have been impacted by lower oil and gas prices limiting exploration activities. Location-based services applications, including market and business intelligence applications, have also been slower to develop; however the longer term outlook for these services remains positive with the addition of new supply targeting high frequency change detection.

In 2024 the market for commercial EO data is expected to reach $3.5 billion. Regionally, the Asian markets, Latin America and Africa are expected to have strong growth profiles. Natural resources management, engineering & infrastructure, LBS and again defense are expected to be the main application areas supporting growth.

Increased private investment into the EO sector spurs new actors

The number of satellites in operation offering commercial data solutions is expected to significantly expand. The increase reflects fleet expansion of existing operators to respond to growing demand, more governments commercializing data to receive a return on investment from initial satellite funding, and new commercial entrants.

Several of these new companies are expected to develop low-cost constellations. To date, Euroconsult identifies 12 companies (such as BlackSky Global, Spire, etc.) which have announced intentions to develop such constellations based on smallsat and cubesat technologies as EO embraces the “New Space” environment. The purpose of the data from these satellites varies, however all are focused on acquiring data and delivering services at high frequency with a reduced satellite revisit. “As of July 2015, these companies have attracted over $450 million in venture capital to fund their initiatives, and Skybox Imaging was acquired by Google for $500 million. This level of private investment is unprecedented in the EO sector,” said Adam Keith, Managing Director of Euroconsult Canada and editor of the report. “For these constellations to come to fruition, additional investments are expected to be required; however the EO ecosystem will continue to evolve.” Under the lower-cost approach, reducing the CAPEX means that operators can price data very competitively with the potential to disrupt the market and/or open up new business areas.

About The Report

Satellite-Based Earth Observation, Market Prospects to 2024 is the only report providing industry forecasts, assessment of business opportunities and analysis of the entire value chain for this growing segment of the satellite industry. The 8th edition of this landmark report includes a detailed breakdown of application sectors within each region along with consolidated forecasts per application sector and per region.

About Euroconsult

Euroconsult is the leading global consulting firm specializing in space markets. As a privately-owned, fully independent firm, we provide first-class strategic consulting, develop comprehensive research and organize executive-level annual summits for the industry. With 30 years of experience, Euroconsult is trusted by 600 clients in over 50 countries. Euroconsult is headquartered in France, with offices in the U.S., Canada and Japan.

(source: Euroconsult)

Spaceref

The first 1m high resolution optical satellite imagery from the DMC3/TripleSat Constellation satellites is demonstrated today by Surrey Satellites Technology (SSTL) following the launch of three Earth Observation mini-satellites on an Indian PSLV in July.

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

This 1m resolution pan-sharpened image taken on 2 August 2105 shows the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.image

Sir Martin Sweeting, SSTL’s founder and chief executive, welcomed a comment from Dave Parker, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, who said: “Congratulations to SSTL on the acquisition of these 1m resolution images of our planet from the DMC3 constellation – a real demonstration of technical precision. SSTL’s expertise in small satellites plays a major role in the space sector’s £3.6bn contribution to the UK economy through exports.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

See more at

Getsurrey

To coincide with the release of the second phase of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS), the European Commission’s DG GROW has commissioned an update to the EMS User Guide to reflect changes to service and product specifications, as well as the transition from GMES to Copernicus. This activity involved a study of user requirements and incorporated recommendations from the European Commission services DG GROW, DG ECHO, DG JRC and Member States.

Based on the findings of the study, the updated Copernicus EMS User Guide contains the following documents:

  • A High Level Brochure
  • A Service Overview Brochure
  • A Quick Start Guide: Service Portfolios for Rapid Mapping, Risk & Recovery Mapping and the Early Warning Components
  • Data and dissemination policy
  • Portal Fact Sheet
  • Service Request Forms and Feedback Forms are available on the EMS website

Copies of the new User Guide are available on request from GROW COPERNICUS EMS.
For further information:
Copernicus Emergency Management Service portal

NASA Administrator Bolden: NASA is deeply committed to Earth science and the value it provides people around the globe. We have been since our founding.

It was my pleasure to attend the launch of the newest SERVIR hub SERVIR-Mekong in Thailand just a couple of weeks ago. Today, I joined hundreds of colleagues from our partner, USAID, and from around the world for a Town Hall about SERVIR and the impact of our global collaborations in Earth observation.

NASA and USAID have accomplished a lot together. Launch of this important new hub in the SERVIR network, which includes SERVIR-Himalaya, SERVIR-Eastern and Southern Africa and the Applied Sciences Team projects in Mesoamerica, is certainly tangible proof that what we’re doing is working.

We get a lot of questions about our Earth observation work at NASA. In fact, a lot of people aren’t even aware that it’s such a core function of the agency. But make no mistake, NASA is deeply committed to Earth science and the value it provides people around the globe. We have been since our founding.

The more the SERVIR network and other partnerships expand, the more opportunities we have to test and showcase our newest Earth observation satellites. Missions like Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and others are now returning massive amounts of data and more Earth science missions are on the way.

I am also pleased that we are finding new ways to bring NASA’s science to meet USAID’s development objectives. We are excited that our scientists are being connected with international scientists to combine those people’s local knowledge with NASA’s Earth system science studies through USAID’s Partnership for Enhanced Engagement in Research, or PEER program. Twelve of our scientists now work with USAID-funded international collaborators to harness their collective knowledge for the benefit of development.

Our partnership between NASA and USAID allows us to work together to bring space to village. Moreover, it also is bringing “village to space” as NASA has learned new USAID terminology such as “results framework”, “indicators”, and “theory of change” terms that are more than just words, but help benchmark impacts and ensure the successful outcome of our activities. Together, our agencies have worked in 4 regions and 37 countries, developed 62 tailored decision support tools using Earth observations, increased the capacity of over 300 institutions, enabled 120 university fellows from 24 countries, and trained over 2000 people.

The International Space Station also is becoming a platform for Earth observation. There’s the ISERV test bed camera used by SERVIR end users, for instance which has acquired more than 140,000 images of across 6 continents to support response to floods, wildfires, tropical storms, and other extreme events around the world. Other instruments aboard the Station, including RapidScat to monitor ocean winds and the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) to measure clouds and pollution, also are contributing to the wealth of Earth science data available to the public and to decision-makers like those SERVIR serves.

Together with our partners at USAID, we are all contributing to the effort to help bring our space-based science down to Earth for real time, real world applications that are changing the lives of people where they live.

The demand-driven approach of SERVIR is unique in the space world. The network is responsive and engaged and developing the demand-driven tools that are going to have the most impact for a specific region. I never doubted that there was a hunger for more information and ways for people everywhere to make a difference in their home regions, but the tools that SERVIR has provided have really started something special.

Just as the Space Station has become a model of international cooperation among nations who have many differences, so has SERVIR become a network not just of hubs, but also of regions and people.

I can’t think of anything more gratifying to demonstrate why our space program is vital to everyone on this planet.

(17 September 2015) The European Space Agency has extended until 2017 the maintenance and development contract of the SMOS (Soil Moisture & Ocean Salinity) mission user segment, entrusted to Indra.

The service could thereafter be extended for another two years, until 2019, depending on the program’s development.

The SMOS satellite user segment for studying the Earth’s water cycle is located at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villafranca del Castillo (Madrid).

This mission’s satellite was launched into space in November 2009 with a useful life of 3 years according to initial calculations, but its excellent technical and scientific conditions have enabled extending it.

Indra, as the company that led the SMOS user segment, has undertaken corrective and preventive maintenance since the start of operations in June 2010. To this task we must include engineering tasks that have introduced major improvements to the processing and reprocessing chain to generate products of higher quality.

In this regard, the successful implementation of a new software version or baseline has been completed with corporate support for all elements of the user segment. This update will allow for generating higher quality data to be used for obtaining more precise images of the planet’s distribution of moisture and salinity values.

To introduce the new software, Indra has performed prior tests on the integration and maintenance platform at its facilities in San Fernando de Henares before deploying the new version at the center in Villafranca.

With the new baseline already implemented, a campaign has been launched for reprocessing all data gathered by the satellite since the start of the mission.

This complex task will be performed by a reprocessing platform specifically implemented by Indra to keep this task from affecting the mission’s main processing of data in real time upon receipt from the satellite.

This reprocessing center is based on the same software used by the main center, but Indra has contributed improvements that enable the reprocessing of SMOS data between 12 and 30 times faster, depending on the end product’s required level.

As part of the new maintenance contract signed with the ESA, Indra will contribute additional improvements to further speed up this reprocessing. To achieve this, several processing instances will be executed in parallel.

On another hand, in addition to all of these improvements, Indra will implement new tools to help the Operations team manage the reprocessing platform.

The new contract also includes improvement of the X-band data acquisition station at the ESAC and of the station’s monitoring and control system controlling the data reception antenna.

Indra, leader in SMOS

Indra led the industrial team that developed the entire user segment for the SMOS mission. This segment is in charge of gathering and processing data collected by the satellite and of performing complex calculations to infer the salinity and moisture levels and, therefore, obtain the images that display the distribution of these values.

Indra, furthermore, directly developed several of the mission’s key subsystems, including one of the two satellite data reception stations and the center’s archiving, distribution, production management and monitoring system.

Indra

Indra, overseen by Chairman & CEO Fernando Abril-Martorell, is one of the leading consulting and technology multinationals in Latin America and Europe. The company is the global technology partner for operations in its clients’ key businesses. It offers business solutions, IT services and integrated systems for clients around the world. Indra has a standout business model based on proprietary solutions (representing nearly 65% of its total 2014 revenues) that serve leading clients in key industries and regions. In 2014 it reported revenues of 2.938 billion euros, employed 39,000 professionals, had a local presence in 46 countries, and delivered projects in more than 140 countries. The company develops a range of technological solutions and services for operations in various industries, including Energy & Industry, Financial Services, Telecom & Media, Public Administrations & Healthcare, Transport & Traffic, and Security & Defense.

(source: Indra)

VANCOUVER, Sept. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – UrtheCast Corp. (TSX:UR) (“UrtheCast” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the Euroconsult prize for ‘Strategic Transaction of the Year’.

The award was presented to the Company on Sept. 18, during the 2015 Summit On Earth Observation Business in Paris, as part of the World Satellite Business Week Event. The event is considered to be the pre-eminent space industry conference in the world with over 40 countries taking part, representing 95% of the satellite industry. The prize was awarded to UrtheCast for the July acquisition of the Deimos Imaging satellites and operations.

Euroconsult’s Annual Earth Observation Business Awards recognize companies that are transforming and driving the satellite industry, contributing to its growth and innovation. Rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods were applied in the assessment, which was based on a company-by-company performance analysis and assessed by experts from Euroconsult, the leading global research and analyst firm specializing in the Space and Earth Observation (EO) sector. For 18 years, Euroconsult has recognized its industry winners in Paris during the World Satellite Business Week, a leading EO industry event.

“We would like to extend our thanks to Euroconsult and the jury. We’re thrilled to be recognized by such a prestigious institution,” said Wade Larson, UrtheCast Co-founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer. “With this acquisition we have combined two remarkably strong teams, and to be awarded for that transaction is a testament to not only the hard work of UrtheCast, but also to the efforts of the Deimos Imaging organization and its leadership. As a result, our customers are now set to reap increasingly strategic EO insights.”

About UrtheCast Corp.

UrtheCast Corp. is a Vancouver-based technology company that is developing the world’s first Ultra HD video feed of Earth, streamed from space in full color. Working with prominent aerospace partners from across the globe, UrtheCast has built, launched, installed, and will soon operate its Ultra HD video camera, Iris, on the ISS alongside its Medium Resolution Camera (“MRC”). Both Iris and the MRC have reached Initial Operation Capability (“IOC”), in 2015 and 2014 respectively. UrtheCast also owns and operates the Deimos-1 and Deimos-2 satellites through its Spanish subsidiary, operating as Deimos Imaging. Video and still image data captured by the cameras will be downlinked to ground stations across the planet and displayed on the UrtheCast web platform, or distributed directly to partners and customers. UrtheCast’s cameras will provide Ultra HD video and still imagery of Earth that will allow for monitoring of the environment, humanitarian relief, social events, agricultural land, etc. Common shares of UrtheCast trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange as ticker ‘UR’.

Satellite-Based Earth Observation: Market prospects to 2024 is the only report providing industry forecasts, assessment of business opportunities and analysis of the entire value chain for this growing segment of the satellite industry.


It includes a detailed breakdown of application sector within each region along with consolidated forecasts per application and per region.

In 2024, the market for commercial EO data is expected to reach $3.5 billion. Regionally, the Asian markets, Latin America and Africa are expected to have strong growth profiles.

Meanwhile, natural resources management, engineering & infrastructure, LBS and defense are expected to be the main application areas supporting growth for the EO segment.

The report includes:

  • Strategic Issues & Forecasts
  • Detailed value-chain analysis
  • EO data demand
  • Satellites launched & forecast

Report elements
More than 100 full-page graphs and tables
Over 1,000 data points
Price € 5,500 includes PDF, PPT & Excel files

Download electronic brochure==
See press release==

TerraGo, a pioneer of geospatial collaboration and mobility software, announced today the availability of TerraGo Publisher® for ArcGIS® Server version 6.8. The release provides powerful new features that help companies create map portals and web services that extend the power of ArcGIS to all enterprise users.

For ArcGIS users and developers, TerraGo Publisher includes a new Python package, called PubPy, which exposes TerraGo Publisher functions to ArcGIS’s extension language ArcPy®. PubPy can be accessed from both ArcGIS for Desktop and ArcGIS for Server. This enables the easy creation and automation of portable, interactive maps that are accessible as web services. For end users, this means on-demand, self-service access to customized maps and data. This gives non-GIS users access to the exact map they need, in desktop and mobile environments, in both online and disconnected workflows.

“TerraGo’s new Python functions provide easy-to-use export and configuration capabilities through ArcPy interfaces, which can be published as web services,” said George Demmy, Chief Technical Officer at TerraGo. “PubPy represents a major leap forward in simplifying and automating the creation of free, lightweight GIS applications for non-GIS users.”

With TerraGo Publisher, GIS users are able to create and share interactive OpenGeoPDF maps accessible by any user with universal, free software. OpenGeoPDF is a collection of technologies that combine open spatial database features and application logic within portable, intelligent maps. In essence, OpenGeoPDF is the incorporation of the Open Geospatial Consortium’s (OGC) GeoPackage standard to store feature attributes in a universally accessible PDF container.

About TerraGo

TerraGo develops software applications and mobile apps that make it easy for our customers to collect data, share information and work together anywhere, any time. From sharing feature-rich maps and imagery to deploying on-demand apps for a mobile workforce, TerraGo builds intuitive products that enable collaboration from any place on the planet.

Founded in 2005, TerraGo invented the industry’s most widely adopted geospatial collaboration technology with its innovative GeoPDF products and is revolutionizing field data collection with its TerraGo Edge mobile platform.

TerraGo’s customers include the world’s leading defense and intelligence departments, government agencies, non-profits and commercial enterprises in every industry, with over 2,000 global customers based in over 70 countries and all 50 US states.

For more information, visit http://www.terragotech.com.