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(Euroconsult) New Euroconsult research assesses distribution mechanisms within the EO value chain.

Data distributors and services providers have established themselves as a key component of the EO value-chain and an important partner of the EO satellite operators in order to disseminate data to the largest number of end-users possible. This is particularly apparent in accessing key fast growing regional markets and being able to do business with government and private end-users locally. According to Euroconsult’s new research report, Earth Observation: Data Distribution, an estimated 12-17% of the $1.5 billion* commercial data market flows through the distributors. It is considered that all major vertical market sectors are procuring from the data distributors to varying degrees.

“While this percentage may seem low, it should be recalled that the majority of the total market is to defense end-users [65%] who prefer a more direct approach to receive imagery, such as through direct receiving stations. Business for the data distributor reflects this, with a far greater emphasis on enterprise markets,” said Philippe Campenon, Deputy Director, Space and Earth Observation at Euroconsult.

Revenue through data services from the distributors is first from civil governments, totaling 47% of distributor data business. This highlights the need to be local in accessing civil contracts, an important consideration given the growing demand globally for EO solutions. Data provision to the private sector through distribution is also disproportionality higher than the total data market, representing 37% of the distributors business.

The relatively small figure of 16% data revenues associated to defense users demonstrates the more direct approach preferred by this user community. Most operating companies with very high resolution satellites offer direct receiving stations solutions to defense end-users in order to meet their requirements of secure, continuous data supply with degrees of autonomy in satellite tasking and data acquisition, and short delivery time.

In order to reach out to all user sectors it is therefore considered a necessity to have a diverse approach in mechanisms for data distribution. This is reflecting in the type of distribution offering. In total, there are more than 550 active data distribution agreements signed globally with local companies. These contracts are classified in five categories within the report, addressing the rationale, contract conditions and key metrics for the following:

  • Data Resellers
  • Value-Added Resellers (VARs)
  • Exclusive Distributors (or Channel Partners)
  • Business Partners
  • Direct Receiving Station Partners

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW RESULTS ON DISTRIBUTORSSALES AND GROWTH STRATEGIES

Interviews were conducted with 15 data distributors with a mean presence in the sector of 19 years. Companies ranged from data distribution being their primary business to organizations active in other parts of the EO value-chain. The following topics are reviewed in detail:

  • Motivation for setting up a data distribution business line
  • The distributors’ offer to the satellite operators
  • The relationship between satellites operators and the distributors
  • Data distributor customer mix
  • Importance of key client requirements
  • Technology as a market driver/inhibitor
  • Ranking the vertical markets driving data sales and services

*Euroconsult: Satellite-based Earth Observation, Market Prospects, 6th edition

ABOUT THE REPORT

Earth Observation: Data Distribution – Profiles, Strategies & Trends gives an assessment of the distribution level of the Earth observation value chain. It is the first research report to explore the connection between operators and distributors and the advantages and challenges in expanding the operators’ geographical footprint and reaching out to the largest potential number of end users through partnerships. It considers both the organization strategy developed by the satellite operators and the viewpoint of the distribution companies.

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, we are trusted by over 560 clients in 50 countries. Euroconsult is headquartered in Paris, with offices in Montreal, Washington, D.C. and permanent representation in Japan.

PRESS CONTACT
Nancy Essebag-Christie
+1 (514) 303-0304
essebag@euroconsult-na.com

[Via Satellite 03-26-2014] CloudEO has released the beta version of its online marketplace for Earth observation-based products. By supplying data on a pay-per-use or subscription basis, the company is working to bring together imagery providers, analytics companies and customers through one platform. As part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) business incubation center, CloudEO anticipates opening the geospatial market to many new players.


“[There is a] huge entry barrier to the geospatial industry, and that is where CloudEO wants to change things,” said Manfred Krischke, co-founder and CEO of CloudEO. “It is very much about using specific technology, which allows entrepreneurs to establish new business models.
”CloudEO is pioneering the idea of a “virtual constellation” where customers can search for geospatial products from a variety of providers in one place. If a product is not available, customers can request it, and CloudEO will “play matchmaker” by going to individual suppliers on their behalf. As can be derived from the name, the company uses a cloud-based working space to aggregate various geospatial products.
“If they can get enough people contributing their imagery to it, and if they can get enough ’apps’ developed, then there is demand for the imagery and more people will submit imagery,” said Edward Jurkevics, an analyst at Chesapeake Analytics Corp. “There is this network effect if you can get this cycle going. It may be that the bootstrapping is tricky, but I think that if you can get that done you can have a good business model.”

On the data side of its business, CloudEO has imagery from Airbus Defence and Space, Deimos Imaging and Imagesat. The company also has an agreement with Aerogrid, the largest supplier of aerial photography in Europe, and an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) license agreement with Google that allows for full use of the map engine and Google Application Programming Interface (API) for publishing services. The beta release includes products from companies like EOMAP, DMCii, and others.

“We now have a critical mass,” said Manfred. “We can, or the service provider can find on our platform everything from very high-resolution imagery to base data like digital elevation models.”
“There is an influx of geospatial imagery, which will be added over the coming years because of the proliferation of CubeSats,” added Ilya Golubovich, CloudEO investor and founding partner of I2BF Global Ventures. “There will be a huge demand for new tools to analyze this imagery. Eventually there is going to be a big data problem, and CloudEO is one of the tools to solve that problem. It’s not just the big companies that are expanding their constellations to provide better and more prolific geospatial data, but it’s also about the newcomers like Skybox, Planet Labs and Dauria Aerospace that are going to be launching cheaper satellites that can produce very high quality data.”

The CloudEO marketplace includes products across the spectrum for geospatial information services, not limited exclusively to imagery. Many Geographic Information System (GIS) applications are very granular and market specific, and CloudEO is working to bring analysts onboard as well. Often, projects in GIS are very specialized and need refined expertise on the number-crunching side. The effect this will have on larger verticals, such as the government or oil and gas that often have well-established providers already, is yet to be known.

“From the investor side, it was one question of due diligence for us,” said Golubovich. “What about the titans of the industry? At the end of the day the conclusion we came to was that CloudEO doesn’t cannibalize or compete with DigitalGlobe and the like companies, necessarily. CloudEO is a potential additional revenue channel to what they already are doing.”

Software companies that provide information on CloudEO will receive revenue from any products made using their imagery or analytics. Service developers can work on the platform, but cannot take anything away without first going through a purchase checkout. With the combination of new smaller imaging satellites and the increasing prevalence of digital services, CloudEO expects its platform to enable many new services as the applications for GIS grow.

“Our belief is that 80 percent of value in this industry is added on the ground, not in space,” said Golubovich. “CloudEO is an essential part of building the applications.”

Source

[SatNews] On March 5th through 7th, EUMETSAT hosted the first meeting of the joint Working Group on Climate of the Committee for Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the Coordination Group for meteorological Satellites (CGMS).

The goals of this working group are to establish an inventory of existing records of Essential Climate Variables derived from observations from space, to plan the production of more Climate Data Records and to optimize planning of future satellites to expand records and avoid data gaps. This meeting followed a workshop of the SCOPE-CM (Sustained, Co-Ordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring) international initiative supported by the World Meteorological Organisation and a network of operators of environmental satellite systems, where work plans for cooperative Climate Data Record generation projects were established. EUMETSAT’s climate monitoring activities encompass re-calibration and inter-satellite calibration, production of homogeneous series of basic observations by reprocessing and downstream production of Climate Data Records for Essential Climate Variables. The activities involve the distributed network of Satellite Application Facilities, in particular the Climate Monitoring SAF led by DWD, and contributions to selected cooperative projects with international partners.

On March 10th through 12th, EUMETSAT will support a workshop in Grainau, Germany, gathering the users of its Climate Monitoring Satellite Application Facility, led by the Deutsche Wetterdienst, to discuss the usage and development of satellite-based climate monitoring products and services in response to user needs. The engagement in global climate services in 2014 will culminate in the Climate Symposium that EUMETSAT is organising with the World Climate Research Program in Darmstadt on October 13th through 17th. Bringing together international climate scientists, experts from space agencies as well as high-level representatives from other stakeholders, the symposium will discuss how satellite operators could jointly address the scientific challenges identified in the 5th IPCC Assessment Report.

The EUMETSAT infosite for monitoring weather and climate from space is located at this direct infopage link

Source

In 2010, Qatar Shell Upstream International B.V. re-entered exploration in Qatar by focusing on the relatively deep conventional Pre-Khuff gas. In order to support Qatar Shell with the execution of onshore and offshore seismic programs, extensive use was made of satellite imagery to derived added values products such as shallow water bathymetry, seabed classification and onshore digital elevation models.

Mapping the 740 sq km offshore area using satellite derived bathymetry resoluted in significant time and cost savings, and mitigated HSSE risks. The satellite imagery products were revealed as a key technology in aiding the planning and preparation of the seismic surveys.


©Fotolia

Project Background

In 2010, Qatar Shell Upstream International B.V. (QSUI) re-entered exploration in Qatar by focusing on the relatively deep conventional Pre-Khuff gas. In order to support Qatar Shell with the execution of onshore and offshore seismic programs, extensive use was made of satellite imagery to derive added value products such as shallow water bathymetry, seabed classification and onshore digital elevation models (DEM).

Issues & Needs

Information about water depth and geomorphological properties is regularly required for offshore explorations, but is frequently not available for the area of interest;.hydrographical surveys to date cover only a fraction of coastal areas worldwide. Furthermore, the most up-to-date maps possible are required in rapidly changing environments such as the coastline around Qatar in order to reduce temporal uncertainties. However, LIDAR and echosounding surveys are cost-intensive, require extensive and long-term planning and permissions and have significant HSSE exposure. As is often the case, data from these methodologies are not available area wide or at the required resolution, for the location.

Figure 1: Satellite derived bathymetry shown with hillshade and pseudocolour coding. Blue = shallow water, Red = deeper water (acquisition year: 2010). © Qatar Shell Upstream International B.V and EOmap.

Solution

For this project, satellite derived bathymetry (SDB) and complementary seafloor products were generated for an area of 740 sqkm, at 4m horizontal resolution. The independent, physics-based process to generate bathymetry from satellite imagery resulted in an RMSQE error of 70cm and 50 cm, in comparison to the main reference dataset (LiDAR) and multi-beam survey of 2003, respectively. The results also displayed a good correspondence with known features such as trenches.

Figure 2: Hillshaded view of the Multi-beam echosounding survey data (left MBES, acquisition year: 2003) and overlapping subset of the satellite bathymetry data (middle, acquisition year 2010) and the colour coded difference values between the two datasets (right). Blue to red indicates -ve to +ve elevation change. Annotations indicate features of interest, such as the pipeline trench

Results & Perspectives

Mapping this 740 sq km area using SDB resulted in cost savings of over 1 M USD, when compared to traditional acquisition methods. The HSSE risks were significantly mitigated due to minimizing the use of traditional survey methodologies. In addition to this, SDB production time of only 2 weeks efficiently supported the project schedule. The satellite imagery products were revealed as a key technology in aiding the planning and preparation of the seismic surveys.

Related Info
The EOMAP technology is operational and standardized across a range of satellite sensors, typically offering horizontal spatial resolutions of between 2m and 30m. It is currently being implemented as an off-the-shelf product for various regions worldwide, which allows for very fast deliveries and cost savings for clients. Of course, as with the application described in this article, project-specific solutions are readily accommodated.

  • Reference:Siermann, J., Morgan, G., Heege, T., & Harvey, C. (2014, January 19). Satellite derived Bathymetry and Digital Elevation Models (DEM). International Petroleum Technology Conference. doi:10.2523/17346-MS, https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/IPTC-17346-MS
  • Key words: Oil and Gas, Offshore, Bathymetry, Seafloor, Environmental baseline Service provider: EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG / Germany/Singapore
  • User/ Customer: Qatar Shell Upstream International


©Fotolia

Aimed at all geologists who are not already remote sensing specialists, but particularly at students and geologists in the developing world.

The emphasis is on free and low-cost data, and on free or open-source software

Based on the author’s long experience of geological remote sensing in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Australia, the book includes

  • principles of remote sensing
  • main archive and operational sensor systems
  • basics of image processing applied to geology
  • integration of remote sensing into geological mapping and mineral exploration
  • uses of remote sensing in environmental monitoring and reporting
  • remote sensing for production and exploration intelligence
  • sources of imagery and other data
  • numerous links to other publications and free sources of information

The book uses examples from Africa, the Middle East and Australia, and will be linked to online courses in geological remote sensing with sample data-sets.

The book is now published through Amazon (Kindle), Barnes and Noble (Nook) and Kobo, and will shortly appear in Google Books. The book can be read on most e-readers and on tablets using free apps.

More information at calegg.com

(14 January 2014) EOMAP, a value-added service provider of satellite data was contracted by the Mexican National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) to deliver high resolution environmental information for the entire Maya coast.

This coastline extends 600 km south from the Yucatan Peninsula to the border of Belize. In total more than 5000 sq km of the marine environment, including ecosystems such as corals, seagrass and mangroves, were mapped in water depths down to 25 m.

“The fine-scale spatial information, derived for the entire coastline, will serve as the first baseline dataset of the Maya coast, and will help to understand and preserve the vulnerable ecosystems.” Said Dr. Thomas Heege, CEO of EOMAP GmbH & Co.

CONABIO is a permanent interdepartmental commission promoting, coordinating and carrying out activities aimed to increase awareness of biodiversity and its conservation and sustainable use. To fulfill its mission CONABIO relies on accurate and fine scale baseline maps for land and sea. For Mexico’s extended coastlines, traditional surveys were by far too time consuming and expensive and CONABIO therefore decided to use a satellite-based approach. In early 2012, EOMAP’s technology was applied for bathymetry and seafloor mapping, using the highest spatial multi-spectral resolution satellite data available (DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 eight-band sensor).

“EOMAP was selected because we have seen their satellite-derived, high resolution seafloor and bathymetry products in very successful, previous projects. The services and products delivered for the Mexican Maya coast are exceptional and will be fundamental in developing our seafloor habitat baseline. Such a baseline is critical in assessing short and long term impacts to the environment from both man-made and natural causes.” Said Dr. Rainer Ressl, Director Geomatics Department of CONABIO.

The project was completed in three phases: satellite data was first ordered and checked for its mapping feasibility, then EOMAP delivered spatial datasets of bathymetry and seafloor properties, and finally the validated habitat classification was performed.

“Mapping the seafloor habitats and bathymetric information for such extended areas is of growing interest for both environmental as well as engineering applications. Our algorithms are operational and standardized, enabling us to survey, map and monitor extended or inaccessible areas at a fraction of the cost of traditional survey methods,” said Dr. Magnus Wettle, Chief Scientist of EOMAP Asia Pacific.

EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG has been delivering satellite-derived bathymetry and seafloor habitat services worldwide for a growing number of customers in the oil and gas, engineering, environmental and hydrographic sectors.

About EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG

EOMAP is a leading commercial provider in satellite-derived information on aquatic systems. Clients range from governmental agencies to industrial offshore companies, with a focus on the oil and gas sector. Core services include satellite derived bathymetry surveys, environmental baseline and impact monitoring (including seafloor habitat mapping), and operational water quality monitoring in inland waters through to oceanic scales. Compared to traditional methods, EOMAP solutions provide significant benefits in terms of cost, turnaround time, study area accessibility and spatial as well as temporal coverage.

(source: EOMAP)

This solicitation seeks proposals focused on terrestrial benefit via Earth observations, atmospheric science, planetary science or remote sensing of space.

[SatNews] Remote sensing is a diverse and profitable field with top segments grossing into the billions.

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the nonprofit organization managing research aboard the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, today re-issued a solicitation for proposals in the field of remote sensing.

CASIS aims to both increase utilization of existing ISS hardware and to promote use of the station as a testbed for developing and improving new instrumentation.

The National Lab provides a premier vantage point from which to conduct studies of Earth. Its specific location in low Earth orbit make this platform advantageous; it covers 90 percent of Earth’s population, and imagery captured from station has improved spatial resolution and variable lighting when compared with many traditional Earth observation platforms. The introduction of this improved platform has great implications for the field of remote sensing.

Remote sensing is a diverse and profitable field with top segments grossing into the billions. Major segments include weather forecasting, right-of-way investigations, intelligence gathering, public health and agriculture. Industry experts indicate that the space station is well suited for use in right-of-way inspections, urban planning and forestry remote sensing applications; but it is not limited to these categories. Through access to the National Lab, CASIS provides a unique and affordable opportunity to advance the field of remote sensing and address unmet needs in many segments.

“This solicitation will take advantage of the unique vantage point from the ISS to observe and investigate our planet,” said CASIS Director of Portfolio Management, Warren Bates. “It will also provide researchers yet another opportunity to access our nation’s only orbiting laboratory while further diversifying CASIS’s portfolio of research capable of enhancing life on Earth.”

On November 18, 2013 CASIS suspended its original request for proposals (RFP) on remote sensing.

For additional information about this RFP, including instructions and information regarding remote sensing research, CASIS and the ISS please visit
Letters of Intent must be submitted electronically by 5pm EST on February 21, 2014 via the CASIS solicitations website page.

Source

(13 January 2014) Like thermometers in the sky, satellite instruments can measure the temperatures of Earth’s surfaces. ESA’s new GlobTemperature project is merging these data from a variety of spaceborne sensors to provide scientists with a one-stop shop for land, lake and ice temperature data.

Information on land surface temperature is a key parameter for studying the Earth system. It plays an important role in physical processes such as atmospheric convection and surface evaporation, biological processes like vegetation sensitivity to stress and to fire, and chemical processes such as emissions of gases from the surface to the atmosphere.

Long-term trends in surface temperature can also be an indicator of climate change.

Meteorologists and climate scientists rely heavily on air temperature measurements made using thermometers installed at ground-based weather stations despite the availability of satellite-derived measurements. This is mainly due to the complexity of the data from different satellite instruments, utilising both infrared and microwave data, and the variety of formats in which the data are made available.

It is also difficult to convert the satellite measurements of the temperature of the solid land surface to the commonly used air temperature. An example of this is the difference in temperature between hot tarmac and cooler grass on a summer’s day even at the same air temperature.

In addition, satellite data suffer from gaps due to cloud cover or provide limited sampling of the day/night temperature cycle.

To fill these gaps and better meet users’ needs for land surface temperature data, ESA recently initiated the GlobTemperature project under the Data User Element Programme.

GlobTemperature will merge surface temperature data from a variety of satellites into a common format which will be made available in a single online archive.

The data will come from instruments including SEVIRI on Europe’s MSG mission, AVHRR and IASI on MetOp, as well as American and Japanese instruments and from the upcoming Sentinel-3 mission. Archived data from the (A)ATSR instruments flown on the ERS and Envisat missions will also be included.

The new, global datasets developed under GlobTemperature will provide a more complete representation of day and night temperatures, including estimates of clear-sky versus cloudy sky biases.

Source

Hotel Novotel Lisboa, Lisbon. 13-14th February 2014. A two-day event bringing together users and experts to raise awareness of the benefits of Copernicus data and information, and providing attendees with the opportunity to participate in hands-on training and knowledge exchange activities.


EVENT OBJECTIVES

  • Raise and enhance the awareness of Copernicus data and information to new and existing users.
  • Demonstrate and provide hands- on training on how to access and
    use Copernicus data and information.
  • Bring together domain experts, experienced, and new users of Copernicus data and information, to share insights about current developments and opportunities.

EVENT OUTLINE

DAY ONE, Thursday 13th February

  • Users presenting and sharing their experiences on the use and uptake of Copernicus data and information.
  • European key speakers providing an overview on the current status of the Copernicus programme and how it can provide benefits to European societies.
  • Networking and poster session illustrating the practical uses of Copernicus data and information across four thematic areas: Emergency, Land, Marine and Atmosphere.
  • Panel discussions exploring opportunities and challenges in the use of Copernicus data and information.

DAY TWO, Friday 14th February

  • Four parallel hands-on half-day training workshops demonstrating the practical use and application of Copernicus data and information across the following thematic areas:
    • Emergency Management:Applications addressed include natural disasters, man-made emergency situations, and humanitarian crises
    • Land Monitoring: Applications addressed include agricultural monitoring, water availability monitoring, soil erosion monitoring, forestry monitoring, soil sealing and land take
    • Atmosphere Monitoring: Applications addressed include air quality monitoring including ozone, UV & solar energy, emissions, and climate forcing
    • Marine Monitoring: Applications addressed include marine environment monitoring (sea surface temperature, salinity), support of the Marine Strategy Frame

Open forum and plenary discussion summarising the main conclusions from the event.
For more details and to register
Portugal_programme
Lisbon_event_flyer

On 29 December 2013, UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced that the UAE will launch the first satellite fully built and manufactured in 2017 launching its executive phase.

Khalifa Sat will be build under the responsibility of the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST).

The website Emirate 247 quoted Sheikh Mohammed saying: ‘‘Khalifa Sat is a message to all Arabs that Arab ushering into the space era is neither out of reach nor impossible and our State will be a leader in this industry as long as we have the confidence and courage to enter into competition with major countries in this field.”

At EIAST, a powerful integrated national team of 45 high caliber engineers and experts are currently establishing advanced facilities and high-tech laboratories for building the satellite. EIAST has previously launched two satellites, DubaiSat 1 and DubaiSat 2, which marked a national milestone as they were the first remote sensing satellites to be fully-owned by a UAE entity.

Read more Emirate247