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Belgium, October 28, 2014: The European Commission and ESA have signed an agreement of over Euro3 billion to manage and implement the Copernicus ‘space component’ between 2014 and 2021. ESA will also act as the research and development agency for the next generation of Copernicus.

The Multiannual Financial Framework is a seven-year plan for the EU’s budget that includes the provision of about Euro4.3 billion for the Copernicus environment monitoring programme for the period 2014-20. Under the agreement, about Euro3.15 billion of the money for Copernicus within the Framework will be delegated to ESA as coordinator of the ‘space component’, including the operation of the Sentinel satellites until mid-2021 and the building of follow-on units, which should last at least until 2028-30.

The signing of the agreement also marks the transfer of ownership of Sentinel-1A to the EU. “The Copernicus programme is an excellent example of innovation and cooperation in Europe and the signature today marks a milestone in the cooperation between ESA and the EU,” said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA’s Director General.

The agreement comes just weeks after the first Copernicus satellite, Sentinel-1A, became operational following intense data quality testing and calibration during its commissioning phase.

Source: ESA

(Friday, 07 November 2014) Alain Ratier, Director-General of EUMETSAT and Philippe Brunet, Director of Aerospace, Maritime, Security and Defence Industries within the European Commission’s Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry, today signed the Agreement between the European Union and EUMETSAT on the implementation of the Copernicus Programme.

This follows the approval by the EUMETSAT Council of the Third Party Programme on EUMETSAT’s Copernicus activities on 15 October.

The agreement marks a key milestone for the Copernicus programme which entrusts EUMETSAT with important operational tasks and a related budget of 229 million Euro to support the implementation of the programme.

While the European Commission has overall responsibility for the Copernicus programme, defining priority areas of action, objective and strategies, EUMETSAT will provide key support for the implementation of the Copernicus space component and the Copernicus services.

Under the agreement, EUMETSAT will exploit the Jason-3 and Sentinel-3 oceanographic missions on behalf of the European Union, starting in 2015, in support of the Copernicus marine service. It will also prepare the Jason-3 follow-up mission and the Sentinel-6 high precision ocean altimetry mission.

As of 2020, EUMETSAT will fly the Copernicus Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 instruments on its Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) and Metop-Second Generation (Metop-SG) satellites. Based on the unique synergy between these Copernicus and the EUMETSAT instruments flown on both families of spacecraft, EUMETSAT will deliver integrated data services for the monitoring of atmospheric composition and forecasting of air quality.

The Copernicus programme will provide European decision makers, business and citizens with reliable, accurate and timely environmental information services in support of decision making needed to ensure the well-being and civil security of current and future generations of Europeans.

The EUMETSAT Director-General said: ”With this agreement we will capitalise on the synergy between EUMETSAT and Copernicus assets to deliver new integrated data services for the monitoring of ocean and atmospheric composition and create unique opportunities for users in the EU and EUMETSAT Member States.”

Director Brunet remarked: “We are glad to be able to conclude this landmark agreement with EUMETSAT. We really value the technical competence and experience of EUMETSAT’s staff to make Europe’s flagship space programme on Earth observation a success story which will serve society in many ways including by timely environmental monitoring as well as creating a thriving downstream sector.”

About EUMETSAT

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites is an intergovernmental organisation based in Darmstadt, Germany, currently with 30 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom) and one Cooperating State (Serbia).

EUMETSAT operates the geostationary satellites Meteosat-8, -9 and -10 over Europe and Africa, and Meteosat-7 over the Indian Ocean.

EUMETSAT also operates two Metop polar-orbiting satellites as part of the Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS) shared with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

EUMETSAT also exploits the Jason-2 ocean altimetry satellite in cooperation with NOAA, NASA and CNES, to monitor sea state, ocean currents and sea level change from space.

EUMETSAT is developing new satellite systems in cooperation with ESA and other partners to expand its portfolio of observations of the atmosphere, ocean and land surfaces in the 2020-2040 timeframe.

The data and products from EUMETSAT’s satellites are vital to weather forecasting and make a significant contribution to the monitoring of environment and the climate.

With almost 40 years of data, EUMETSAT’s data archives and services form an invaluable asset for climate monitoring and the understanding of climate change.

Media Relations EUMETSAT:
Tel: +49 6151 807 7320
Fax: +49 6151 807 7321
Email: press@eumetsat.int

(Nov 2014) A Russian-Ukrainian Dnepr RS-20B (SS-18 Satan) rocket successfully launched five Japanese satellites into orbit on Thursday, Nov. 6. The mission used a military missile conversion program and took place at 7:35 a.m. UTC from the Yasny Space Site in the Orenburg region of Russia. A representative for Kosmotras company, in charge of the program, said that the rocket was carrying an ASNARO-1 Earth observation satellite and four university-made micro-satellites for Japan.Roscosmos announced that initial telemetry suggests that mission was a success.


“The rocket has successfully put the space vehicles into orbit,” a spokesperson for the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Col. Igor Egorov said.

“With this launch the Strategic Missile Force confirmed effectiveness of training and smooth and concerted performance of the launch personnel and tested the reliability of the strategic missile force measurement complex, which is currently in the process of fundamental upgrade,” Egorov said.

The launch was executed by the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense with the support of the Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakhstan organizations, which are part of the ISC Kosmotras industrial team.

When all of the satellites were released, the third stage continued firing to move it away from the satellites to mark the successful completion of this Japanese Cluster launch. The launch was the 21st Dnepr mission, and the second of the year. It was likely the final Dnepr mission in 2014 with at least three missions scheduled for 2015.

The ASNARO satellite fleet was originally planned to launch atop Japan’s new Epsilon SmallSat Launch Vehicle, however, changes in schedule prompted the Japanese to purchase a Dnepr launch vehicle to deliver the first satellite in the series to orbit. Dnepr is one of the cheapest launch vehicles that are currently flying offering a payload capability of up to 4,500 Kilograms to low-Earth orbit.

Four micro-satellites that were also launched Thursday are in the 50-Kilogram weight class, namely ChubuSat-1, Hodoyoshi-1, TSUBAME and Qsat-EOS – all dedicated to various technical demonstrations, Earth observation and scientific studies.

The Dnepr program, established by Russia and Ukraine in the 1990s, converts military RS-20 ICBMs into carrier rockets to put satellites into low Earth orbit. The program uses missiles withdrawn from combat duty, solving the problem of their elimination.

Dnepr is a R-36M missile also known as SS-18 Satan that was stationed all across the Soviet Union starting in 1966, outfitted with multiple warheads and independent re-entry vehicles. After the end of the cold war and the fall of the Soviet Union, a portion of the R-36 fleet was modified to become Space Launch Vehicles.

Technical maintenance of rockets used to be carried out by Ukrainian specialists, before Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ordered a moratorium on military-industrial cooperation with Russia in June over the armed conflict in Donbas.

This article originally appeared on Astro Watch and can be viewed here: SATAN
Source

(28 October 2014) As part of the preparations for the Sentinel-5 Precursor air-quality monitoring mission, scientists teamed up in Romania recently to test different airborne systems that will be used to ensure this new satellite delivers accurate measurements of pollutants in the air we breathe.

The World Health Organization estimates that around 3.7 million people died prematurely in 2012 as a result of being exposed to outdoor air pollution.

With air pollution now the world’s largest single environmental health risk, it has never been more important to monitor the air we breathe.

Governments and bodies such as the World Health Organization rely heavily on satellite data and computer models showing how pollution drifts in the air so that they can develop appropriate mitigation strategies.

Planned to be launched in 2016, Sentinel-5P will provide timely data on a multitude of trace gases and aerosols affecting air quality and the climate. The mission will also pinpoint pollution hotspots where public health could be at risk.

It is the first Sentinel satellite dedicated to monitoring the atmosphere for Europe’s Copernicus programme – the largest environmental monitoring initiative in the world.

As with any Earth observation mission, it is important to make sure satellite instruments deliver accurate data and that this information can be used easily.

This usually involves developing similar sensors that take measurements from aircraft – but they, too, have to be tested. Importantly, airborne instruments are also used to validate data once the satellites are in orbit.

The recent Airborne Romanian Measurements of Aerosols and Trace Gases, Aromat, campaign drew scientists from eight European institutes to Bucharest to test new airborne systems dedicated to validating satellite air-quality measurements.

Coordinated by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, BIRA, on behalf of ESA, the campaign tested sensors such as the University of Bremen’s AirMap, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute’s nitrogen dioxide sonde and BIRA’s small whiskbroom imager for trace gases monitoring.

Romania is a relatively new ESA Member State and this is the first Earth observation campaign to be carried out in the country. Notably, the Romanian University of Galati, the National Institute of Aerospace Research and the National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics took part.

In addition, the exercise served to prepare forthcoming intercomparison validation campaigns that may also be carried out in Romania.

Two sites were chosen: Bucharest, a large urban environment with a lot of emissions from traffic – the image above clearly shows the large cloud of nitrogen dioxide emitted from the city, and the Jiu Valley where the large Turceni and Rovinari power stations generate localised plumes.

A Cessna-207 research aircraft, which logged 50 hours of flight, weather balloons and two kinds of unmanned aircraft carried a range of sensors to measure the distribution of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and aerosols. Measurements were also taken from instruments on the ground for comparison.

The multitude of measurements, which are now being analysed, will form an important dataset to help assess the quality of the data from Sentinel-5P.

As its name suggests, Sentinel-5 Precursor is the forerunner of the Sentinel-5 instrument that will be carried on the MetOp Second Generation satellites expected to be operational in 2021.

Since air pollution is an immediate concern, Sentinel-5P is crucial for monitoring and forecasting global air quality, and for arming decision-makers with important information to support policy making until Sentinel-5 takes over.

(source: ESA)

(30 October 2014) Sentinel-2A is in the middle of an extensive testing programme to make sure this land-monitoring satellite is fit for launch next spring.

As well as being shaken and stressed, engineers have also checked that it will separate from the rocket for its life in orbit.

Sentinel-2A is the next of ESA’s satellites dedicated to Europe’s environmental monitoring Copernicus programme.

It carries a state-of-the art high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands which, along with the satellite’s wide swath of 290 km and frequent revisit times, will provide unprecedented views of Earth’s land and vegetation.

To make sure this precious new satellite reaches orbit to deliver vital information for a range of applications that include monitoring plant growth and mapping changes in land cover, it has to be thoroughly tested before it is shipped to French Guiana for launch on a Vega rocket.

Since August, the Sentinel-2A satellite has been at IABG’s testing facilities near Munich in Germany where it has already been put through numerous functional and mechanical checks.

The latest round has focused on ensuring that it can withstand the noise and vibrations of liftoff and the shocks generated by the separation from the rocket.

This involved joining the satellite to a launch adapter and a model of Vega’s upper stage to check that they fit together as they should. The engineers also joined the umbilical connectors as part of this fit check.

In an acoustic chamber, two simultaneous explosions made sure the satellite will be able to withstand the shock when the rocket’s fairing is released shortly after the launch.

As the video above shows, a further test simulated the shock of separation when the satellite is released into orbit.

The Sentinel mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites that are being developed in parallel. Sentinel-2B, which will be launched on a Rockot from Russia, will join Sentinel-2A in orbit in 2016.

That means a similar separation test was also carried out using a model of the Rockot adapter.

Prior to these important tests, engineers have also carried out a ‘light-tightness test’ to check that no light can enter the cavity holding the multispectral instrument. They also filled the fuel tank with 133 kg of fluid to stress its interfaces as in flight.

The satellite was then placed on a shaker to simulate the worst possible conditions during transportation and launch. In addition, the powerful sound system available in IABG’s acoustic chamber, replicated the very high sound pressure levels that will be experienced by the satellite during liftoff and its journey into orbit.

Paolo Laberinti, ESA’s Sentinel-2A Assembly, Integration and Test Manager, commented, “All these stringent tests have, so far, run very smoothly.

“Thanks to Airbus Defence and Space and IABG’s expertise, we can look forward confidently to the next phase of activities that will take us to the end of the year.

“The next round will include the full deployment of the solar panels, a check on the satellite’s alignment and the removal of the accelerometers prior to transferring the satellite to a thermal vacuum chamber where it will be exposed to harsh conditions that simulate the environment of space.”

The final Qualification and Acceptance Review will be held in March, before ESA gives permission to ship the satellite to French Guiana for launch.

(source: ESA)

The European Commission and Europe’s data industry have committed to invest €2.5 billion in a public-private partnership (PPP) that aims to strengthen the data sector and put Europe at the forefront of the global data race.


Mastering big data could mean:

  • up to 30% of the global data market for European suppliers
  • 100,000 new data-related jobs in Europe by 2020
  • 10% lower energy consumption, better health-care outcomes and more productive industrial machinery

A Memorandum of Understanding to set up the PPP on big data will be signed today by European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes and President of the Big Data Value Association, Jan Sundelin, who acts on behalf of companies including ATOS, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Orange, SAP, SIEMENS, and research bodies such as Fraunhofer and the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence. The EU has earmarked over €500 million of investment over 5 years (2016-2020) from Horizon 2020 which private partners are expected to match at least four times over (€2 billion).

@NeelieKroesEU said “Data is the motor and foundation of the future economy. Every kind of organisation needs the building blocks to boost their performance, from farm to factory, from the lab to the shop floor.”

The PPP will help focus public, private and academic research efforts to support research and innovation in game-changing big data ideas in fields such as energy, manufacturing and health to deliver services like personalised medicine, food logistics and predictive analytics. By implementing its Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda and concentrating Horizon 2020 support on common priorities, the PPP will strengthen Europe’s big data community and help lay the foundations for the thriving data-driven economy of the future. The PPP will also support “Innovation Spaces” that will offer secure environments for experimenting with both private and open data. These will also act as business incubators and hubs for the development of skills and best practices.

The PPP, due to start on 1 January 2015, is one of the first outcomes of the European Commission’s recent policy and action plan accelerate the development of Europe’s data-driven economy (see IP/14/769 andMEMO/14/455).

Background

Every single minute, the world generates 1.7 million billion bytes of data, equal to 360,000 DVDs. This works out at over 6 megabytes of data for each person every day. This information comes from many different sources like people, machines or sensors. This could be climate information, satellite imagery, digital pictures and videos, transaction records or GPS signals.

As a result, the data sector is growing by 40% per year, 7 times quicker than the overall information and communications market. Businesses that build their decision-making processes on knowledge generated from data see a 5‑6% increase in productivity. Big data is already helping us speed up the diagnosis of brain injuries, orforecast crop yields in developing countries. Global big data technology and services will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the coming years.

While big data presents great opportunities, it is also challenging: today’s datasets are so huge and complex to process that they require new ideas, tools and infrastructures. It also requires the right legal framework, systems and technical solutions to ensure that ensure privacy and security.

The Data PPP complements eight existing Public-Private Partnerships under Horizon 2020, for example on Photonics, Robotics, High Performance Computing, Advanced 5G networks for the Future Internet and Factories of the Future. These all address strategic technologies that will underpin growth and jobs in key sectors of a knowledge-based European economy, while targeting significant societal challenges.

Organisation of the PPP

The Data PPP is a partnership between the European Commission and the Big Data Value Association, a non-profit, industry-led organisation whose members include ATC, IT Innovation, IBM, SINTEF, University of Bologna (CINI), Polytechnical University of Madrid, NOKIA Solutions and Networks, THALES, University of Duisburg Essen, Siemens, SAP, Engineering, TIE Kintetx, ANSWARE, Software AG, Orange, Atos, INDRA, ITI, VTT, Fraunhofer, DERI, and the Technical University of Berlin. The association is open for additional companies and research organisations to join.

More information

Frequently asked questions: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Big Data (MEMO/14/583)

Making Big Data Work for Europe

Communication: Towards a thriving data-driven economy

See more at

(September 2014 ©ESA) Imaging Earth’s land with unprecedented speed and resolution has come another step closer as the next Sentinel satellite has been given its solar wing and started a strenuous six-month test campaign to make sure that it is fit for launch next April.

Sentinel-2A is the next of ESA’s suite of satellites to be launched for Europe’s Copernicus programme – the largest Earth monitoring programme in the world.

This new satellite carries a multispectral imager to deliver an unprecedented combination of spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, along with systematic coverage of land and coastal areas.

With a growing global population in mind, the mission will provide key information to optimise crop yield, thereby helping to improve food security. Data will also be used to measure leaf area index, leaf chlorophyll and leaf water content to monitor plant growth. This will support effective crop management during the growing season.

As well as monitoring vegetation growth, the mission can be used to generate land-cover maps and to monitor the world’s forests. It will also provide information on pollution in lakes and coastal waters. Images of floods, volcanic eruptions and landslides will also be offered to respond to disasters and help humanitarian relief efforts.

Since users need this information as fast as possible, the satellite also carries a laser to transmit data to the European Data Relay System, EDRS, for fast delivery to Earth. EDRS is a network of ground stations and multiple satellites in geostationary orbit designed for relaying data.

Engineers at Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen, Germany, spent the summer carefully equipping the satellite with its state of-the-art multispectral imager and putting it all through a comprehensive set of functional and performance tests.

With this major milestone ticked off, the satellite was shipped to IABG in Ottobrunn in early August and now started a comprehensive range of tests.

Over the next six months it will be put through a wide range of mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic checks before it is shipped to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana for launch on a Vega rocket.

One of the first steps was to carefully connect the three-panel solar array to the satellite. This painstaking process took three days and was done on a special zero-g rig to simulate the absence of gravity. The wing was opened and tested with light to make sure it will generate the correct power for the satellite once in space.
Sentinel-2 brings land into focus

In addition, the satellite’s mass, centre of gravity and ‘moment of inertia’ have been accurately determined. This is important for the launch and for the satellite’s release into orbit around Earth.

Over the next months, tests will be carried out to check the satellite’s interfaces with the rocket and to make sure that it can withstand the noise and vibrations during liftoff.

As part of preparing for the mission, ground system validation and commission activities are currently ongoing. The final Qualification and Acceptance Review will be held in February, before ESA gives permission to ship the satellite to French Guiana for launch.

Since Sentinel-2 is designed as a two-satellite mission, the Sentinel-2B satellite, which will launch about 15 months after Sentinel-2A, is also being developed in parallel.

Source

There are dozens of emerging space nations around the world seeking to capitalize on dramatic increases in space technology accessibility. We take a look at one such nation, the United Arab Emirates, exploring the opportunities and challenges they face on the road to achieving space capability.

Entry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into the Space Age occurred in the 1990s prompted by an interest in enhancing national capacity to effectively create, use, and exploit space science technologies and applications. In 2006, a UAE government decree by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, established the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST). The step signalled the nation’s commitment to developing excellence within the space industry. EIAST was established as part of a strategic initiative to promote scientific innovation and space technology advancement, and to inspire sustainable development in the UAE. American astronaut Buzz Aldrin, speaking at the April 2014 Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi, expressed his opinion that the UAE will play a role in the next stage of space exploration as the country’s industry moves from being government policy-driven to commercial development-driven.

Dubai’s Satellites

EIAST became the first Dubai government entity to own an Earth observation satellite in orbit when DubaiSat-1 was launched in July 2009, following three years of joint development between EIAST and South Korea-based Satrec Initiative (SI). In developing DubaiSat-1, EIAST’s goal was to engage in a scientific knowledge and technology transfer program to jumpstart the institute’s satellite projects. DubaiSat-1 was followed by another three-year joint development of a more advanced imaging Earth observation spacecraft, DubaiSat-2, launched into orbit in November 2013. During its development, EIAST engineers took the lead to design mission requirements and develop a higher imaging resolution system and advanced components, supported by South Korean experts.

Both satellites have a 5-year design life and are currently nominally operational in their orbits. Launched from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan aboard the Dnepr vehicle of the Russian International Space Company Kosmotras in Moscow on 29 July 2009, DubaiSat-1 flies in a descending Sun-synchronous near-circular orbit (North to South), at 686-km altitude above the Earth’s surface, and goes round the Earth about sixteen times a day. DubaiSat-2 flies in an ascending Sun-synchronous near-circular orbit (South to North), at 600-km altitude, with about 8-day effective revisit time for any ground location with spacecraft body-pointing capability. The altitudes, orbits, and revisit times allow both satellites to work well in constellation and give a better coverage of the UAE.

In March 2014, the EIAST team started conceptualization of its third and most technologically advanced Earth imaging satellite DubaiSat-3, dubbed KhalifaSat after the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Projected for launch in 2017, KhalifaSat will be one of the smallest satellites in the world capable of providing sub-meter images. The project is the culmination of a three-step approach intended to achieve full capabilities, knowledge, facilities, and research ability to develop advanced satellite missions by Emirati scientists and engineers on UAE soil. When launched, the success of KhalifaSat would represent a shift in UAE’s economy from being dependent on importing space technologies to in-house development.

Building Indigenous Capability

EIAST is made up of a core team of 27 Emeriti engineers who are working to position their country as a player in the global space industry. Amer Mohammed Al Sayegh, an aerospace engineer, is Senior Director of Space Systems Development Department at EIAST. He joined the institute in 2005, participated in its knowledge transfer program, and remains a key figure in the development of EIAST satellite projects. Sayegh contributed to the development of the Attitude Control System for DubaiSat-1, managed system-level engineering, and developed an agile Attitude Control System for DubaiSat-2. He is currently the Project Manager for the KhalifaSat project. Space Safety Magazine contacted Eng. Amer Al Sayegh to get some insight into EIAST development since 2006.

Observing UAE

Structural photo of the 200-Kg DubaiSat-1 imaging microsatellite, a cylindrical body of hexagonal shape, showing two of its three deployable solar panels in manufacturing room of Satrec Initiative, Daejeon, South Korea (Credits: EIAST).

For decades, developed countries have relied on satellite-based services to support informed decision making processes, policy implementation, and compliance monitoring in all sectors of society. “EIAST civil land imaging spacecraft is increasingly successful and could soon become popular because it is a proven policy instrument and access to space capabilities is affordable,” says Sayegh. “The need for scientific data and images as leveraging instruments in monitoring compliance of social, economic, and security policies is one of the reasons why Earth observation is EIAST’s primary mission of choice.” The UAE Government invests primarily in EIAST Earth observation projects, although other satellite applications are part of the institute’s space project portfolio.

To illustrate how EIAST’s Earth observation is yielding short term benefits, Sayegh asserts that imaging instruments on DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2 are being used “to protect forests, plan urban growth, harness water resources, manage coastal zones, plan and manage crises.” The DubaiSat-1 imaging system had recorded more than 10,000 images of the globe as of December 2012. Using the images, analysts can zoom into selected areas worldwide and identify car-sized objects at almost any time, similar to the resolution of images typically seen on Google Maps.

“DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2 images are used, for example, to make study cases of the continuous development that is happening in the city of Dubai; we provide regular images to developers to monitor the progress of their projects,” Sayegh relates. “DubaiSat-1 images were used by governments and organizations in making decisions to provide emergency services and to monitor crises including the 2010 floods in Pakistan, 2010 Chilean mine collapse, and 2011 Japanese tsunami”; although UAE is not yet a member of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, an international stature only available through satellites. Sayegh’s perspective concurs with the established view that Earth observation missions enhance socio-economic development of countries, with benefits for user populations, various industry sectors, education, and research.

Source

Iran, October 6, 2014: Delivering his address at the World Space Week in Tehran on October 4, Deputy Head of Iran Space Agency (ISA) Hamid Fazeli announced that Iran plans to launch three new satellites with indigenously-designed carriers into the space in the near future.


“The launching of satellites such as Sharif Sat, Zafar (Triumph), Tolou (Sunrise) and Pars with powerful locally-designed carriers in the near future is on the agenda,” said Hamid Fazeli on Sunday.

Zafar is a monitoring satellite, which will be sent into a geostationary orbit that is a circular orbit around 36,000 kilometers (22,320 miles) above the Earth’s equator. The satellite will reportedly have a lifespan of one year and six months, and will capture images and transmit them to stations on earth. Tolou satellite will also carry out remote sensing and topography missions, and will travel in an orbit of 500 kilometres above the Earth’s equator. Fazeli also noted that Iran is among the five emerging states active in this sector and that many countries are following Iran’s lead in their space programmes. He added that mastering the technology for geosynchronous satellites, localising, designing and launching of telecommunications and remote-sensing satellites as well as establishing launch pads and telemetry stations are among other priorities of the ISA. Source: PressTV

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(October 2014) ‘The Size and Health of the UK Space Industry’ reveals that the sector continues to soar and is currently worth £11.3 billion to the UK economy, growing at over 7% per year, employing over 34,000 people and supporting a further 65,000 jobs in other sectors.

Speaking at the Royal Aeronautical Society Strategic Choices for Space – President’s Conference 2014, Minister for Universities, Science and Cities Greg Clark announced the publication of the report and said:

The UK space sector makes an impressive contribution to the UK economy and has consistently done so over the last decade, virtually doubling in size in financial terms since 2006. These figures show that the UK is well placed to meet our ambitious target of 10 per cent of the global space market by 2030. Co-operation between the public and private sector is the foundation for this continued success.

‘The Size and Health of the UK Space Industry’ allows the UK Space Agency to track the progress of the sector and serves as a metric against its ambitions and the targets set in the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy. The latest figures reflect well on the past two years of strategic investment by government in key technological innovations.

Through strategic investment, improved policy and stronger collaboration in areas with the potential for further growth and high economic return, The UK Space Agency is working to build a supportive environment for the commercial space sector and enabling the UK to fully exploit a growing market for space data and technologies.

The size and health of the UK space industry report 2014

***

Introduction

Since 1992, the UK Space Agency1 has periodically surveyed organisations in the UK that supply, or make use of, the space sector. The objectives of the survey are to:
• establish the industry’s general size and health;
• inform industry and the Government of the day
• promote the UK space sector overseas;
• provide an input into the formulation of UK space policy; and
• track progress towards the policy objectives (e.g. The Space
Innovation and Growth Strategy 2014-30).

The series of studies, entitled the Size and Health of the UK Space Industry, provide a historically consistent series of observations on the state of the UK space industry, and thus represent a unique resource for assessing developments in the industry. The UK Space Agency commissioned London Economics to conduct the 2014 version of the study, covering 2011/12 and 2012/13, and this document presents an Executive Summary of the main findings.

The study has historically focused on the space industry, split into upstream and downstream segments. However, reflecting a growing belief that this definition of the industry is too narrow to capture the sector’s future growth, particularly with reference to space-enabled applications, the 2014 analysis reflects three discrete segments of the space economy: upstream space industry (infrastructure and technology), downstream space industry (direct space services) and the wider space economy (space-enabled value- added applications).

The cornerstone of the research is an industrial survey, sent to over a thousand organisations in the UK. Reflecting the expanded space economy definition, the invitee count was increased substantially with a key focus on the industry supply chain (e.g. microelectronics firms) and the wider space economy (e.g. space-enabled value-added service providers). The survey results were supplemented by additional targeted stakeholder consultations, desk-based research of publicly available data sources and a statistical model to estimate inputs for non-responding organisations. The survey questionnaire was based on previous years’ surveys and thus ensures a high level of comparability over time – a crucial feature of the study.

With the expanded list of invitees, the definition of the space economy differs from that of the space industry used in previous editions of the study. The quantitative results presented in the report pertain to the space industry to preserve the consistency of the historical data series. 464 invited organisations were deemed to be in the space industry.

The estimates are based on 303 companies, which either – responded to the survey, were estimated from previous responses, use of statutory annual accounts, or as part of the group of organisations that fall below the statutory reporting threshold. The UK space industry ranges from international market leaders with subsidiaries all over the world, to UK subsidiaries of international companies, on to start-ups and small enterprises.