Editorial
EARSC Offers more to its Members!
The last few weeks have been highly significant in the development of the EARSC. On 13th March, we moved into an office for the first time in our 27 year history!! It became a necessity due to the second major change – all in the same week – where we have recruited 2 new persons to work for EARSC so that we are now 5 in total. Emmanuel Pajot and Natassa Antoniou have joined us to drive our programmes on the Marketplace Alliance and a much stronger Market Development programme. We are very pleased to add their skills to those of Mónica, Ariane and myself and to deliver even more value for our members.
I am often asked about what EARSC offers for a company considering to become a member. The answer is that it depends on the company and what they are searching for as different companies get different benefits from being members of the Association.
Issue Spring 2017
Apply to EARSC European EO product award 2017
Following the great success of the EARSC EO Company of the year award, we decided in 2016 to launch a new award for the EO Product of the year. This attracted strong competition with the final award winner being “Rocket in your Pocket” by Jeobrowser. The award is open again for 2017 and you are invited to submit your entry which this year will focus on products supporting the SDGs.
Boosting the market for EO services in the digital economy workshop on 25 January 2017
The event, organised by EARSC with the support of ESA, took place on 25 January 2017 from 10:30 to 16:30, at the Royal Library of Belgium.
EARSC at 2nd GEO Data Providers workshop (20th-21st April 2017, Florence, Italy)
EARSC will be presenting its view on Developing Engagement between GEO and the Private Sector at the Second GEO Data Providers workshop .
EARSC has moved into its new office at 26, Rue de la Loi, 1040 Brussels [Arts Loi metro station]. View on map
EARSC has joined the ELAN Network
In the last ELAN Network Membership Committee celebrated in December 2016, EARSC was accepted as member of ELAN Network.
EARSC mission to Japan on 15-16 February 2017
EARSC together with 3 member companies – Airbus D&S, GMV and e-GEOS participated in the S-NET 4th Sectorial Meeting “EO ✕ Data Platform” in Tokyo on 15 February 2017. The event showed growing interest in Japan for consolidating EO and IT. The following day, Japan Space Systems (JSS) organised the first EARSC-JSS Joint EO & IT Seminar to give an opportunity for the two industries to come together and exchange ideas from fresh perspectives.
The workshop “Improving EO services industry involvement in EU space programmes and initiatives” organised by EARSC with the support of the European Commission will take place on 26 April 2017 from 9:30 to 17:00 at Breydel Auditorium in DG-GROW in Brussels .
Statistics on the EO Services Industry
The EO sector is changing rapidly with vast new data sets becoming available, cloud computing and big-data technology being deployed and many new initiatives being launched.
Interview
Interview with Mr. Hisanobu Takayama, Director General, Japan Space Systems (J-Spacesystems)
Japan Space Systems is a non-profit, general foundation corporation, and we were formed after the merger of 3 non-profit R&D organizations related to space under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
Industry Profile
TERRASIGNA – the world seen from above
TERRASIGNA is a leading global provider of customized Geo-Information services. The company offers flexible, faster and economic solutions for deep exploration, understanding or control of highly complex systems or natural phenomena.
Coastal life, a better understanding
Besides the huge touristic potential of the area, the Romanian seaside represents a complex and vivid environment, a unique interlacing between wild and protected life, traditional rural lifestyle and economic development.
Member News
200 activations of the Emergency Management Service
(March 2017) 200 is the number of the activations reached from the Emergency Management Service.
Adding a Time Axis to Maps—Introducing Planet Explorer Beta
On March 10, 2017, Planet released Planet Explorer Beta, an online tool that lets users browse geospatial data through time and see change across the globe. In short, Planet has introduced a time axis to maps.
The AgriCLASS Sectoral Information System (SIS) is a proof of concept study lead by Telespazio VEGA UK for the Copernicus Climate Change service.
Airbus boosts its capacity in the agricultural sector with European Sentinel satellites
Toulouse, 3 March 2017 – Airbus broadens the range of sensors used in its agricultural services, Farmstar and Fodder Production Index, with the Sentinel 2A and Sentinel 3A satellites of the European Copernicus programme. This improves the level of availability and enhances the quality of both services, with farmers reaping the benefits.
Airbus Partners with Bird.i for Easy Access to Fresh Earth Observation Imagery
Toulouse, 27/02/2017: Airbus Defence and Space has closed a partnership agreement with Bird.i, a global platform for accessing the world’s best satellite, airborne and drone imagery. Objective of the partnership is to allow real-time on-line visualisation of Airbus Defence and Space freshest Pléiades and SPOT satellite images, and support the development of new applications and services across a wide range of related analytics markets.
Astrosat fights back against illegal logging
(05 April 2017) The blight of illegal timber removal from fragile rainforest systems in Guatemala could be alleviated by a “CCTV in the sky” being developed by Scottish-based, internationally-operating space services and management company Astrosat .
Automatic coherence workflow with Geo4i
In order to meet internal needs, and after a long period of R&D, Geo4i is pleased to announce the implementation of an image processing tool, into its geospatial platform, in order to produce automatically radar coherence maps.
Agricultural operations work on thin margins, and conventional field inspection methods are time consuming and inefficient.
DHI GRAS Project "Wetlands Monitoring with Earth Observation Data" Selected by GEO Secretariat
GEO Secretariat helped the GEO community to organize and respond to the Call for Collaborative Data Innovations launched by the Global Partnership on Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) and the World Bank last year.
(February 13, 2017) WESTMINSTER, Colo.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—DigitalGlobe, Inc. (NYSE: DGI), the global leader in Earth imagery and information about our changing planet, announced a partnership with Esri and Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), which will enable Esri users to access DigitalGlobe’s 17-year, time-lapse library of high-resolution satellite imagery and the analytical and deep learning tools needed to unlock actionable insights from that imagery at scale.
Ottobrunn, 17/02/2017 – Airbus Defence and Space, the world’s second largest space company, has signed a contract with Space Administration at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to develop and build all components of the German contribution to the German-French Earth observation mission MERLIN. MERLINwill measure the methane content of Earth’s atmosphere to improve our understanding of global warming
e-GEOS signs a multi-year contract in China with Vastitude
e-GEOS, a joint venture between Telespazio (80%) and the Italian Space Agency (20%), and Beijing Vastitude Technology, Chinese company active in the field of remote sensing and geo-information, have signed a multi-year agreement for the distribution in China of satellite data and related operational services generated by the Italian COSMO-SkyMed constellation.
Earth-i Ready to Develop the Australian Earth Observation Marketplace
(Guildford, UK, March 2017) Earth-i, the innovative British distributor of earth observation imagery and services, is following up their successful tender award from the Government of Queensland by supporting the upcoming International Symposium on Digital Earth & Locate 17 Conference which will be held in Sydney from 3rd to 6th of April 2017.
Elecnor Deimos will provide a High Resolution Imagery Reception System to Ukraine
(22 March 2017) The system will be based on gs4EO, the ground segment product suite fully developed by Elecnor Deimos for the operations and exploitation of Deimos-2.
ESA Leads the Way to Further Democratize GeoData and GeoServices Use for R&D
( 11 April 2017) The European Space Agencyannounces opening of a new Earth Observation (EO) data hosted-processing facility ran by ESA and hosted by CloudEO , a Munich-based start-up company, which will be managing this service for ESA on the EOhopS portal . This free offer is limited to R&D users from academia and industries.
European Space Imaging starts commercial distribution of WorldView-4 satellite imagery in Europe
Munich, 18/04/2017
A new ground station and a unique 30 cm satellite constellation enable
unprecedented capabilities
(Munich, 21/02/17) The Munich-based company has been awarded another major supply contract for VHRsatellite data and services to support checks within the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
(Munich, 31 January 2017) A European consortium coordinated by GAF AG has been selected to implement the research project “Evolution of Copernicus Land Services based on Sentinel data” (ECoLaSS) under the Horizon2020 Space call EO-3-2016. Focusing on Sentinel time series data, the project will explore innovative future Copernicus Land service products of the continental and global Land component and demonstrate pre-operational prototypes thereof.
GAF AG presents IAP Efficiency Management Project at ESA Council
(Munich, 17 March 2017) GAF has presented the results of the project “European-wide Mobility, Safety and Efficiency Management for Logistics Enterprises” at the ESA Council in Paris.
GAF team to provide technical assistance to GMES & Africa Support Programme
(Munich, 24 February 2017) GAF AG is pleased to announce the award of the “GMES and Africa Support Programme Technical Assistance Team” service contract by the European Commission. The services consist of the provision of support and consulting to the African Union Commission (AUC), which is coordinating the GMES & Africa initiative.
GeoVille and Sinergise kick off the H2020 EO VAS project
(1st March 2017) A new project, bringing an even better value to Copernicus data, has started today. GeoVille is excited about the potential of the “Earth Observation Value Adding Services (EO VAS)” project and the cooperation with Sinergise – a GIS IT company situated in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
GeoVille launched LandMonitoring.Earth
(27 March 2017) GeoVille put together 20 years of experience and launched a new land monitoring system for automatic Land Cover mapping built on Sentinel data streams fulfilling multi-user application requirements.
GIM signed new partnership agreements with SI Imagery Services and InterMap
(27 March 2017) GIM extends its satellite imagery portfolio with SI Imagery Services (KOMPSAT) and InterMap’s Digital Elevation Models.
GISAT develops Snow portal within the eartH2Observe project
The aim of the portal is to support analyses and assessment of the usability of different types of optical satellite imagery for the snow monitoring purposes.
Hisdesat Commits Launch of PAZ Satellite to SpaceX
(MADRID, Spain – March 7th, 2017) Hisdesat , the Spanish government satellite services company, has signed an agreement with U.S. company SpaceX to launch the Earth Observation Radar satellite, PAZ, on board a Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is targeted to take place during the last quarter of 2017, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Isdefe confirms its commitment to innovation by taking part in the CLOSEYE Project
The Director General of the Civil Guard, José Manuel Holgado, closed out the CLOSEYE Project on 23 February 2017 in Málaga.
KSAT and Astro Digital team up to revolutionize the collection and delivery of big data
(7 february 2017) The recent partnership between Norway’s KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services) and Silicon Valley’s Astro Digital will forever transform how Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites deliver big data from space. Fast-growing SmallSat companies will be the most immediate beneficiaries.
(from KONGSBERG Blog published on 28 mars 2017 by Hege Skryseth) Finally, the day is here, the day we have been looking forward to and working towards since 2014. Kognifai is here.
On Lithuania formally joining the Copernicus user club
In January of 2017, the National Land Service of Lithuania under the Ministry of Agriculture hosted a formal hearing about a Copernicus Sentinel feasibility study. The results of the study were highly favourable for the Sentinel products and were positively evaluated by experts. As a result, it was formally decided to develop a national archive of production-ready Sentinel imagery with open access for the public and to start using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 products at a national level for all geospatial applications related to agriculture, forestry and environment protection.
Pixalytics Supporting Uganda’s Farmers
Copied from Pixalytics’ blog posted on 29 March 2017
Planet Launches Satellite Constellation to Image the Whole Planet Daily
(February 2017) Planet successfully launched 88 Dove satellites to orbit, the largest satellite constellation ever to reach orbit. This is not just a launch (or a world record, for that matter!); for our team this is a major milestone
Planet launches satellite constellation to image the whole planet daily
On February 14, 2017, Planet successfully launched 88 Dove satellites—the largest satellite constellation ever to reach orbit. This is not just a launch (or a world record, for that matter,) for Planet this is a major milestone. With these satellites in orbit, Planet will reach its Mission 1: the ability to image all of Earth’s landmass every day.
Planetek Italia Joins Deimos Imaging Reseller Network
Planetek Italia is very glad to announce that is now an authorized distributor of Deimos Imaging, high-resolution world imagery solutions to customers in Italy.
ReSAC and partners in mapping of freshwater and marine ecosystems and their services in Bulgaria
ReSAC together with partners from Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem research (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) Bulgaria and Club “Economika 2000” are finalizing the project “Freshwater ecosystem services mapping and assessment in Bulgaria (FEMA), Contr. Д-33-87/27.08.2015”.
SCISYS builds the Payload Operations Centre for the Merlin climate mission
(17 February 2017) In line with the start of the next phase in the French-German MERLIN climate mission, SCISYS has received a contract from Airbus DS GmbHfor the realisation of the Payload Operations Centre (PLOC) for the LIDAR instrument on the MERLINsatellite.
Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 Data Now Available on the Planet Platform
On February 8, 2017, Planet announced the integration of Landsat 8 and Copernicus Sentinel-2 data into their data pipeline and software platform.
Simularity and Spacemetric Team to Improve Anomaly Detection
13 March 2017 Spacemetric and Artificial Intelligence experts Simularity are partnering to improve pinpointing of significant changes in huge volumes of digital imagery.
(Ljubljana, Slovenia, March 15, 2017) Sinergise has launched a free satellite imagery visualisation tool – EO Browser – developed in close cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA). EO Browser has been launched at the World Cover conference at ESA, ESRIN in Frascati, Italy.
SpaceDataHighway to add third node for global coverage
(by Tereza Pultarova — March 15, 2017) LONDON — Airbus will add a third node to the European Data Relay System (EDRS) constellation of satellites that use laser links to download live imagery from Earth-observation satellites and provide military communications that are virtually impossible to intercept. – See more at: http://spacenews.com/spacedatahighway-to-add-third-node-for-global-coverage/#sthash.KwgPk3D9.dpuf
Spacemetric selects Interoute's cloud to manage space data
London, 29 March 2017 – Interoute, owner operator of a global cloud services platform and one of Europe’s largest and most advanced networks, has been selected by Spacemetric to support its data storage and distribution needs. Spacemetric is a Swedish software company which streamlines the transformation of raw data from satellite and airborne sensors into imagery products ready for analytics.
Successful demonstration of using Sentinel 1 & 2 in support of Common Agricultural Policy in Denmark
(07 April 2017) DHI GRAS successfully demonstrated the integrated use of the new Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2 satellites for Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in Denmark.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service
Understanding our planet and the impact of climate change: a vexing question for several years now. How is Europe actually facing climate change and its impact? To take necessary actions and measurements, policymakers and public authorities need reliable and up-to-date information. Information on how our planet and climate are changing. This is why the European Union set up the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The Debut of Kognifai from KONGSBERG
KONGSBERG has launched Kognifai, the company’s open and collaborative digital platform that places a portfolio of applications into the cloud.
The public sewerage network of Milan runs for approximately 1500 km. MM SpA, the managing company of Integrated Water and Wastewater Services of the City of Milan, has used the Rheticus® platform to identify possible surface movements caused by structural defects of its collector. Rheticus® services are available worldwide through a growing network of Authorized Distributors.
TRE ALTAMIRA to provide TerraSAR-X satellite monitoring service to SPEA Engineering S.p.A.
Milan, 9 February 2017. TRE ALTAMIRA has been awarded by SPEA Engineering S.p.A. (a Company of Atlantia Group) a contract for monitoring over a key motorway corridor in Central Italy, relying on TerraSAR-X satellite data, commercialized and distributed by Airbus.
WatchITgrow® for the future of the Belgian potato chain
By combining the freely available Sentinel-2 satellite imagery with other data sources, VITO hands everyone in the Belgian value chain vitally important tools. They are then able to stimulate the further growth of potato production.
Earth Observation News
New NASA Image Library Consolidates 60 Collections for Public Access
NASA has officially launched a new resource to help the public search and download out-of-this-world images, videos and audio files by keyword and metadata searches from NASA.gov—the NASA Image and Video Library website consolidates imagery spread across more than 60 collections into one searchable location.
10 Differences Between Commercial And Open Source GIS Software
A debate that always rears its head in the world of software developers and software users is the constant comparison and contrasting of commercial and open source software. Like all things in life, they both have their advantages and disadvantages. It is up to the user to determine what suits him/her. However, it is not such an easy decision to make.
2nd International Conference on GIS and Remote Sensing
The 2nd International Conference on GIS and Remote Sensing will be held on July 20-21, 2017 Munich, Germany.
Africa steps up efforts to tap space technology
(By Sifelani Tsiko) AFRICA needs to take practical steps to adopt space technology for earth observation, telecommunications and advancing space science to promote socio-economic development on the continent, a top African Union Commission official says.
Blog: The right imagery for the job
by Charlotte Bishop is Remote Sensing Projects Manager with NPA Satellite Mapping, CGG(www.cgg.com/npa). There has never been such an abundance of satellite imagery and elevation data. It can, however, pose challenges in knowing where to start in selecting the right imagery for the job. NPASatellite Mapping’s Charlotte Bishop traces the evolution of the market and reviews the options now on offer
Copernicus and Cultural Heritage workshop, Brussels, 24 April 2017
The “Copernicus and Cultural Heritage workshop” will take place in Brussels on 24 April in the Breydel Auditorium, DG GROW from 09:00 to 17:30.
CRCSI releases white paper to turn spatial data into knowledge platform
Australia and New Zealand CRC for Spatial Information (CRCSI), released the White Paper Towards a Spatial Knowledge Infrastructure to position new knowledge concepts across the emerging digital economy.
CSIR warns global shake-up in Earth Observation will affect South African sector
(By Keith Campbell, Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor) Worldwide, the Earth Observation (EO) sector is being shaken-up by disruptive innovations by major enterprises.
DigitalGlobe, Inc., the global leader in Earth imagery and information about our changing planet, today announced the launch of a new product, SecureWatch, optimized for International Defense and Intelligence customers.
Earth observation and satellite navigation: DLR special prizes
DLR is looking for the best application ideas in the fields of satellite navigation and Earth observation for the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and the Copernicus Masters. The deadline for applications is 30 June 2017.
ESA affirms open access policy for images, videos and data
20 February 2017. ESA announced it has adopted an Open Access policy for its content such as still images, videos and selected sets of data.
European Ombudsman Award for Excellence in communications goes to the European Space Expo
The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, celebrated the range and quality of the nominations for the Award for Good Administration in a ceremony in Brussels on Thursday 30 March 2017.
Featuring Geomatica Object Analyst and Geomatica InSAR Modules
MARKHAM, Ontario, Canada—April 11, 2017: PCIGeomatics, a world leading developer of remote sensing and photogrammetric software and systems, announced today the release of Geomatica 2017 – the latest version of the company’s complete and integrated desktop, geo-image processing software featuring tools for remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, geospatial analysis, mosaicking and more.
GEO-CRADLE Regional Workshop, 25/05/2017, Cairo
You are invited to participate in the Regional Workshop of the GEO-CRADLE Horizon2020 project(Coordinating and integRating state-of-the-art Earth Observation Activities in the regions of North Africa, Middle East, and Balkans and Developing Links with GEO related initiatives towards GEOSS).
Google Earth Engine for burned areas
Google Earth Engine ( GEE ) is a cloud platform for processing satellite imageries.
How A.I. captured a volcano's changing lava lake
One of our planet’s few exposed lava lakes is changing, and artificial intelligence is helping NASAunderstand how.
How NASA and the UN are using location intelligence to build smart cities in developing countries
(By Lisa Cornish) For smart cities to succeed, they require real-time, location-based strategies, solutions and responses to effectively deliver the services that make cities work.
INTERAERIAL SOLUTIONS part of INTERGEO: Europe’s leading trade fair for commercial and civil drones
Berlin/Karlsruhe, 20 March 2017 With their wide variety of possible applications, drones drive innovation and efficiency in a global economy.
Land Cover Change detected by CORINE for European Protected Areas
CORINE Land Cover is the official pan-European land cover monitoring programme being operational since the late 1980s and covering four survey periods for 1990, 2000, 2006 and 2012.
Land Viewer cloud software for remote sensing analytics is the biggest surprise I had in a long time. After trying it you won’t be needing any other satellite data processing web tool.
NASA Releases Spellbinding Images Of Earth At Night
NASA strives to explore space and to expand our understanding of our Solar System and beyond. But they also turn their keen eyes on Earth in an effort to understand how our planet is doing. Now, they’re releasing a new composite image of Earth at night, the first one since 2012.
NASA studies growing Louisiana deltas
The Louisiana coastline is sinking under the Gulf of Mexico at the rate of about one football field of land every hour (about 18 square miles of land lost in a year).
New Data Processor Boosts Urban Monitoring
A new processing tool has been developed to bundle information contained in large amounts of satellite data, paving the way for the wealth of Copernicus Sentinel satellite data to be more easily incorporated into online environment-monitoring services.
New Google Earth Video Extension
Remote GeoSystems, Inc. is pleased to announce the release and availability of the all new LineVision™ Google Earth Extension – commercial software for UAV, airborne & terrestrial mobile inspection and survey projects requiring georeferenced video playback, analysis, collaboration and reporting using Google Earth & other GIS applications.
New version of pilot Copernicus online data access (CODA) service
On 23 February 2017, a new version of CODA was released by EUMETSAT.
OECD report on Earth observation for decision making
Earth observation for decision-making is the subject of a new report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development .
On-the-fly earth observation imagery processing and analytics service launched
Data scientists, GIS engineers and software developers from California-based company EOS have recently launched a cutting-edge cloud-based tool that allows users, journalists, researchers and students to easily search and analyze huge amounts of the most up-to-date earth observation data.
Planetek Hellas works with European Space Agency for next satellite missions
Greek company Planetek Hellas will participate to the new European Space Agency study on hyperspectral imaging to support the 2nd generation of the Copernicus Programme. The study will assess the future needs in terms of hyperspectral imaging, coordinate those needs with planned satellite missions and evaluate what existing or future infrastructures are needed to fulfill these needs.
PROBA-V MEP brings you closer to the data
PROBA-V’s Mission Exploitation Platform (MEP) complements the PROBA-V user segment by building an operational Exploitation Platform on the data and derived products to bring the users closer to the data. The MEP offers multiple online applications. One of these is the Time Series Viewer (TSV). It allows you to explore the PROBA-V Time Series for specific regions, incorporating data such as rainfall.
Progress of Russian Geomatics in 2016
(By Andrey Pirogov, Racurs, Russia) For Russian geomatics, 2016 was an abundant year in terms of events, laws and new projects.
Radiant Taps Azavea and Vizzuality to Build its Premiere Open Source Platform
The new Radiant platform will support open formats, data standards, as well as common core and extensible metadata. All data, applications and services will be available with open licenses and freely accessible via shared infrastructure.
Release of Sentinel-3A SRAL Level-1A products
From 6 March 2017, SRAL Level-1A products will be available at Short Time Critical (STC) and Non-Time Critical (NTC) timeliness.
Robbie Schingler, Planet, on the Next Step for Earth Observation
(By Kendall Russell | March 3, 2017) Robbie Schingler is the co-founder and chief strategy officer at Planet, where he heads the company’s efforts to usher in the next era of Earth Observation (EO) capabilities. Ahead of his opening keynote “A Global Sensing Revolution” at the SATELLITE 2017 Conference & Exhibition in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, March 9, Schingler took a moment to talk with Via Satellite about the company’s long term goals and his hopes for the EO industry.
Satellites Deliver Insight into African Lakes
Getech developed a new satellite-based gravity data product that enhances explorationists’ understanding of the East African Rift. Potential fields data have proved particularly successfully within this environment, and numerous oil companies have cited how such information had direct positive impacts on exploration campaigns.
Satellites map carbon sequestered by forests, with accuracy of up to 10 meters
(Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Apr 10, 2017) Led by VTTTechnical Research Centre of Finland , the EU North State project has developed a new method of using satellite images to evaluate the forest carbon balance.
Second Forum of the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA)
Dakar, Senegal, 24-28 April 2017
Sentinel-1 lends a hand in Poland’s wetlands
Poland’s Biebrza National Park, protected by the Wetlands Convention, experiences certain disturbances in its water levels and water transfer, which could threaten its biodiversity.
Sentinel-1 supports detection of illegal oil spills
Oil spills, such as those from the Erika (1999) and the Prestige (2002) tankers, result in huge environmental and economic damage to our coastlines.
Sentinel-2B successfully lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport
The ESA-developed Sentinel-2B satellite was launched on 7th March 2017 , doubling the coverage of high-resolution optical imaging in the Sentinel-2 mission for the European Union Copernicus environmental monitoring system.
SI Imaging Services KOMPSAT Data Now Also Available From LAND INFO
SI Imaging Services (SIIS) has reported that, effective as of January 1, 2017, LAND INFO Worldwide Mapping, LLC (LAND INFO) is an authorized reseller of KOMPSAT data.
Snapplanet App wins Top Prize at Space App Camp
(28 February 2017) Developers of an app that combines the increasing availability of satellite images with social networking took home the top prize at this year’s Space App Camp in Barcelona.
Space based observation for earthquakes
The quantity and quality of satellite-geodetic measurements of tectonic deformation have increased dramatically over the past two decades improving our ability to observe active tectonic processes.
Special Issue "Earth Observation and In-Situ Sensing for Risk Assessment from Natural Threats"
An increasing awareness is emerging that, although extremely useful in a large pool of applications, space-based sensing, alone, is not sufficient to reach the desired accuracy, reliability, precision, and especially completeness of data requested in some cases.
Stanford scientists measure African crop yields from space
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new method for accurately measuring crop yields using satellite images. Scientists hope their new strategy will help researchers track agricultural productivity in developing countries where farming data is limited.
DENVER, Colorado, USA, February 2017– TCarta Marine LLC of Denver, Colo., has merged with Proteus Geo of Oxford, UK, to create a global mapping company that provides bathymetric and marine data sets from the shallow coastal zone out to the continental shelf.
The Advanced Web Tool by EOS to download Landsat-8 and Sentinal data after analyse them
EOS has developed this satellite data processing and analytics web tool where researchers could be able to look at available Sentinal data series or Landsat -8 OLIdata, analyze them based on available analytics tool (The most important one to mention is NDVI) and then download it if found useful. This web tool is especially very useful for the researchers who has a special interest in NDVI image analysis
The African Association of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Companies in the Course of Creation
ARSGC will actively pursue the development of the Remote Sensing and Geospatial industry in Africa and participate in the development and utilisation of Earth Observation products and services, in collaboration with international organizations, for the benefit of sustainable development of the African continent.
The European Space Agency (ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite captured this image of the Vojvodina region of northern Serbia. The area lies in the southern part of a region previously covered by the Pannonian Sea from two million to 23 million years ago. Today, the land boasts a fertile soil, as evidenced by the many agricultural fields visible as geometric shapes.
The first issue of the Ocean State Report has been issued
Written by 80 European scientific experts from more than 25 institutions, this first Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service Ocean State Report is a step forward into the development of regular annual reporting on the state and health of the Global Ocean and European Seas based on CMEMS marine environment monitoring capabilities.
The quantity and quality of satellite-geodetic measurements of tectonic deformation have increased dramatically over the past two decades improving our ability to observe active tectonic processes. We now routinely respond to earthquakes using satellites, mapping surface ruptures and estimating the distribution of slip on faults at depth for most continental earthquakes. Studies directly link earthquakes to their causative faults allowing us to calculate how resulting changes in crustal stress can influence future seismic hazard. This revolution in space-based observation is driving advances in models that can explain the time-dependent surface deformation and the long-term evolution of fault zones and tectonic landscapes.
Urban Monitoring Boosted by New Data Processor
A new processing tool has been developed to bundle information contained in large amounts of satellite data, paving the way for the wealth of Copernicus Sentinel satellite data to be more easily incorporated into online environment-monitoring services.
Programmes
Copernicus goes Local - Copernicus Relays and Copernicus Academy launch event
Join the Copernicus Relays and Copernicus Academy launch event on 6 June 2017. It will be a first-of-its-kind meeting, gathering Earth Observation actors and industry representatives from across Europe.
Copernicus Masters 2017: Tripled Prize Pool for Space-based Innovations
The 2017 edition of the Copernicus Masters – Europe’s leading innovation competition for Earth observation (EO) – presents the immense prize pool of more than EUR1.5 million. It aims to power the transformation of great business ideas into real ventures. In addition to this huge prize pool, the European Space Agency (ESA) is opening up the competition to upstream entries with its Sentinel Small Sat (S^3) Challenge.
ECOWAS data receiving satellite in Accra to monitor fisheries resources in sub-region
(Doreen Andoh, 23 March 2017) The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commissioned an earth observation data receiving satellite in Accra as part of measures to ensure sustainable use of fisheries resources in the sub-region.
ESA calls for EarthCARE mission advisory group
With ESA’s EarthCARE Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer satellite now entering its ‘production and qualification’ phase, ESA is calling for a new Mission Advisory Group.
ESA helps faster cleaner shipping
With around 90% of world trade carried by ships, making sure a vessel follows the fastest route has clear economic benefits.
EU space strategy will bring benefits to all
The EU must ensure it continues to implement its space strategy, so that all citizens can one day benefit, writes Maroš Šefcovic. Written by Maroš Šefčovič on 26 January 2017 in Opinion
Eurasian Economic Union to Integrate Remote Sensing Satellite Capabilities in 2019
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) plans to create a joint remote earth sensing system by integrating the space- and ground-based capabilities of its member states, to include Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, by 2019.
Factsheets: a tailor-made guide for Copernicus entrepreneurs
Finance is the fuel that allows business ideas to grow. Entrepreneurs need funds to turn great ideas into great products and services that add value to the society. A brand-new resource is made available by the European Commission for those businesses – detailed factsheets that help navigate the financial opportunities available. The factsheets are tailored for the Copernicus ecosystem and encompass financing for start-ups from the idea stage to commercialisation, up to expansion.
Funding awarded to schemes to support space entrepreneurs
The UK Space Agency has awarded just under 150,000 pounds to three business incubation centres across the UK which will support entrepreneurs and small companies in the space industry.
Indian state signs MoUs with ISRO for using geospatial in governance
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed an agreement with Andhra Pradesh govt. for using geospatial technologies in state governance and development. These MoUs were signed in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar.
Landsat-based tool helps spot deforestation
(By Anusuya Datta) Deforestation is a global problem, more so in the developing and the underdeveloped world, thanks to ineffective laws and corrupt administrations in some parts of the world.
Marine-EO: All eyes on Horizon 2020’s first Earth Observation Pre-Commercial Procurement
(Azores, 23th February 2017). Since 1st of January 2017, the Horizon 2020 project Marine-EO has been officially started, aiming at the implementation of the first Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) for Earth Observation services.
Opportunities to influence the next generation Earth observation data hub
Data providers and users at all levels are invited to engage with the NextGEOSS project as it starts to build the next generation Earth observation data hub.
Partnership agreed to improve access to Pan-European maps for Copernicus users
(29 March 2017) Users of Copernicus services are set to benefit from a new partnership which improves access to pan-European maps and land information from official sources.
Science and Applications with Sentinel-2
The Sentinel-2 mission provides unprecedented multi-spectral observations with a five-day revisit at the equator, a spatial resolution of up to 10 meters and systematic global coverage of the Earth’s land surface. The operational provision of globally and temporally consistent data provided by Sentinel-2 is expected to allow unmatched characterization of dynamic surface processes from national to continental scales.
The final journey of Meteosat-7
This is the last image of the Indian Ocean Region taken by Meteosat-7 on 31 March at 11:30 to 12:00 UTC.
The Netherlands Invests in Satellite Data for Precision Farming
The Dutch government is freeing up EUR1.4 million for the purchase of satellite data to improve the sustainability and efficiency of farming. Among other things, the data contains detailed information about the soil, the atmosphere and crop development. Specialised companies can analyse the data to provide farmers with targeted advice on irrigation, fertilisation and crop-spraying activities. The satellite data will be made available online as open data, allowing everyone to have free access to it.
Two petabytes of data for climate research
Climate change, with all its ecological and economic implications, is one of society’s greatest challenges.
Vietnam set to self-produce satellites by 2022
Vietnam targets to self-develop Lotusat-2 by 2022 when its technical facilities for satellite research, assembly, integration and testing are ready to operate, according to the Vietnam National Satellite Center (VNSC).
Wave products to enter the Copernicus Marine Service from 19 April 2017
Up to now, the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) provides freely more than 150 ocean products derived from Satellite/in situ/Models, dealing with the physical (temperature, salinity, ocean currents…) and biogeochemical (chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen…) state of the ocean over the European regional seas and the global ocean.
What Is the Background of Space Apps NYC's Key Decision Makers?
Space Apps NYC takes its overall direction from NASA’s Space Apps incubator program who sets the tone of the hackathon each year. They determine the global main stage, the hackathon theme and challenges, and where to deploy NASA resources and speakers.
Events Spring 2017