In the past decades we have been witnessing cessation of both military and political bipolar confrontation of the super powers. The world has become multipolar. There emerged new policy makers influencing social-economic, political, informational and technological life of the planet. Modern technology-intensive industries, which include space imaging, are to a great extent accelerators and at the same time indicators of on-going processes.
Growing demand in satellite images and the respective need in improving efficiency of their application lead to rapid development of integrated technologies, which are only partially comprised of combined informational and technological packages for control of an enterprise, infrastructure or a territory. There are mass services that have already been transforming and in the near future will change beyond recognition characteristics and style of operation with geospatial information.
Vladimir Gershenzon
Editor-in-Chief,
ScanEx RDC General Director
Satellite based commercial EO industry.By B. Rekha
The EO industry continues to be state controlled and lacks the vision to organise itself as a market-driven industry thereby limiting its potential and reach. Geospatial World explores the dynamics of commercial EO industry in the backdrop of unsettling economic scenario and the way forward.
The Maritime Surveillance Challenge.By J. Hurley
MDA Ltd. has developed maritime monitoring systems and has been offering services to meet the needs for accurate and timely maritime surveillance. The program known as SeaView represents a possible solution for end-users with a maritime surveillance mandate.
Format as a Platform.By V. Dubinya, O. Ryaboshapko
The development of satellite technology, superimposed on the development of the Internet, has resulted in mapping solutions available to any user. Solutions such as «Google Maps» or «Yandex.Maps», became well known and widely used. GIS experts use professional solutions that involve a high level of software solutions as well as the original data. However, a large number of users — not GIS specialists — use geospatial information into their professional activities, for which, there is no need to use all the features of professional solutions. Also for Russia not always technically possible to have a broadband Internet connection, which prevents the possibility of using the Internet-based services or services of a enterprise database through browser. One of the ways of presentation and use of geospatial information for solving common tasks of an ordinary user, that do not require all of the functional professional GIS solutions can became GeoPDF.
Pleiades: success story of a new birth.By Ch. Gabriel-Robez
Pleiades 1, launched last December is the first of a two-satellite constellation which will provide 50-cm products, with daily revisit anywhere on the Earth thanks to unprecented reactivity —ideal for anticipating risks and managing crises effectively. This article introduces the Pleiades programme and details how such reactivity can be reached, as well as overall Pleiades performances ideal to support coastal, border or corridor surveillance and accurate 3D applications. Astrium Services (former Spot Image), already exclusive distributor of the SPOT satellite family data, is the civilian operator of Pleiades right after the commissioning phase expected to be completed early March.
e-CORCE , the Space Observing system to the service of everyone.By P. Antikidis
e-CORCE program is a new Earth observation system producing on a weekly basis the whole Earth imagery at a metric resolution.
Small-size satellites: miniaturization trends
Functional capabilities of small-size satellites (up to 1000 kg) have been permanently extending. Today it is already possible to make nanosatellites in the 20-50 kg class with performances equaling the satellites of 100-150 kg class developed ten years ago. Spas Balinov, Chief Executive Officer of the French NovaNano SAS, speaks about specifics of the potential in sphere of small satellites manufacturing and development plans of his company.
Popular RS data catalogues: optimal access to data for commercial projectsby E.Ermakova
Satellite images have been widely applied lately for solutions in different business areas. Therefore a great number of RS data catalogues, ensuring commercial access to data, appeared on the geo-information market. Despite common mission, all services differ both in specifications and usability, as well as operations logic in general.
GIS technologies and RS for rational nature management.By E. Tsybikova
Starting in February 2011 an information center has been functioning within the “Transparent World” structure. It is intended for provision of operational information and resource GIS/RS support on current nature protection issues of public importance. Within the first year of operations the specialists of the information center processed over 70 requests: from consultations on GIS-software and space images to information support about the situation on sites.
Using satellite images for environmental and geochemical studies of urban area.By I. Labutina, E. Baldina, M. Grischenko, T. Khaybrakhmanov
In recent years increased attention is paid to research the environmental state of urban landscapes. The article describes some methods of using high resolution and thermal infrared satellite images for ecological and geochemical studies of city territories.
Vast discharges from vessels in Black Sea - legal frames.By A. Ivanov, N. Filimonova, N. Evtushenko, A. Antonyuk
During the planned satellite imagery of the Black Sea water areas on June 23-25 and August 5, 2011 the unprecedentedly large oil spills of ship origin were detected. The slicks having complicated elongated form were located in the Russian sector of the sea. Optical images of Terra and Aqua satellite confirmed the presence of vast slick buildup. Using automated information system (AIS) the ships guilty of slicks formation were identified. The article analyzes the legality of such spills. These and other similar cases, detected during monitoring, require careful attention of Russian nature protection organizations.
Natural oil seepage in south-eastern part of the Black Sea per space radar imagery data.By A. Ivanov, N. Evtushenko
One of the objectives of oil pollution monitoring in the Black Sea was the study of natural oil seeps; some of them are located in south-eastern part of the sea (Georgian and Turkish sectors). The archives of the ESA and ScanEx RDC have a great number of radar images, reflecting the spring-type oil slicks. Radar images processing in combination with geoinformation approach revealed the unambiguous connection between those slicks and the oil discharge sites on the sedimentary mantle of the south-eastern part of the Black Sea. The radar images analysis enabled to get some new data about these oil seeps: with due account for batimetric data the location of principal bottom sources was determined and assessment of natural oil seepage volumes was made.
Public monitoring of toll roads construction activities in Moscow and Moscow Region.By M. Sementsova, E. Tsybikova, O. Gershenzon
The article gives examples of space images application to provide open and unbiased information to the public at large about the “Moscow-St-Petersburg” new highway construction (M11) and the “New exit to Moscow Ring Road from the federal M1 motorway “Belarus” (Moscow-Minsk). A thematic web-service, containing multi-temporal space images, information about the road infrastructure, valuable natural areas and detected during public monitoring changes, has been launched at http://projects.scanex.ru/msk-spbwebsite based on ScanEx Web GeoMixer engine.
operational and global Earth survey systems with meter resolution using satellite constellations.
2011 ERS satellites launch results.By A. Kucheiko
The year 2011 topped the past 12 years record levels in intensity of ERS satellites launch. Last year 23 civil, commercial and military remote sensing satellites were launched into orbits. That said, the main trend in remote sensing industry of the past years is the development of operational and global Earth survey systems with meter resolution using satellite constellations.
Q&A
New projects vs old problems
CONFERENCES
DGI 2012: development and convergence of geospatial intelligence technology.By A. Kucheiko
London once again witnessed the regular Defence Geospatial Intelligence conference (DGI 2012) that took place on January 23-26, 2012. The conference gathering about 700 participants from 45 countries, became the largest event in Europe in sphere of development and application of geospatial intelligence in defense and national security.
