Imaging

Airbus teams up to develop Space CARBon Observatory

The SCARBO (Space CARBon Observatory) project for improved measurement of greenhouse gases has been officially kicked off. It is funded by the European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 Programme and will be implemented by a consortium of seven European organisations led by Airbus.

The project aims at solving a key challenge of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) monitoring from Space: improvement of the temporal revisit over the various sites of interest while increasing the accuracy and resolution of measurements. This is envisaged by implementing a novel miniaturised static spectrometer concept on a constellation of small satellites coupled with aerosol sensors and high-end reference instruments.

The overall measurement concept will be experimentally validated through a dedicated airborne campaign with instrument prototypes in 2020. SCARBO is expected to be ready to work as a complementary system with the second generation of Copernicus satellites within a decade. www.airbus.com

RS observation to help sustainable development along Mekong

China will coordinate with countries from Asia and Oceania to conduct satellite remote sensing observation along the Mekong River, according to the website of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The first international conference of the Asia-Oceania Global Earth Observation System of Systems (AOGEOSS) Initiative concluded on May 18 in Deqing in east China’s Zhejiang Province. The Deqing Action Plan was passed during the conference to carry out remote sensing observation in regions along the river.

Member countries and international organizations of the AOGEOSS will accelerate the building of the Asia-Oceania comprehensive Earth observation system to promote the sustainable development and prosperity within the region, according to the Deqing Action Plan. Remote sensing observation along the Mekong River will push forward research in ecosystem assessment and disaster monitoring.

The Deqing Action Plan said China will coordinate with other countries within Asia and Oceania that have satellite observation capabilities to provide a high-resolution land surface database and share free highquality satellite data. https://reliefweb.in

National Remote Sensing Centre, India gives a new boost to forest conservation

Efforts to conserve forests across the country is likely to get a major boost, thanks to Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre(NRSC), an arm of Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO). The centre has developed a new system that can monitor changes in forest cover over area as small as one hectare of land. The new system was made possible with the fusion of Optical Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System, Artificial Intelligence and Automation.

Apart from this, the new system will help NSRC generate monthly reports on forest cover and provide specific latitude and longitude of location where changes in green cover are observed. Telangana forest department will be the first in the country to benefit from this new system. NRSC has already tested the system and will soon be conducting pilot study in Telangana. www.newindianexpress.com

Successful Deployment of First Kenyan Satellite

On May 11, 2018, the first CubeSat developed under the KiboCUBE programme has been successfully deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station. This CubeSat, named “1KUNS-PF” was developed by a team from the University of Nairobi. 1KUNS-PF was developed as Kenya’s first satellite, and the University of Nairobi will operate the CubeSat after its deployment from “Kibo”. The experience and technology acquired from the development of this CubeSat will be applied in future earth observation satellite of Kenya. http://global.jaxa.jp

Remote Sensing, GIS Lab opened at NMDC office

A Remote Sensing and GIS Lab was inaugurated at public sector iron ore mining company NMDC’s office, Hyderabad.

The Lab comes in the backdrop of an MoU between NMDC and ISRO’s NRSC to promote space applications in exploration and other mining activities for satellite-based geological mapping and multi-disciplinary exploration of iron, diamond and other mineral deposits.

A release from the NMDC said space technology provided real-time data for generation of digital maps. Several innovative methods were deployed by the NMDC and ISRO for targeting diamond and iron bearing areas.

Gravity and magnetic data of ElGEN6C4 (NASA) satellite was also used for identifying potential corridor for diamondiferous rocks in the Central Indian Diamond Province. Few potential iron ore blocks have also been identified in Madhya Pradesh using Cartosat-2 and Aster Data.

The NRSC and NMDC have also developed a mobile App to collect field data with location and field photo and catalogue to collect geological information and for viewing in ‘Bhuvan’ portal. This App is presently being used by the NMDC at its Sidhi-Singrauli iron ore block and Chattarpur and Damoh diamond blocks for field data collection and proved to be very useful, the release said. www.thehindu.com

China launches new satellite to monitor air pollution

China has successfully launched a hyperspectral imaging satellite for comprehensive observation of the atmosphere, including air pollution which is one of the country’s major problems. The Gaofen-5 satellite was launched off the back of a Long March 4C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. It was the 274th flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket. Gaofen-5 is able to obtain spectral information from ultraviolet to long-wave infrared radiation. It is the world’s first full-spectrum hyperspectral satellite for comprehensive observation of the atmosphere and land. www.tribuneindia.com

Collaboration for solar energy and remote sensing research

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney has signed new agreements with two French scientific organisations to bolster cooperation over renewable energy innovation and environmental research.

Agreements were signed with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France’s largest government research organisation and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the French Space Agency.

In addition, Australia’s first hardware quantum computing company, Silicon Quantum Computing Pty Ltd (SQC) entered into a collaboration with Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (the CEA; French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), a French public government-funded research organisation.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UNSW Sydney and CNRS, the two organisations will facilitate the exchange of solar energy innovations through joint conferences, seminars and research projects. Potential topics include solar energy, storage of renewable energy and renewable energy integration.

The agreement reflects the commitments of Australia and France to address climate change through the COP21 Paris Agreement and support for the recently formed International Solar Alliance, headquartered in Delhi, India. www.opengovasia.com