ISRO gets 40% more funds
India’s space research programme recently got a signifi cant 40% boost from the union budget for 2009-10. The bulk of the funds will be used in ongoing projects like development of the GSLV Mark III. www.domain-b.com

OGC calls for Industry input on Geospatial Fusion

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC®) has issued a Request for Information to solicit industry input into a Fusion Standards Study to be conducted in preparation for the planned OGC Web Services, Phase 7 (OWS-7) Testbed. It will also partner with other Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) having technology relevant to fusion. www.opengeospatial.org

Delhi 3 months away from geogovernance

For the first time ever Delhi city will have a utility map through aerial photographs and also real-time monitoring of the ground situation throughout the city with the help of 64 wireless internet protocol cameras. 31 departments and agencies will be able to access this data in real time. The Rs 120 crore project called the Delhi State Spatial Data Infrastructure (DSSDI) project is in the last stages of completion. It is being done by Delhi government along with Survey of India (SOI). Times of India

Indian GPS augmentation goes ahead
ISRO has awarded an $82 million contract to Raytheon to build the ground stations for the GPS-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) System. GAGAN will provide satellitebased navigation – nominally for civil aviation, but in practice for all users – over Indian airspace and adjoining areas in South and East Asia. It is a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) for GPS and other operational satellite navigation systems giving differential corrections. It is scheduled to be fully functional by 2013. http://raytheon.mediaroom.com

SatGuide PND Moov 300

SatNav Technologies launched the SatGuide PND Moov 300 in India. It will provide road navigation with features like voice prompted directions and a 4.3-inch touch screen. www.satnavtechnologies.com

4.7-inch Maestro PND by Magellan

Magellan announced the Maestro PND with new design, 4.7-inch Display, voice command capabilities, handsfree Bluetooth calling and highway lane assist. It has new feature “Find Your Car” which remembers the location of your car. http://promagellangps.com

Ordnance Survey works with GRACE

GRACE – the GNSS Research and Applications Centre of Excellence – has recently worked with Great Britain’s national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey. A team from GRACE carried out data collection at various sites to test potential new GNSS survey equipment. www.grace.ac.uk

Leica CloudWorx™ 1.0 for SmartPlant

Leica CloudWorx™ 1.0 for SmartPlant 3D was recently released by Leica. It is designed for Intergraph SmartPlant 3D users who want to take full advantage of accurate, laser scan asbuilt data directly in SmartPlant 3D. Leica has also released the QuickSteer motor – a new retrofi t option for farmers who want to add auto-steer functionality to their older tractors. It can be added to a wide range of agricultural vehicles that do not have factory-installed steering kits. www.leica-geosystems.com

China Navigation Map Market Report
According to China Navigation Map Market Report, 2008-2009, the Chinese car navigation market is in its early stage. In 2008, the market penetration rate of car navigation in China was only 4.56%, far lower than the 60% of Japan, and 20%-30% of both Europe and U.S.A. In 2008 a total of 3.1 million navigation devices were sold, more than double than that in 2007. www.pr-inside.com

Roadside assistance with SPOT satellite GPS messenger
SPOT Assist Roadside combines GPS and satellite communications technologies to deliver location-based messaging regardless of cellular network coverage. The “Help” button on the handheld SPOT Messenger can instantly alert a national roadside response centre of their location and need for roadside assistance from virtually anywhere in North America. The program includes fi ve roadside tows per year, up to 50 miles per tow, as well as auto-accident assistance, fuel delivery services, tyre repair etc. www.spot.com

Galileo IOV launch services contract signed
ESA and Arianespace signed a contract for the launch of the fi rst four operational Galileo satellites on two Soyuz launch vehicles from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. ESA’s Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities, Mr René Oosterlinck, and the Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, Mr Jean-Yves Le Gall, signed the launch services contract in the presence of Mr Paul Verhoef, Programme Manager of EU Satellite Navigation Programmes at the European Commission. The Galileo In- Orbit Validation (IOV) Launch Services Contract covers the launch of the fi rst four operational Galileo satellites using two Soyuz launch vehicles that will lift off from the Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais – CSG),

Chandrayaan-1 completes mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation has completed all the primary objectives of the Chandrayaan-1 lunar reconnaissance mission. The scientifi c objective of the spacecraft was remote sensing of the Moon in visible, near infra-red, low energy x-ray and high-energy x-ray regions. The intention is to prepare a 3-D atlas of both the near and far side of the moon, with a high spatial and altitude resolution – down to fi ve metres in the optical. www.isro.org

Study GIS at Hong Kong Polytechnic
The Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is now accepting applications for Master of Science/ Postgraduate Diploma in Geomatics (GIS/ Surveying). It is the longest running postgraduate program in GIS and the only one in Geomatics (Surveying) in Hong Kong. www.lsgi.polyu.edu.hk