Leica FCMS Flight & Sensor Control Management System
Sweden-based Leica Geosystems’ Flight & Sensor Control Management System (FCMS), assists pilots and sensor operators to effi ciently control GPS-based survey fl ights. It performs all tasks, such as fl ight guidance, sensor recording and sensor monitoring, on a single man-machine interface, providing automated operation and minimized user interaction.Leica Geosystems also introduces the Rugby 50 and Rugby 55. With the Leica Rugby 50 and 55 are two new lasers that are designed for different applications: The Rugby 50 is dedicated to general construction contractors, being a tough, affordable laser with a single button. Whereas the Leica Rugby 55 is designed for the interior contractor – a versatile laser, perfect for almost any leveling and alignment job. In addition, Leica Geosystems has also announced a new enterprise software licensing program called Leica EnterpriseElite. Qualifi- ed companies benefi t from simplified software license management tools, fl exibility to immediately react to changing project demands, signifi cant software cost savings, and the ability to effi ciently standardize an entire global organization. www.leica-geosystems.com

Sales contract from Cessna Aircraft Company to Leica
The Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems, Switzerland announced USA based Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron company, has signed a sales contract for eight portable Leica Geosystems CMM systems used for industrial measurement and inspection. The acquisition consists of four Leica LTD840 Laser Trackers, and four Leica LTD640 Laser Trackers. Cessna is a manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. Leica Geosystems’ 3D coordinate measurement systems are used by manufacturers worldwide in the aerospace, automotive and shipbuilding industries. www.leica-geosystems.com

EU, Morocco seal deal on Galileo
The European Union (EU) and Morocco signed an agreement in Brussels for cooperation on the European satellite radio navigation program Galileo. The two sides will join hands in a wide range of activities, including scientific research and training, industrial cooperation, trade and market development, standards, certification and regulatory measures. Morocco is the seventh international partner of the EU on the Galileo global positioning system. The 25- nation bloc has signed cooperation agreements with the United States, China, Israel, Ukraine, India and South Korea.

£2 million printing press for paper maps
Ordnance Survey Director General and Chief Executive Vanessa Lawrence officially pushed the on button of a massive new £2 million printing press at the mapping agency’s Southampton head office recently. The six-colour printing press is one of the largest in the country and will be used to produce Ordnance Survey’s paper maps, including the 650 different recreational and leisure maps that together cover every corner of Britain. www.OrdnanceSurvey.co.uk

GPS infrastructure network in Southern Poland
Trimble has announced it has supplied its VRS (Virtual Reference Station) software to establish a national GPS infrastructure network in the south of Poland. The VRS network provides a geospatial infrastructure for surveying, engineering and GIS professionals. The network is the first of its kind in Poland and supplies centimeterlevel RTK GPS data for a variety of positioning applications including geodetic and cadastral surveying, road and bridge construction, and archeological excavation site location and documentation. There are also plans to use the network for managing and dispatching emergency medical and rescue teams in Krakw to improve efficiency and response times.
The VRS network, known as Malopolski System Pozycjonowania Precyzyjnego, is operated by the BGUM, the survey office of the local government. Built with Trimble GPSNet and RTKNet software, the network covers the southern part of Poland, called Malopolska. In addition to improving the accuracy of results, the network is expected to enable fast measurements within 2-5 seconds. The use of the network will be free of charge for surveyors in the next three years. www.trimble.com

BSNL Cellone launches pilot project in Andhra Pradesh
The BSNL cellone has taken up a pilot project in Andhra Pradesh, India to develop location-based services for cellone subscribers. A gamut of services like Industry “Where Am I” information by various industry services will be provided. Once successful, the services will be introduced in entire South India, said J V Reddy, General Manager, Cellone services, A P Telecom. www.hindu.com

Ukraine might take part in European Space Program
During public hearings of a draft national space program for 2007 – 2011, Deputy Director General of the National Space Agency of Ukraine Eduard Kuznetsov said that some projects of the program might be included into the first European space program, which is presently being drafted, “Cabinet’s press office” reported. Among the projects he first of all mentioned creating a space Ionosat system for comprehensive study of seismic-ionospheric and solar- Earth connections and their impact on technological and biological processes on the Earth. The program is supposed to start in 2010. Among the program’s likely participants were named Poland, Turkey and China. http://en.for-ua.com

India’s Space Commission on comprehensive legal document
With private players gaining easy accessibility to satellite data, India’s Space Commission is working on a comprehensive legal document on issues related to outer space to ensure that internal security is not endangered, informed Mr. G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation and Space Commission. “Remote sensing satellites are focusing on all important installations and a number of agencies like Google Earth are buying such data and placing it in the public domain, which can be a potential danger to internal security,” said Mr. Nair.
www.hindu.com

India, ASEAN sign agreement to boost science and tech cooperation
India and ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) have signed a joint declaration for cooperation in Science & Technology. Mr. Kapil Sibal, Minister fo S&T and Earth Sciences and Dato’ Dr. Jamaluddin Mohd. Jarjis, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia and Leader of ASEAN delegation said that the declaration will not only strengthen the Science & Technology ties between the countries in the region but will also make ways for new horizons.
India has offered ASEAN countries training in space technologies, including remote sensing applications and satellite design, as a part of measures to step up co-operation in the field. India, through the Indian Space Research Organisation, has offered ASEAN countries short-term training programmes in satellite design to help them fulfill their aspirations in the niche field. Besides, satellite design India has also offered access to remote sensing data, including satellite imagery of the region for weather forecasting.
The Heads of Science and Technology Agencies of the State/ Governments of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam and India gathered and met in New Delhi, India on 6th November, 2006 for the 12th Technology Summit and Technology Platform, organized jointly by the Department of Science & Technology, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and ASEAN Committee on Science & Technology (COST).
www.financialexpress.com

GPS market expected to be worth US $757B by 2017
Research and Markets, an Irish research firm (www.researchandmarkets.com) has announcd that, in Western Europe the vehicle navigation market is in its initial stages, but there is a strong demand for traffic information and navigation solutions. Countries like USA, Japan, and some others have gained a cumulative shipment of 9.39 million in-vehicle navigation and traffic information units in May 2002. GPS production value globally is expected to grow to $21.5 billion in 2008 ($13 billion in 2003), according to the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center of the Industrial Technology Research Institute. In 2003, GPS equipment sales was reported to be around US $3.5 billion worldwide, and that annual market could grow to US $10 billion after 2010, acc ording to the report. http://biz.yahoo.com