IMAGING

NASA to acquire Synthetic Aperture Radar Data from ICEYE

ICEYE US has won a contract under a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with NASA announced earlier this year. The contract enables NASA to acquire ICEYE’s synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) data for evaluation by scientific and academic communities to determine suitability for advancing NASA’s Earth Science research objectives. The BPA is funded by the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate. www.nasa.gov

Viasat opens real-time earth ground station in Japan

Viasat announced the opening of a RealTime Earth (RTE) ground station in Hokkaido, Japan enabling its customers the ability to downlink Ka-band payload data in the northwestern Pacific at the site hosted by its partner Infostellar.

Viasat is establishing itself as a global leader in Ka-band support for low earth orbit (LEO) missions with its ability to downlink Ka-band payload data with a 7.3m full motion antenna at the Hokkaido site and is postured to support current and future government and commercial satellite programs. https://news.viasat.com

Goa govt to rope in satellite imagery firm to map out CRZ violations

The state government of Goa, India will engage a company with expertise in satellite imagery to map structures that existed on the state’s shoreline before 1991 to understand the extent of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations.

The Goa State Coastal Zone Management Authority (GSCZMA) had issued show cause notices to 275 structures, giving them time to respond with documentation to prove that they existed before 1991. The notices were issued after the October 2022 order of the High Court against the gross violations in CRZ areas, the senior GSCZMA official said