IMAGING

Vietnam completes spatial database on sea, islands

This is the initial result of a three-year project to monitor marine and island environmental resources using remote sensing technology which was approved in Hanoi on November 13. According to Nguyen Xuan Lam, head of the National Remote Sensing Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, numerous maritime studies, mapping exercises and geological surveys were conducted previously; however, none were able to give a complete overview of Vietnam’s territorial waters, especially Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. The application of remote sensing technology, far superior to conventional methods, is therefore a valuable part of research on the country’s sea and island environmental resources, and is particularly useful for off-shore and inaccessible areas, Lam said. http://english.vietnamnet.vn

Yaogan-24 remote sensing satellite launched by China

China has recently launched a remote sensing satellite into a scheduled orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China’s Gansu province. The Yaogan-24 satellite was launched via a Long March-2D carrier rocket, the 199th mission for the Long March rocket family. http://zeenews.india.com

Indonesia needs sea remote sensing technology

According to the Institute of National Aviation and Space (Lapan), Indonesia needs space technology of remote sensing that could draw the map of the country`s marine potentials altogether and systematically. The technology could be used to spot ridges of rock and in planning development of the marine potentials for economy and tourism, he cited. http://www.antarabali.com

Amazon seeks FAA permission

Amazon has asked the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to test drones outdoors and is awaiting an answer. It asked federal regulators for a limited exemption from the current ban on commercial use of drones. Its legal department assured the FAA that the testing can be done safely. Small, battery powered drones would fly no higher than 400 feet off the ground, remain within line-of-sight of the operator, and have a kill switch if something goes wrong. The application says Amazon’s R&D lab in Seattle is “developing aerial vehicles that travel over 50 miles per hour, and will carry five-pound payloads, which cover 86 percent of products sold on Amazon.” www.nwnewsnetwork.org