Imaging

Key role of Bathymetry in aquaculture siting project

British Engineering and Scientific Consultancy Firm, BMT, is using Satellite Derived Bathymetry from TCarta as a critical dataset in the selection of new fish farming sites in the Arabian Gulf. BMT is performing the site selection work on behalf of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD).

BMT used the TCarta data sets in its hydrographic modeling software to select ideal fish farming sites based on two key criteria. First, the chosen offshore locations must fall within certain maximum and minimum water depth thresholds to accommodate the large fish cages. And secondly, the cages must be placed in areas such as natural subsurface channels where water currents will continuously flush waste from the enclosures and keep the growing fish healthy. https://bathymetrics.shop/.

Uttarakhand signs MoU with ISRO

The state government of Uttarakhand, India, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Ahmedabad on February 15. The collaboration will pave the way for better forecasts and instant delivery of post-disaster imagery.

Earlier, The Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre (DMMC) was receiving forecast alerts from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

IIT-Roorkee professor develops new technology for aerial survey

Professor Kamal Jain with the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, has developed a new technology for carrying out aerial survey, which is more cost-effective and precise than the LiDAR system used at present.

Professor Jain at the civil engineering department of the IIT used a drone for taking videos with an interactive web map to demonstrate the technology that records data, including the place and time on a computer screen. The LiDAR (light detection and ranging) is used in aircraft to map aerial images of an area and is a costly and cumbersome technology . It requires a camera-mounted aircraft mapping images from the air, for which an aircraft needs to fly at a specific height and requires permission from civil aviation authorities, Jain said.

“We use a drone over a particular area to take video images which are tagged with a web map that enables the user to know the accurate geospatial information like latitude or longitude of each point.”

Isro plans to launch India’s 2nd space observatory

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to launch the country’s second AstroSat-2 or space observatory. The mission is meant to further the study of astronomy (the study of celestial bodies) and astrophysics.

Isro made the announcement of opportunity on February 3 to seek proposals from all institutions currently involved in astronomy/astrophysics for the development of scientific instruments for astronomy payload and mission

The advantage of having such a space observatory in outer space is that it helps observe distant planets, galaxies and other astronomical objects more clearly than from the Earth. Space telescopes avoid problems of ground-based observatories, such as light pollution and distortion of electromagnetic radiation. The first AstroSat-1 weighing 1,515kg was launched on September 28, 2015. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Russia’s remote sensing satellites send first Earth images

Russia’s remote sensing satellites Kanopus No. 3 and No. 4 launched and orbited on February 1 have sent their first images of the Earth’s surface, the press office of Roscosmos State Space Corporation reported. http:// tass.com/science/989655