NEWSBRIEFS – REMOTE SENSING

Jan 2009 | Comments Off

INDUSTRY | LBS | GPS | GIS | REMOTE SENSING | GALILEO UPDATE

JAXA joins UNESCO World Heritage Initiative

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has joined a partnership with UNESCO, under which it will mobilise the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) for the study and safeguarding of World Heritage sites. UNESCO member states, mainly in Asia, can now access JAXA technology for activities conducted as part of the Open Initiative on the Use of Space Technologies for World Heritage Sites. www.unesco.org

China launches Yaogan-4 satellite

China has launched the Yaogan-4 satellite, the 113th launch of China’s Long March series of rockets. It would be used for scientifi c research, land resources surveying, crop yield estimate and disaster prevention and relief. Xinhuanet.com

Vietnam’s New Space Technology Centre

Japanese expertise will help the Vietnamese build a US $350 million space technology research and development centre at the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in Hanoi to begin in 2010. When completed in 2017, the park will have four zones: research and development, hi-tech industry, software, and education and training. Vietnam also plans to launch its fi rst remote sensing satellite, named VNREDSAT-1, by 2012. The country is now carrying out its satellitelaunching project, worth about 100 million U.S. dollars. www.jetro.go.jp

Worldwide Governments spend 62 billion dollars on Space Programs

Euroconsult has announced that world government space program expenditures are at a historical high of more than $62 billion dollars in 2008, with planned satellite launches in the next ten years to increase 38% over the previous decade. According to Euroconsult’s new report “Government Space Markets, World Prospects to 2017”, governments have clearly entered a new phase of investment, committing to the development of a new generation of programs worldwide. Furthermore, government space program expenditures worldwide are expected to grow at 4.5% per year through 2012, reaching nearly $70 billion. Emerging space programs – both large and small – are bringing new energy to space science, which will drive growth in the number of scientific satellites launched over the next decade (105 satellites planned for launch over 2008-2017 compared to 84 the last decade). www.euroconsult-ec.com

ISRO to build smaller, cheaper launcher

The Indian Space Research Organisation is building a smaller launcher, designed to put remote-sensing satellites weighing less than 500 kg into low earth orbits. It will cost 40% less than existing rockets. It currently costs Rs1 billion to launch a satellite on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which is deployed for the bulk of Indian projects. www.isro.org

North Andover company gets $8 million for Afghanistan mapping

Last year, the U.S. Army awarded Flight Landata an $8 million contract to fly 800 hours of combat missions, mapping the terrain and taking high-resolution images of villages and cave complexes high in the mountainous borders along Pakistan. The military is renewing the company’s contract for another $8 million to fl y more missions over the next year or so. www.fl ightlandata.com

DMCii launches free Satellite Imaging Initiative

DMCii shall provide free DMC constellation satellite imagery for scientists to support global environmental monitoring projects. Scientists are invited to compete for the opportunity to use the DMC multispectral data in their research projects. www.dmcii.com