geospatial 072011 ` 100/- www.geospatialtoday.com
TODAY
PRIVACY AND LOCATION
ARTICLE
The changing face of global space industry
Severe budgetary constraints are forcing the space faring nations to come up with novel funding plans to
generate a return on investment Severe budgetary constraints are forcing the space faring nations to come up with novel funding plans to
generate a return on investment
ISSN 0972-6810
CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING A LIS IN INDIA
ARTICLE
CONTENTS
04 NEWS 14 COVER STORY
In light of severe budgetary constraints, the space faring nations are coming up with novel funding plans to generate a return on investment
22 ChallENgES iN dEVElOpiNg a liS iN iNdia
IT-based Land Information System (LIS) is the most modern approach towards establishing a fully digitised cadastral system. However, developing one involves many challenges
26 aERial phOTOgRaphY fOR pREpaRaTiON Of mOdERN CadaSTRES
Aerial photography can provide an authentic land title and help in solving many a dispute
28 TRaCkiNg VEhiClES all ThE WaY
GPS-based CCTV surveillance system for commercial vehicles enables the companies to track their vehicles and in the process ensures the managers to increase their productivity and safety in terms of transit and logistics movement
38 UNShaCkliNg ThE bONdS Of pROpRiETaRY SOfTWaRE With their immense ability to offer greater freedom to users for continuous upgradation, open source GIS software are gaining wider acceptance
prof ian masser Visiting Professor, Centre for Advanced Spatial Analyses, University College, London, UK Jack dangermond Founder and President, ESRI dr Shailesh R Nayak Secretary, Min of Earth Sciences dr V Jayaraman
Former Director, NRSC maj gen (dr) R Siva kumar CEO-NSDI, Head - NRDMS k R Sridhara murthi Senior Expert, Office of Advisor to PM, Innovation and Public Information Infrastructure, India m moni
Deputy Director General, National Informatics Centre, Government of India Rajesh C mathur Vice Chairman, ESRI India dr mukund Rao Consultant (National GIS), Planning Commission.
dr R Nagaraja Group Head, NDC, NRSC dr N l Sarda Prof. Computer Science &
Engineering Department, IIT Bombay
aERial phOTOgRaphY fOR
pREpaRaTiON Of mOdERN CadaSTRES
14
26
UNShaCkliNg ThE bONdS Of pROpRiETaRY SOfTWaRE
TODAY
geospatial
Publications Director Ramprasad
Vice President (Operations) Umamaheswar Rao p Sr. Assistant Editor T p Venu Assistant Editor Omer ahmed Siddiqui Copy Editor g Srinivas Reddy Head – Design Jayaraj frederick Sr. Designers masa Vijay, lakshmi d Designers
Srinivas p, Nagaraju N S Web
Upender Reddy V
head - business & Events Wilson Rajan [email protected] - 099499 05432 Circulation & Subscription Unnikrishna Pillai S [email protected] - 095059 19923
marketing & Sales
mumbai Dr Shibu John Head - Strategy & BD [email protected] - 098676 82002 delhi k N Sudheer - Regional Manager [email protected] - 099101 66443 kolkata Nikhil Doshi - Region Head [email protected] - 098369 96293 Chennai W Sudhakar - Manager [email protected] - 097899 81869
geospatial Today is printed by P Chandrasekhar Reddy published by P Chandrasekhar Reddy on behalf of Spatial Networks Pvt. Ltd., Plot No.761, Road No.39, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad - 500 033 AP, India. and
printed at M/s. Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd. 1-1-60/5, RTC cross roads, Musheerabad, Hyderabad - 500 020. and Published at Spatial Networks Pvt. Ltd. Plot No.761, Road No.39, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad - 500 033 AP, India.
Editor: P Chandrasekhar Reddy
Please note: Views expressed in the articles are those of the writer(s) and may not be shared by the editor or members of the editorial board. Unsolicited material will not be returned.
Copyright: No material published here should be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publishers.
feed back
Readers are advised to send all feedback and comments to [email protected] Subscriptions
phone : 040 233 000 61 / 0626 e-mail : [email protected] Write to : Spatial Networks Pvt. Ltd.
#407, Fifth Floor, Pavani Plaza Khairatabad, Hyderabad - 500 004 AP. India.
Tel: +91 40 233 000 61, 233 006 26 Fax: +91 40 233 006 65 www.geospatialtoday.com
CONTaCT US
VOLUME 10 ISSUE 5
Editorial advisory board
34
SpaTial RiSk maNagEmENT fOR UTiliTY NETWORkS
38 The changing face of
global space industry
Cover Story
In the past four decades, India has steadily grown in stature and maturity as a space faring nation. Today, it is considered among the top six nations. India has achieved many milestones such as launching 10 satellites in a single mission in 2008 and then following it up with the success of Chandrayaan-1 which catapulted India to the top. All through the journey, one striking feature of the Indian space programme has been the conspicuous absence of blowing its trumpet.
While the global space industry is changing fast and is looking towards Earth Observation satellites, India has made a mark in this area. Now, when major players are cutting their budgets and are looking to civil applications, India remains ahead of many in developing societal applications and has become an inspiring model for emerging countries which are planning to enter space sector.
The Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellites which were initially launched for domestic use have morphed into an international brand and their data is in great demand in countries across the world.
The trend across the globe is to commercialise Earth
Observation missions. In 2009, there were 26 nations launching EO satellites. By 2019, it is expected that over 40 countries are expected to launch at least one EO satellite. EO satellite launches are expected to cross the 250 mark in the next decade.
The US, Europe, Russia, Japan, China and India too are looking to expand their operational users.
The Indian Space programme has been successful in reaching out to people in remote areas through its tele-education and tele-medicine programmes. It has now developed into a multidimensional programme, providing benefits to various stakeholders including government, users, the common man, industry as well as research community and international organisations.
Continuing with the aim of space for society, the Indian space programme is enhancing its imaging capabilities for natural resource management applications. The future looks bright with plans for Chandrayaan-2 and a human space mission. The Indian space odyssey that started in Thumba on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram has come a long way indeed!
Best regards
Ramprasad Publications Director
CONTENTS
From the publisher’s desk
Low on hype, high on impact
SpaCE Talk 29 NEWS
30 a bETTER pROpOSiTiON fOR EaRTh ObSERVaTiON Barring certain crucial applications worth the high cost of large satellites, the capabilities of small satellites providing sub-metre resolutions are fully adequate for commercial applications
34 SpaTial RiSk maNagEmENT fOR UTiliTY NETWORkS When an emergency strikes and causes problems in a utility
network, decisions have to be made fast 41 COlUmN
kevin macdonald 42 pRiVaCY aNd lOCaTiON
Transparency in the use of data coupled with development of trust will go a long way in addressing privacy issues in spatial data sharing
46 maRkETS 48 EVENTS
News
NaSa maps tropical forest carbon storage
axis bank deploys SatNav’s a-mantra fm South korea cracks down on gpS jamming
A
NASA-led research team has used satellite data to create the most precise map depicting the amountT
he Korea Communications Commission in Seoul has initiated operations to curb production and sale of GPS jamming devices illegally sold in the market.Private organisations are also developing technology that will aid in preventing jamming of GPS. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) in South Korea has already started a project to develop technologies allowing
detection of GPS jamming and locating its origin. It expects to come up with an anti-jamming and detection solution in the next five years. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is also conducting a research project
The South Korea Communications Commission is clamping on illegal production and sale of GPS Jamming devices.
on “technology for tracing electro-wave threats for assuring safe aircraft takeoff and landing,” to cope with electro-wave interference by civilian air carriers. The menace caused by jamming devices particularly came into picture after a report published by the newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, which stated that anyone in the private sector could commit GPS jamming as done by North Korea earlier in March.
monitoring and research and will serve as a useful resource for managing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. The new and location of carbon stored
in Earth’s tropical forests.
The map data is expected to provide a baseline for carbon
A
xis Bank is installing a-mantra, a leading proven and robust facilities management product from SatNav. a-mantra helps organisations manage their property, space and assets with enhanced efficiency in their day-to-day operations.Additional modules include maintenance management,
Axis Bank intends to map all the corporate, regional offices and branch locations in detail to capture property information, the layouts of each location, then use a-mantra to manage space and the assets allocated on those places. Display of location data would then be accessable from any computer in the network.
employee service portal, seat optimisation & transport logistics, and business continuity planning etc.
a-mantra has a work flow engine built in for approvals and notification processes in organisations and also has a strategic reporting module which can be used to generate reports and analyse the same.
map is based on data collected from ground and space-based data, and shows for the first time, the distribution of carbon stored in forests across more than 75 tropical countries.
Most of that carbon is stored in the extensive forests of Latin America. These maps will form a benchmark and will be used as a basis for comparison in the future when the forest cover and its carbon stock change.
The map not only depicts the amount of carbon stored in the forest, but also the accuracy of the estimate.
indian intelligence using geospatial technology to hunt Ulfa head
T
he Indian intelligence is using satellite technology to hunt Paresh Baruah, the head of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Using GPS, satellite map of Taka (jungle area in the border of China-Myanmar) has been developed. If any evidence on the existence of Baruah in Myanmar forest are obtained then the satellite maps can be shared with the Myanmar army to plan hunt operations.Recently a 14-member Indian delegation led by Shambhu Singh, Joint Secretary (North East), Ministry of Home Affairs and representatives from Manipur Government and official from the Government of Myanmar held a meeting at Kalewa, about 50 km from Moreh, Myanmar to discuss the possibilities of trapping Baruah using high-end technology.
04 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
india now has a national inventory of wetlands
avenza releases mapublisher 8.5 for adobe illustrator
Japan develops ecomap
I
SRO has developed a detailed national inventory of wetlands on the basis of satellite imagery. The document highlights areas of critical ecological significance and those which are facing extreme threat due to developmental activities.This is for the first time that the city-based SAC under ISRO have developed an inventory in the form of atlas of all the wetlands in the country. Emphasising on the need for conservation of wetlands, Dr Ranganth R Navalgund, director, SAC
J
apan has developed an ecomap that shows digital geographic data sets of the whole globe with unified specifications developed in close collaboration with national mapping organisations around the world in order to accurately describe the present status of the global environment. The project aims to contribute to the planning of countermeasures on globalThe ecomap will aid in developing strategies to counter environmental challenges.
According to Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, it is continuously endeavoring to improve the quality of the Global Map Data by way of implementing technical developments to facilitate updates of the data, and by fostering a conducive environment which would enable all countries to develop their own data easily and cost- effectively.
A
venza Systems Inc announced the release of MAPublisher 8.5 for Adobe Illustrator. This release is now fully compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS5.1, part of the new Creative Suite 5.5 family.Commenting on the release, Ted Florence, President of Avenza said, “We’re delighted to release MAPublisher 8.5
Additional MAPublisher 8.5 features include support for Adobe Illustrator CS5.1 (also known as Illustrator 15.1 in Adobe CS5.5) on Windows and Mac, ability to seamlessly open geospatial PDF and GeoPDF documents and assign content as MAPublisher layers, new spatial filter option when indexing map objects.
Development of an updated and accurate database that supports research and decision making is the first step towards their conservation.
to follow the latest update of the Adobe Creative Suite.
Our users will be happy to know that this release of MAPublisher will be fully supported and compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS5.1 on both Windows and Mac.
We’ve also included some priority fixes from user requests.”
said that wetlands are the most productive ecosystems and play a crucial role in flood control, but their very existence is threatened due to developmental activities.
environmental problems such as global warming and climate change. It intends to offer a unified specification of digital geospatial information to the whole land area of the earth.
Satellite images to combat avian flu
With the aid of satellite data, it is possible to create risk maps for the spread of avian flu virus by wild water birds. This has been shown in research by Yali Si, a doctoral student from the ITC faculty of the University of Twente. Risk maps show the most popular areas for wild water birds and thus indicate where the risk of the spread of the avian flu virus is greatest. Yali Si demonstrated that this is a feasible method, but states that more research is needed to refine the methodology and the resulting risk maps.
intergraph and ERdaS premier the future of spatial analysis
With Hexagon 2011 under way, ERDAS and Intergraph are detailing their plans to leverage their combined strengths in raster and vector processing through a new spatial modelling framework. This technology has been showcased at the Hexagon 2011 Conference. The new spatial modelling framework catapults each organisation’s existing geospatial strengths, providing a model for future integrated technological developments.
The new spatial modelling framework is based on the strong raster analysis capabilities of ERDAS IMAGINE and the powerful vector analysis capabilities of Intergraph GeoMedia. Integrated within a new graphical user interface and extensible through third-party scripting environments, the next-generation spatial modelling solution will support desktop and on-demand enterprise geo-processing. This technology will also enable users in a broad variety of disciplines, such as agriculture management, disaster recovery, civil engineering, property assessment, and others, to create spatial analysis and processing programs within a command-line environment.
july 2011 geospatial TODAY |05
NbWl calls for the use of geospatial technology for wildlife conservation
Enhanced Safe software offers high speed data extraction
NiiT giS inks reseller agreement with NaVTEQ
K
ishor Rithe, member, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) has called for the implementation of more scientific and technically advanced approach to deal with wildlife conservation.He was referring to the efforts to conserve wildlife during current widening of National Highway 6 (NH-6) between Deori and Sakoli. Dr Alan Rabinowitz, a US-based wildlife conservationist has suggested the use of GIS-based modelling and designing site-specific plans to identify wildlife corridors and deal with the linear intrusion issues.
Encouraging the efforts of S K Khetarpal, PCCF (wildlife) in wildlife conservation, Kishor
S
afe Software hasenhanced FME, its leading spatial data transformation technology which now enables faster access to the spatial intelligence that is stored in leading database formats. Organisations now have unprecedented flexibility to get the exact data they need to power their
business decisions.
New functionality in FME 2011 increases the speed of extracting the precise subset of data that is immediately needed from databases
data specification allowing customers to easily and cost- effectively optimise processes, manage assets and increase productivity. As an authorised NAVTEQ distributor, NIIT GIS will have the ability to sell NAVTEQ’s robust map data and bundle it with GIS software
to deliver comprehensive location intelligence solutions.
NAVTEQ had previously signed a similar contract with the ESRI Australia group.
Commenting on the deal, S Sridhar, President & COO, NIIT GIS Ltd said, “We are
committed to providing our customers with high-quality solutions to meet their increasing location intelligence needs. ESRI customers will find the accuracy of NAVTEQ map data and location content as true differentiating advantage within their GIS solutions.”
such as Oracle Spatial, Esri ArcSDE, Microsoft SQL Server, PostGIS, and others.
Users can then transform the data to meet their format and data model requirements and integrate it with other data for a more unified view.
This frees the organisation to leverage its data assets as spatial intelligence,
whenever it’s needed. The new, streamlined approach means that less time is spent loading unneeded data into the transformation process.
Instead, organisations can get straight to the data that they want to use to power business intelligence, much faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) should be implemented at the state level. Rithe urged NHAI to Rithe said that the initiatives
and strategies adopted by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the
use geospatial technology and biological inputs to focus on target species habitats to reduce the impact of projects.
N
AVTEQ has completed an enterprise reseller agreement with NIIT GIS Ltd, which enables NIIT GIS to now offer the complete suite of NAVTEQ-enhanced data solutions to its range of enterprise customers. NAVTEQ maps are built to a singleUpdations in FME enable faster data extraction for business intelligence.
News
06 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
Satellite images to reveal development activity on Yarlang Tsangpo
david Totman joins ESRi as public works manager Odisha SaC maps land use patterns
D
avid Totman, former asset manager at Colorado Springs Utilities, joins ESRI as the new industry solutions manager for public works.Totman replaces Chuck Cmeyla. Employed in a variety of positions during the past 24 years, Totman brings a wealth of private- and public- sector experience to his new position.
“I’m a longtime user of ESRI
technologies and how they may be integrated into public works business processes.”
Totman believes that public works departments are well positioned to leverage an investment in the technology into other areas including performance management, failure analysis, workflow optimisation and mobile field input, as they are the early adopters of GIS.
software, eager to apply my experience to ESRI’s public works initiatives,”
says Totman. “I look forward to meeting our users and showcasing ESRI
I
n an attempt to map the land use patterns, the Odisha Space Application Centre (ORSAC) has conducted a pilot study at Chintamanipur village in Tangi-Chowdwar near Cuttack. The study provides vital insights and minute details that help in monitoring planning andwhen launched through a Web-based tool in the form of an application, can help civic bodies and the development authorities to pinpoint vulnerable pockets during natural calamities, problems of encroachment in low-lying areas and obstruction over the natural drainage channels.
Brahmaputra River. However, the Ministry of External Affairs has reported that there is no need to worry about China’s plans on diverting Brahmaputra’s course for harnessing hydel power.
India’s share of water from the river will only get affected if any activities to hold the water are initiated. And any such activities can easily be traced with the high-resolution Indian satellites. The hydel power projects will only use the gradient to generate power without affecting the flow of the river or its volume significantly.
development work at the pilot-level. The study proves that using satellite imagery micro level data for any given area can be obtained, which can be extremely helpful to civic bodies for planning, undertaking and monitoring development work.
Data generated by the study
T
he ministry of water resources in India has requested National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)to develop a report on the building activity by China on the bend of the Yarlang Tsangpo, the Chinese name for
David Totman looks forward to promote the use of ESRI technology to enhance efficency in public works processes.
Trimble acquires Yamei Electronics Technology
Trimble has acquired Yamei Electronics Technology, Co Ltd, a China-based wholly owned entity of Digisec Group of the Caymans.
Yamei produces automotive electronic products used for anti-theft GPS monitoring and tracking, RFID-based smart key and start and on-board diagnostics systems. Prime customers of Yamei include SGM China, Geely, KYB (Japan), Shanghai 1Hai Car Rental Company, Toyota Logistics, and Gaungzhou Hino Motors among others. Through the acquisition Trimble aims to expand its presence in the automotive and other sectors, while better positioning it to address markets in China, Asia Pacific and India.
Yamei’s solutions include its ALL-WAY brand of aftermarket vehicle tracking and wireless entry products.
haRSaC prepares palaeochannel maps for haryana
Haryana Space Application Centre (HARSAC) has developed palaeochannel maps of five districts of Haryana including Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Kaithal by using satellite data.
Palaeochannels refer to the remnants of the pre-existing rivers which subsequently got buried or extinct due to geological (tectonic) or climatic activities. A geophysical survey at certain sites in the mapped area was also conducted in collaboration with Kurukshetra University to verify the existence of these palaeochannels and for ground water characterisation in the identified palaeochannels.
The groundwater sample analysis results revealed that the source of groundwater at all the locations might be identical.
july 2011 geospatial TODAY |07
Soil mapping to be conducted in Sattari, Quepem
dr Vanessa lawrence opens new university research hub
T
he agriculture department will undertake soil mapping in Sattari and Quepem on a pilot basis for a comprehensive study of the soil conditions.Speaking about the project, S P Tendulkar, agriculture director said, “We will do this project on a pilot basis, one in North and another in South Goa to assess the status of soil nutrients, water, type
A
traditional ribbon cutting ceremony marked the official opening of a new Graduate Geography and Environment Research Hub at the University of Southampton, inaugurated by Ordnance Survey’s Director General and Chief Executive Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB.The new research facility provides a modern research environment for up to 60 Graduate Doctoral students
and facilities for visiting scientists.
Vanessa, who is a member of the University’s council and a Visiting Professor at the University, commented: “The new hub provides Graduate Doctoral students with
The new facility offers modern research environment and promotes collaboration among students.
excellent facilities to carry out their important research.
It also provides a superb space enabling greater collaboration and sharing of ideas between students. The overall success of graduate studies in Southampton is important to the region and the new research hub demonstrates the university’s commitment to improving facilities and resources for students and staff.”
some agency,” Tendulkar said.
The study is expected to cover nutrient status, flood-prone areas, the depth of the soil and land use details. It will help farmers to decide the type of crops to be grown. The work has to be outsourced to some agency as it requires technical inputs. The satellite data has to be taken and related to the ground level with digital maps.
of soil and other aspects.” A central government agency had carried out a soil study in the late-90s, but it related to physical characteristics of the soil. “We are trying to go to the micro level through this project and help farmers.
The project is in the process of being finalised. It will take some time to draw up all the details, finalise tender formalities and entrust it to
Streetmapper laser surveying takes to the
streets of malaysia
S
treetMapper, the vehicle- based laser mapping system, has successfully completed high-speed surveying trials in Malaysia.StreetMapper conducted a detailed engineering survey of the Univerisiti Teknologi Malaysia in a challenge, set by surveying company Jalal Johari Consultants, to compare StreetMapper’s performance against traditional total station surveying. Collecting 2.7 billion highly accurate measurements in just a matter of hours, StreetMapper came out on top for speed of data capture, surveyor safety and ease of use.
Commenting on StreetMapper, Jalal Johari, Principal Licensed Surveyor of Jalal Johari Consultants SDN BHD said,
“We compared the data from the StreetMapper system with total station measurements to determine a number of factors including speed of data capture, data accuracy and ease of data processing. The first advantage that became apparent was the need for only two members of staff; one to drive the vehicle and another to operate the system. The safety of the survey team was also apparent as they were securely located within the survey vehicle. Then it was the speed of data capture that impressed them, with StreetMapper collecting up to 300,000 points per second from just one scanner.”
News
08 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
leica geosystems expands its Zeno giS series
Remote sensing study tracks deforestation in Western ghats
Uyen Dinh is the new VP, Government Affairs at GeoEye
L
eica Geosystems has released the new Zeno GIS family member – the Leica Zeno GG02 plus, a versatile centimetre-accurate GNSS SmartAntenna combining dual-frequency GPS and optional GLONASS support.With the ever increasing demand for high-accuracy GIS, the new Leica Zeno GG02 plus and a Zeno field controller (Zeno 10/15 and CS10/15 GIS), deliver centimetre accuracy positioning even in difficult environments. In addition, Leica Zeno Connect and new versions of Zeno Field v2.0
A
ccording to a study conducted by IISc using remote sensing data, steady decrease in the forest cover in Western Ghats has been observed. Assessment of deforestation in the Ghats currently being done by Prof N H Ravindranath of the Indian Institute of Science reveals that in Uttara Kannada district, the area under forest cover was 7,84,000institutions including IISc have together developed the Karnataka climate change action plan that was recently submitted to the state government. It points out there are around 3.62 Mha of forests in Karnataka. The area under forests is marginally declining, while the area under dense forests has declined significantly – more than 8 per cent from 2001 to 2007.
and Zeno Office v2.0 have also been released. With advanced GPS and GLONASS tracking technology, productivity is maintained in environments such as urban canyons and tree canopy with the ability to maintain lock on enough satellites when sky visibility becomes obstructed. The Leica Zeno GG02 plus SmartAntenna can be used to accurately map critical infrastructure, property information and other features including cadastral and public works data, and (re-) locate oil pipelines, gas line and electric cables.
hectares in 2001, which got reduced to 7,82,000 ha in 2007. In Shimoga, 4,44,000 ha of forestland was reduced to 4,40,000 over the same period.
A number of research
G
eoEye, Inc has promoted Uyen Dinh to vice president of Government Affairs. Dinh joined GeoEye in May 2007 as senior director of government affairs and is responsible for the overall development and execution of all government relations programmes. GeoEye’sfront are invaluable.” Prior to joining GeoEye, Dinh served as counsel for the US House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She was also the counsel for both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Government Reform Committee.
President and CEO, Matt O’Connell said, “Uyen has done a tremendous job managing GeoEye’s relationships with the legislative and executive branches of the US government. The experience and expertise she brings to her role as the Company’s key advocate on the strategic
Remote sensing data has revealed decline in forest cover over Western Ghats.
pbbi expands its product offering
Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI) has expanded its product portfolio to include new and advanced version of MapInfo:
Crime Patroller, a solution that provides crime intelligence, and Paramics, a traffic management solution to be available in India.
The product expansion is in line with the company’s vision of gaining market leadership in the fast growing Indian market for enterprise software and related solutions. Crime Patroller and Paramics are extensively being used by organisations across the world and will help public organisations in India fill in critical gaps. PBBI also plans to increase its footprint in the e-Governance/
PSU space, considering its extensive experience in that arena globally.
dSSdi to map all property details
The Delhi State Spatial Data Infrastructure Project (DSSDI) will map all records, data, ownership details of properties under the jurisdiction of land & development office, including those in Lutyens’
Delhi, and details of housing schemes, markets, community facilities, parks, roads, drainage and water bodies under the purview of Delhi Development Authority. The data will be accessible to all state departments and civic agencies through the DSSDI platform. The project is a crucial step in removing red-tape in urban planning process. The UD ministry has directed the land
& development office and DDA to provide all information to the Delhi government’s information technology department so that it can be incorporated in the database.
july 2011 geospatial TODAY |09
ESa introduces Cont-Trak for container tracking
W
hether at sea, on rail, stacked or stored, shipping containers can now be tracked worldwide via satellite with Cont-Trak, a solution developed through ESA’s telecommunications program. Field trials have been carried out at a container depot in Halifax, Canada to test different stacking situations, and during shipping from Europe to North America. Containers were fitted with Cont-Trak terminals, set to provide reports every four hours, and sent on their normal routes.These tests achieved seamless coverage between the North American and European systems. Transmissions were made from ships, in harbour, on lorries and on rail, and all the time the system was able to receive and process polling commands.
networks are available,”
explains ESA’s Norbert Hübner, “such as the transit of
“Cont-Trak can track containers in remote locations where no terrestrial communication
News
SSTl expands into state-of-the-art technical facility
Fujifilm cameras now use NAVTEQ maps
S
urrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has moved its technical operations into The Kepler Building, a new £ 10-million state-of- the-art technical facility, providing assembly, testing and integration of satellites platforms and payloads for SSTL’s global customers in a single location. Co-located with SSTL’s headquarters inGuildford, the new facility provides significant new capacity that will increase throughput for multi-satellite contracts.
SSTL CEO Dr Matt Perkins commented: “SSTL has
map data and POI content. The FinePix F550EXR comes with a built-in GPS functionality, and the FinePix XP30 includes built-in GPS functionality and
is water-, shock- and dust- proof. FinePix recognises the user’s location and displays it either as longitude and latitude, or by place name.
A tag is placed on the image which, when using place names, can easily be searched for, enabling users to quickly find shots of a specific PoI.
The new facility enhances SSTL’s capacity to build more satellites.
delivered growth during the recession, contributing to the UK space industry’s export success through continued technological innovation.
We are actively recruiting and The Kepler Building will provide our engineers with the facilities they need to build more satellites and achieve our growth plans for the next 20 years.” The 3,700
sq m (40,000 sq ft) facility’s clean rooms, laboratories and testing facilities will replace the existing facilities in the University of Surrey campus. Satellites currently being assembled and tested in the new world-class test halls include TechDemoSat-1 and the Kazakhstan medium- resolution satellite for Astrium.
F
ujifilm has selected NAVTEQ maps for its new GPS-enabled digital cameras including FinePix F550EXR and FinePix XP30 that feature10 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
containers via rail, road, ships or storage of containers in remote locations.
kCCSNS organises workshop on space sciences
semi-technical level to expose students to the exciting developments in space science and technology and pursue career in this sector.
introduced to interesting topics on space biology and space psychology and microgravity. The event is conducted every year at a
T
he 5th two-week ISRO sponsored workshop on “Fundamentals of Space Science and Technology”was held from June 1-14 in Kolkata. The Workshop was jointly conducted by Kalpana Chawla Centre for Space and Nano Sciences (KCCSNS) and RKM Vivekanada University.
Twenty-nine students from West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu attended the conference.
Besides faculty from KCCSNS and other institutions, senior ISRO scientists Dr Surendra Pal, Dr G R Viswanathan, Dr V Jayaraman, Dr Amitava Bose of ISRO also delivered lectures. Students were
indian police acquires gpS-enabled weapons from the US
As revealed by the Home Ministry, India is planning to acquire latest 3D imagery technology from the US and make it available for young police officers. The weaponry to be acquired includes laser range finders, modern GPS devices, latest thermal imagers and 3D imaging warfare technology.
The police academy will further develop a library of 3D images of vital installations which can be potential terror targets. These details will be used in training special police commandos in dealing with hostage situations in buildings. The 3D technology is a modern imagery system that uses helicopters or remote piloted vehicles that can capture images of an area in forest or any building occupied by terrorists.
News
pocketweb releases pocket ping
US promotes geospatial data sharing among govt agencies indonesia uses geospatial technology in public housing
P
ocketweb Ltd, a New Zealand-based innovator that integrates secureA
kosurtanal, Indonesia’s coordinating agency for survey and mapping has teamed up with the Ministry of Housing to promote the use of geospatial technology for the development of public housing in the country.Geospatial information will help the ministry of public housing in construction of housing and settlement areas, as well as to increase
the effectiveness and efficiency in housing programmes and residential neighbourhood.
Emphasising on the significance of geospatial information in planning for
Geospatial technology will enhance efficiency in developing public housing plans.
public housing, Minister of Public Housing, Suharso Monoarfa said, geospatial information will play a central role in meeting the development needs of housing programmes and that the joint partnership between the two agencies would have a significant contribution to the development of public housing and neighbourhood in the country.
location-based and social media services across Web and mobile platforms, announced
T
he US federal government is exploring ways to promote sharing of geospatial data across federal, state, and local government agencies. A report released by the government highlights the state of geospatial data sharing in the United States and the challenges government officials face while sharing data across the disparate IT systemsthe government is the issue of eliminating duplication of data sets collected by various authorities. A solution proposed is the Imagery for the Nation (IFTN) program being developed by the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) for collecting and disseminating satellite imagery to government agencies.
used to store it. The report states that 80 per cent of the data has some kind of geospatial component; but since the data is collected by a number of federal, state, tribal, and local governments, private companies, academic institutions, and nonprofit organisations, collection and management is considered to be the most expensive part.
Primary challenge faced by
TreadCrumb platform in 2010, and have been waiting patiently for the appropriate utilisation of the technology,”
remarked Michael Heinzel, co-founder and managing director of Pocketweb. “After the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquakes, followed by Japan’s natural disaster, we knew that it was time to re-visit the original idea and create something relevant to disaster preparedness; the technology is ‘ripe’ for the circumstances.”
the public release of mobile application Pocket Ping. The app is powered by TreadCrumb, Pocketweb’s proprietary platform that utilises the company’s location- based technology to provide Pocket Ping app users with the option to share their location via Web link to recipients.
“We developed the
12 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
autodesk helps design eco-friendly prototypes
E
co Materials Adviser (EMA) is a sustainable-design tool developed by Autodesk for its AutoCAD computer aided design suite. Jointly developed by Autodesk and Cambridge University’s Granta Design, EMA is part of the Autodesk Inventor 2012 module. In the design phase EMA helps designers to estimate a project’s environmental impact and they can adjust materials and features to enhance the life-cycle sustainability properties of the product.In Autodesk Inventor designers can quickly generate an eco- impact analysis for any given product or its assembly parts.
The dashboard display of EMA shows key indicators such as energy usage, CO2 footprint, water usage, and materials cost, as bar icons. Thus, a user can easily explore the effects of changes in the chosen materials or design elements.
New telecom equipment policy mandates greater accuracy
New bentley iWare apps for intelligent search of model info
B
entley Systems, Incorporated has added new interoperability offerings to the iWare apps site (www.bentley.com/iWare). The site provides fast and easy access to Bentley’s no-cost iWare apps for enhanced interoperability, along with links to free training in their use and in-depth reference documentation.
Participation on the iWare
unmet demand among the infrastructure community for interoperability tools. The new offering extends the reach of architectural, engineering, and associated business data within information models for much broader use, through widely deployed business analytical tools and throughout enterprise systems supporting intelligent infrastructure assets.
approximately US$ 5 billion.
However, the LBS providers are concerned that at present there is no solution to meet the technical standards for accuracy as specified by the government. Even after implementation there is no method for ascertaining the accuracy of LBS. Further, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) is also concerned about the backlash from the customers concerned about their privacy, as the DoT has not issued any clear policy guidelines on this matter.
apps site, by a varied audience that includes many new to Bentley, is impressive and growing. It provides a clear indication of the previously
The new iWare apps site offers greater interoperability for developing intelligent infrastructure assets.
China warns mapping websites to obtain license
A list of 46 domestic websites offering online mapping services without license has been published by China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM). These websites have been issued a warning that they would be punished if they fail to obtain approval beyond a specified timeline. These websites are used by many Chinese Internet users for searching bus routes or finding the location of real estate projects. The initiative is in line with China’s nationwide campaign which was initiated in March to eliminate illegal online mapping services. The campaign will primarily focus on major violations, including unauthorised disclosure of confidential information on the maps and mistakes in drawing the country’s borders, especially on islands and coastal areas.
iSRO and CWC to link major rivers
ISRO and Central Water Commission (CWC) have together developed a blueprint called India-Water Resources Information System (WRIS) to interlink the major rivers of the country through a series of canals without any ecological problems. These canals will facilitate the flow of flood water from water-surplus rivers to water-scarce rivers. Rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Ganges get flooded because of melting glaciers during summer in the Himalayas. While Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat undergo drought for most part of the year, states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam face floods. Severe drought and ravaging floods have become perennial problems of the country. These extreme calamities can be controlled by proper management of water.
Tata docomo initiates lbS
T
wo new LBS called Route Finder and Smart Pilot have been launched by Tata Docomo. For both the services Docomo is using NAVTEQ maps. Accessible through SMS, Route Finder detects the user’s location automatically and gives directions to the set destination through SMSservice that offers information as well as navigation details to reach any destination across India. Other options offered in Smart Pilot include setting destinations by address search, searching points of interest like ATMs, petrol pumps, railway stations etc. and users can also find places on interactive maps.
or a link. Customers using data-enabled phones can get directions via a link, by clicking which they can see a static map indicating the route from current to selected location.
Users without data-enabled phones will get directions as text messages. Smart Pilot is a voice-based navigation
T
he new simplified Equipment Security Agreement issued by the Department of Telecom mandates the implementation of location-basedinfrastructure by telecom operators to maintain location information up to the accuracy of 50 metres for customers specified by security agencies by June 01, 2012, and for all customers by June 2014.
The implementation of location-based infrastructure is expected to cost the Indian telecom operators
july 2011 geospatial TODAY |13
The changing face of global space industry
In light of severe budgetary constraints, the space faring nations are coming up with novel funding plans to generate a return on
investment. Lucie Viciano discusses the current trends in the global space industry
Cover Story
14 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
A total of 692 government satellites expected to be launched between 2011 and 2020 covering a multitude of applications.
T
he global space industry is currently undergoing a transition on several levels. Many important milestones will affect growth and represent turning points for the industry. For instance, the number of government and commercial satellites to be launched over the next decade is set to increase by a staggering 58 per cent, reaching 1,229 units by 2019. This should lead to an industry worth an estimated US$ 195 billion for the decade 2010-2019, up 51 per cent from 2000-2009.Until now, space spending has been largely driven by leading space government programmes, but today they are adapting to challenging national budget situations. Another trend is the emergence of new countries that have entered the space market by establishing their own programmes spanning various applications. Additionally, the commercial space industry, in which the communications market has dominated, is gradually being affected by the changing government strategies.
Transition in spending across regions and applications
Government space spending across the globe recently
reached a major milestone.
Investment in space in 2010 culminated in a record US$ 71.5 billion, comprising civil and defence space programmes in approximately equal measures.
This expenditure will lead to a total of 692 government satellites expected to be launched between 2011 and 2020 covering a multitude of applications, compared to 483 in the past decade. This represents 43 per cent more satellite launches than during the previous decade, of which
satellites meant for civil use constitute 75 per cent. Overall, the largest national budgets through 2009/2010 by sector were for manned spaceflight, SatCom and Earth observation (EO) (Figure 1). However, the pace of government investment in space is slowing considerably with public space programme financing expected to decline by around 1 per cent per year on average in the next five years, due to the following factors:
• Many government space programmes are cyclical in nature and some key programmes are coming to the end of their procurement phase. This is the case specifically in the US which, in 2010, accounted for nearly three-quarters of worldwide space programme government expenditure.
As the US Space Shuttle programme comes to an end, the US could witness an overall freeze in civil spending with a real decline in spending
july 2011 geospatial TODAY |15
on manned spaceflight activities.
• Economic stimulus funding allocated to space projects has now predominantly come to an end and most leading space governments are now returning to more stringent budgets and cutting back on non-priority missions.
This is expected to result in a sharp drop in the very near term in government Satcom spending, following steep growth of 49 per cent from 2009 to 2010 fuelled by the defence sector. This type of investment, characterised by costly and lengthy programmes, should only resume by 2015.
In contrast, civil programme expenditures should continue to grow steadily due to increasing commitments from a growing number of countries and relatively cheaper and quicker time to turn around missions.
While leading agencies (US, Europe, Japan) are expected to face continuing budget pressures in the near future, countries reaching “space maturity”, such as China and India, could support growth, albeit more modestly than in the past. New initiatives in other nations (Australia, Canada and emerging countries) may also enter the market, by developing autonomous missions to gain access to space.
Government collaboration with the commercial sector is expected to become a more prevalent strategy to minimise some of the governmental outlay. This can be done using public-private partnership mechanisms or in emerging space countries, through the major prime contractors offering technology transfer programmes and providing direct equity investment to specific missions.
Emerging nations will represent an increasing share of government investment in EO, especially for civil applications.
Cover Story
Government EO – Widening demand in multiple ways
Taking top funding spot While the top two government spending sectors in 2010 (manned spaceflight and Satcom) have benefitted from steady increase in funding over the previous decade, Earth Observation is set to represent a significant share of government investments in the next five to ten years. This is compared to more modest growth expected in space security, satellite navigation, launchers and science. Indeed, by 2015, global EO government investments are expected to exceed US$
9.5 billion, up from an already all-time high of US$ 8 billion in 2010, propelling it to the top spot in terms of government space spending. Three quarters of this investment is by civil government (the rest relates to non-classified defence) and while leading programmes represent the majority of overall EO investment (the US, Europe, Russia, Japan and China), emerging nations will represent an increasing share of government investment in EO, especially for civil applications.
This translates into a soaring number of EO satellite launches of around 255 anticipated over the next decade (three quarters for civil missions), up from around 155 over the past decade.
In 2009, there were 26 nations launching EO satellites. By 2019, it is expected that over 40 countries, are expected to launch at least one EO satellite.
Developing and emerging missions from countries such as South Africa, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Chile, Venezuela, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia
and Vietnam will account for approximately one-third of government EO satellites in the 2010-2019 time period, compared to only 10 per cent in the previous decade.
Benefits of EO programmes These figures are set to create a surge in EO data supply, testifying to the priority of EO enabling governments to respond to key policy objectives.
Despite budget pressures, leading space governments are likely to sustain EO investment as they consider its long-term importance across a number of key civilian applications, in particular: environmental monitoring and climate change.
These types of missions require long-term funding commitments as they contribute to providing long-term continuous datasets, often on a global scale, necessary to monitor such applications.
This increase is also partly due to new countries viewing EO as a strategy to become more autonomous from a geospatial information standpoint, from designing a system that meets their specific needs through to the collection and distribution of data through local providers, supporting national industry.
Moreover, EO satellites are relatively cheap when compared to other satellite applications (such as SatCom and Science) and EO systems are often therefore considered a first step in gaining access to space for countries starting their own space activities.
Impact on funding mechanisms
With defence EO budgets taking a hit in response to cutbacks and programme prioritisation,
16 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
The largest users for commercial data globally are government entities, particularly for defence and security applications.
governments have adapted their funding strategies and usage models in order to maintain their critical EO infrastructure and data supply. Indeed, US EO defence spending fell from 62 per cent of global EO defence spending in 2004 to 44 per cent in 2010. By applying streamlining mechanisms in order to reduce EO mission costs, governments can remain responsive to policy objectives by developing cheaper and smaller satellites or constellations, prioritising defence government needs and increasing cooperation either amongst governments or with industry.
There have been attempts at cooperation between
governments especially in Europe. Bilateral defence programmes, such as the Helios-2 (France-Italy) and SAR-Lupe (France-Germany) missions, are being developed in cooperation to share costs.
Moreover, the pan-European Optical and Radar Federated Earth observation (ORFEO) programme has been brewing in view of defence governments sharing datasets from multiple European missions. However, these types of multilateral partnerships are challenging to develop as they are impacted by differing national drivers of participating members.
As such and as a means to spread costs across different
government bodies, dual-use missions (civil/defence) are increasingly being realised on a national scale (France, Spain and Italy). Furthermore, new data usage mechanisms are developing to yield a return on government investment. Cosmo- Skymed and Pleiades missions are examples with secondary mission goals to commercialise part of the datasets to generate external revenue. This type of activity has led to the creation of special relationships between governments and the commercial sector, for example through exclusive partnerships of data provision and distribution with operators and distributors.
These evolutions will aim to
R
ight from the beginning the Indian space sector has focussed on societal benefits such as tele- education, tele-medicine, and remote sensing applications. The Indian space programme has been successful in touching the lives of people across the nation through its interactive lectures, Internet-based training and was able to enter into classrooms across the country and reach villages through the Village Resource Centres (VRC). It has been successful in reaching to the remotest corners of India. After the successful launches of INSATs, IRS series and Chandrayaan-1 by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), it is now planning to launch Chandrayaan-2 along with various other space missions, recording further growth. Today, India is considered as a mature space faring nation and is ranked among the top six in the world in terms of budget and technological capabilities.The government of India is keen on furthering space research. India’s space budget for the financial year
The government is also keen on a manned mission and the exploration of Mars. The Government has allocated expenditure budget of ` 57.78 billion (US$ 1.26 billion). It is an increase of about 22 per cent from the previous year. The budget has been prepared keeping in mind the future programme and goals. Future satellites planned for launch by ISRO will address added applications in communications, navigation, disaster management and all weather remote sensing.
Vision 2025
ISRO has a plan in place for the next decade and calls the mission,
‘Vision 2025’ for the space research programme which includes the development of reusable launch vehicles, human space flight and enhanced imaging capability.
ISRO’s long-term plan encompasses development of reusable launch vehicles, human space flight, enhanced imaging capability, satellite based communication and navigation systems and planetary exploration.
India in the top six
2011 is ` 57.78 billion (US$ 1.26 billion) making it the sixth largest in the world, which accounts for about 0.14 per cent of GDP. A major portion of the budget is focussed on development and operation of launch vehicles and related applications. ISRO also plans to launch 10 satellites every year to better communication network and for disaster management. Many countries are looking towards India and ISRO has teamed up with several international space programmes with Russia, Europe and the USA. The recent success of Chandrayaan-1 mission boosted India’s image.
july 2011 geospatial TODAY |17
such as UK-based Surrey Satellite Technologies (SSTL) which developed the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) workhorse and exported it to seven other nations operating the satellites themselves.
Government versus private operators
In 2009, EO commercial data sales reached US$ 1.1 billion, growing strongly at a 20 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the last five years, evidence of rising commercial demand. These figures are expected to increase at a 15 per cent CAGR reaching US$ 4 billion annually by 2019. Specifically, high-resolution optical data represents 87 per cent of current EO commercial sales, compared to 17 per cent from radar sources. The largest users for commercial data globally are government entities, particularly for defence and security applications. Enterprise users, including companies dealing in natural resource extraction, have been regular users of specific EO datasets. However, this still represents less than a quarter of commercial data sales and uptake from this user group takes time to develop as facilitate mission operations and
synergies throughout the value chain, from space agencies to manufacturers, operators and end users.
Commercial industry – Generating multi-billion dollars in revenues
Whereas governments tend to launch and operate satellite systems in response to policy objectives addressing societal needs as a priority, the commercial space industry is driven by an underlying profit objective tied to four main market trends: the globalisation of the customer base, economic growth in developing and develop countries, deregulation in telecommunications and broadcasting and technological advances in ground and space systems.
Commercial satellites constitute one-third of the global launch market, with government satellites representing the rest.
The commercial sector will continue to grow over the next decade, with an estimated 422 satellites expected to be launched compared to 257 satellites in the past decade.
The commercial space value chain, represented in Figure 2, has been dominated by satcom applications as the telecoms and broadcasting industry has been using satellite networks for over 40 years. As the only mature commercial value chain, Satellite Communications provides the bulk of commercial revenues, from manufacturing to downstream services. In comparison, Earth Observation is at an early commercial development stage, still largely supported by government users. A record 30 commercial geostationary (GEO) satellite
orders were placed in 2009, for an estimated market value of US$ 4 billion. The majority is for satcom missions, representing 77 per cent of all commercial missions; the remaining 33 per cent are in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Private investors have in fact contributed to this growth, having acquired satellite systems to deliver new services (e.g.
UK’s Hylas) or to serve regions where opportunities still exist for traditional TV broadcasting and data communications (e.g.
Mexico’s Quetzsat). Roughly 50 commercial operators are active in satellite communications generating around US$ 10 billion in revenues, compared to seven companies for commercial Earth Observation systems, generating US$ 1.1 billion.
EO is becoming
increasingly commercial The number of EO missions commercially operated – and either fully- or partly- financed with private funds – is expected to rise four-fold over the coming decade to 47 satellites, the majority focussing on the provision of optical imagery, specifically high-resolution datasets.
Although there is a healthy competitive environment between the manufacturers of EO systems in the two major regions (Europe and North America), European prime contractors have been more successful in selling optical systems to government customers in markets such as Thailand, Chile, Algeria and Vietnam among others.
At least eight of these export contracts include technology transfer deals to develop local engineering capabilities. This has been the strength of companies
Cover Story
18 | geospatial TODAY july 2011
Lucie Viciano is a consultant at Euroconsult.
many large companies lack the in-house skills or willingness to acquire what they consider to be costly products and services.
The decision of a few
governments to commercialise their EO data, as in the case of government-funded Landsat, IRS and SPOT series, may not go well with the commercial operators.
For optical data provision, three companies lead the way, namely DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, and Astrium Geoinformation Services. The three companies together account for 63 per cent of the total global EO commercial data provision market.
Government being the key customer for these companies, particularly for defence and security applications, expanding their client base and reducing dependency on specific clients and applications is a major objective for EO operators. Indeed, 62 per cent of all commercial data sales are estimated to be for defence customers and over 70 per cent of DigitalGlobe and GeoEye revenues are tied to the US National Geospatial- intelligence Agency (NGA).
NGA is in fact the largest consumer of commercial EO data globally, and acts as an anchor tenant for the US operators, especially following the multi- billion dollar EnhancedView contract agreements in 2010, guaranteeing secured revenue from the NGA to these operators over the coming decade.
Vertical integration is key for downstream industry
In contrast to satcom, the EO and satnav value chains are characterised as emerging due to the fact that the information produced by these satellites has limited economic value if it is
not integrated into value-added services. Also, communication satellites do not create
information but only relay it, an important difference from EO satellites. Indeed, most of the EO value chain’s commercial revenue is generated by the downstream industry. Operators are in fact putting in place new mechanisms to reach end-users, such as end-to-end vertical integration and leveraging distribution partnerships. For example, by deploying new easy access web-based GIS- enabled imagery, operators are able to provide integrated and complementary solutions to attract geospatial-hungry clients worldwide. The vast number of distribution partnerships being negotiated around the world between operators and value-added resellers testifies of the importance of tailored solutions according to specific local markets. While potentially helping generate additional revenue, these new service providers, may also grab a chunk of operators’ margins, affecting their growth.
Operators are also developing technology transfer-type schemes to help encourage end-user uptake and usage of geospatial technology, which could in turn spur more demand (e.g. GeoEye and its non-profit Foundation). By working with local providers, operators can tailor their EO data or product offering in line with local needs and increase local know-how development.
Need to tweak strategies Government missions are increasingly faced with a tradeoff between ensuring the long-term continuity of services (such as under leasing agreements),
particularly important for societal benefits, versus minimising expenditure in light of tight budget constraints. However, there are signs indicating that governments are increasingly turning to the commercial sector to procure, finance, help operate and distribute, as well as to generate a return on investment from national satellite systems.
High-resolution optical satellites represent a significant and growing part of the commercial Earth Observation market, reflecting increasing investments spurred by emerging countries and novel funding models. Partnerships between governments or with private players should help further support this growth through technology development and transfer, and enhance satellite operations and downstream offering. The next step for the EO industry will be to identify and further expand its operational users of geospatial information in order to
sustainably bolster this business in the future. This may require EO stakeholders to further refine their business models in order for the sector to develop into a fully mature value chain.
july 2011 geospatial TODAY |19
