ISRO sets up 473 Village Resource Centers for rural development through satellite technology

India: In order to demonstrate the potential of satellite technology for the development of rural areas, ISRO has established Village Resource Centres (VRCs) on a pilot scale, in cooperation with selected NGOs, Trusts and State Government Departments. VRCs have provided various space technology-enabled services such as telehealthcare, tele-education, natural resources information, advisories related to agriculture, career guidance to rural students, skill development…(Read more)

In-orbit servicing market opportunity exceeds $3 billion: Report

US: NSR’s industry-first In-Orbit Servicing Markets (IoSM) report, released today, finds the nascent in-orbit servicing market poised for growth, and forecasts a total market of over $3B in the next 10 years. Life extension services drive most of this revenue, as many in-orbit service providers plan to enter the market in the next five years servicing commercial and government customers with additional solutions to fleet management. “In-orbit servicing is an entirely new market, ripe for growth…(Read more)

French Space Agency claims 100 million users for Galileo navigation system

France: The Galileo satellite navigation system has about 100 million users after its first year of operation, as per the French Space Agency CNES. The system, which is highly crucial to Europe, went operational in December 2016. It took 17 long years to be ready for launch. Initially the services it provided relayed a weak signal, and some of the timekeepers on the satellites did not function as two satellites were arrayed in the wrong orbit. But, since then, additional satellites…(Read more)

New NASA space sensors to address key Earth Science questions

Why is the Arctic warming faster than the rest of the planet? Does mineral dust warm or cool the atmosphere? NASA has selected two new, creative research proposals to develop small, space-based instruments that will tackle these fundamental questions about our home planet and its environment. The Polar Radiant Energy in the Far Infrared Experiment (PREFIRE) will fly a pair of small CubeSat satellites to probe a little-studied portion of the radiant energy emitted by Earth for clues…(Read more)

Cyient & DJI announce winners of Hackadrone 2018

India: Cyient along with DJI announced the winners of its first drone hackathon, Hackadrone 2018, at its Hyderabad office. The ceremony was graced by the Minister for IT, MA & UD, Government of Telangana, Sri K.T. Rama Rao, who also presented the awards to the winners. Addressing the audience, the minister said that emerging technologies like drones can be a significant asset for planned urban development and have a massive societal impact in a country like India. He also complimented…(Read more)

Esri releases operations dashboard for ArcGIS

US: Esri has released a brand-new web browser application, allowing users to create reporting dashboards that use charts, gauges, maps, and other visual elements to reflect the status and performance of people, services, assets, and events in real time. Using dynamic dashboards through Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS, organizations of all types—from Emergency Operations Centers to public utilities—can view crucial activities and key performance indicators that are vital to meeting…(Read more)

ESA and Airbus sign partnership agreement for new ISS commercial payload platform Bartolomeo

The Netherlands: The European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus have signed a commercial partnership (PPP) agreement for construction, launch and operations of the commercial “Bartolomeo” platform. Airbus’ new external payload hosting facility will be attached to the European Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS) from mid-2019. The agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of the two PPP partners, with Airbus investing around €40 million…(Read more)

NavVis sets new standard in SLAM precision

Germany: NavVis, a global leader in mobile indoor mapping, visualization, and navigation, announced a new mapping software that significantly improves the accuracy of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology in indoor environments, such as long corridors. The software update will be available for users of the NavVis M3 Trolley and will significantly improve the accuracy of the resulting maps and point clouds. NavVis’ mobile mapping system…(Read more)

SSTL and 21AT announce new Earth Observation data contract

China: Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) signed a 25M pounds contract in Beijing yesterday with Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd (21AT) to provide data from a new Earth Observation satellite (SSTL-S1) due for launch on PSLV in the middle of this year. The contract was signed by Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman of SSTL, and Mme Wu Shuang, President and Chairman of 21AT, and witnessed by the UK Secretary of State, Dr. Liam Fox. As the…(Read more)

DigitalGlobe satellite imagery unveils Chinese military fortresses in Spratly Islands

Germany: Recent satellite images supplied and analyzed by European Space Imaging reveal that the illegal construction of military bases in the contested Spratly Islands along the South China Sea is complete. Images provided at 30cm resolution by DigitalGlobe satellite WorldView-3 refutes China’s promise to not militarise the artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea. Mischief Reef and Subi Reef are just some of the islands that show strong military construction. From…(Read more)

Ethiopia re-establishes Geospatial Information Agency

Ethiopia: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has approved the proclamation for the re-establishment of the Ethiopian Mapping Agency as the Ethiopian Geospatial Information Agency. The decision was passed in the Parliament by the House of Peoples’ Representatives. The decision will enhance and contribute towards building the capacity of the agency in producing, compiling and disseminating reliable and authoritative geospatial information in Ethiopia…(Read more)

Teledyne Optech Titan LiDAR enables discovery of Mayan ruins in Guatemala

US: Teledyne Optech’s Titan sensor was used by the University of Houston’s National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) to reveal extensive Mayan ruins in Guatemala. LiDAR technology was able to identify hundreds of previously unknown structures, including raised highways, and complex irrigation and terracing systems. After the collapse of the Mayan civilization, their cities and monuments were quickly covered by thick rainforest, hiding the ancient civilization from airborne observation...(Read more)

Bentley Systems adds Procurement Management offering through acquisition of eBid systems

US: Bentley Systems has announced that it has acquired Bainbridge Island, Washington-based eBid Systems, provider of ProcureWare, a cloud-based procurement management solution. ProcureWare encompasses the complete sourcing lifecycle and standardizes supplier qualification and management – from supplier selection and pre-qualification through online bidding, analysis, award, and contract management – streamlining the bidding process, promoting cost savings…(Read more)

thinkWhere online mapper connects Transport Scotland’s Aberdeen bypass project

UK: Working alongside the Construction Joint Venture, technology company thinkWhere is helping to improve collaboration and communication on Scotland’s largest road infrastructure project. Providing online access to multiple layers of live project maps and geographical data, thinkWhere’s groundMapper software is an easy to use tool for a diverse and dispersed workforce. Using the web-based viewer, construction workers, managers and stakeholders on the Aberdeen…(Read more)

Video

What is the role of geospatial technology in achieving sustainable development goals?

Role of space technology in achieving SDGs…(Watch here)