Aaron Berg, a University of Guelph geography professor using a NASA satellite to study global soil-moisture levels, received a $280,000 boost from the Canadian Space Agency.
Solar-Powered UAV Flies in Stratosphere
On Aug. 11, 2015, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) announced that its EAV-3, a high-altitude UAV powered by solar cells, succeeded in flying into Earth's stratosphere at 14 kilometers above sea level during its nine-hour flight.
Taking Stock of 2014 Fire Emissions
On a typical day in August, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites detect approximately 10,000 active fires, as well as huge swaths of freshly charred land in ecosystems ranging from boreal forests to savanna to tropical forests.
Phytoplankton Blooming Along Both U.S. Coasts
Prodigious phytoplankton growth can be toxic to an ecosystem, suffocating marine life (by depleting the oxygen in the sea) or producing toxins that can sicken and sometimes kill the creatures (including humans) who ingest them.
NASA Opens New CubeSat Opportunities for Low-Cost Space Exploration
Space enthusiasts can contribute to NASA’s exploration goals through the next round of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative.
ESA Notches 100th High-Speed Laser Link between Satellites 48,000 Kilometers Apart
On Aug. 5, 2015, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced it has successfully conducted 100 high-speed laser links between its Sentinel-1A radar Earth-observation satellite in low-Earth orbit and the AlphaSat satellite in geostationary orbit.
MSG-4 Weather Satellite Delivers First Image
On Aug. 4, 2015, the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) instrument on the MSG-4 satellite captured its first image of Earth.
Scientists Use Remote Sensing to Map Suitability Areas for Solar Power Plants
Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory GIS and Technology Group used remote-sensing data to map suitable areas for concentrated solar power (CSP) plants.
New Book Examines Earth Imaging for GIS
To familiarize GIS professionals and students with the advanced Earth-imaging technologies available today, Esri published Essential Earth Imaging for GIS, which provides a basic education in remote-sensing technology, promoting the effective use of sophisticated multispectral and 3D imagery.
Satellites Help NASA Map Earth's Rivers
Scientists are swapping topographic maps for satellite images as part of a new NASA mission to create the first global inventory of Earth's surface waters.
