June 26, 2013
By Adam Keith, director, Space & Earth Observation, Euroconsult (www.euroconsult-na.com), Montreal. Ongoing global unrest continues to stimulate the defense and security communities’ appetite for satellite imagery. Geographically tense areas demand continuous monitoring by regional governments and/or independent observers. During the last decade, unrest in the Middle East, North Africa and the Korean Peninsula, among others
June 26, 2013
By Drew Esson, director, Information Partner Program, DigitalGlobe, Longmont, Colo., www.digitalglobe.com. Today’s imagery market largely comprises do-it-yourself users. Imagery providers capture an image that’s shipped to a user or reseller partner where it may be additionally processed. Finally, an end user integrates it into his or her workflow—a model that’s worked for years. But can
May 31, 2013
By George Demmy, chief technology officer, TerraGo (www.terragotech.com), Atlanta. We live in an era where a continuous stream of information emerges in real time from myriad locations and sources, including online news stories, blogs and social media. The availability of such information on the Web through standard interfaces means we have access to a wealth
May 31, 2013
By Tim Little, Office of Corporate Communications, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (www.nga.mil), Springfield, Va. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is known for its critical support of military and anti-terror initiatives. Often under the radar, however, are the agency’s ongoing efforts to expand its disaster relief capabilities. For instance, when Hurricane Sandy struck the U.S. East Coast
May 31, 2013
A growing number of local governments are discovering the value of remote sensing for fueling innovative applications and procuring grant funding. By Sudha Maheshwari, general manager, Sanborn (www.sanborn.com), Colorado Springs, Colo. Geographic information system (GIS) programs long have used vector data for a range of local government applications, ranging from creating and updating parcel data,
May 31, 2013
The following guide highlights the broad range of Earth imagery and related geospatial products available from NASA and its mission partners to increase response efficiency and effectiveness. By Jennifer Brennan, NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) outreach lead, ADNET Systems, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (www.nasa.gov/goddard), Greenbelt, Md.; Dr. Francis Lindsay, Disasters
May 31, 2013
SAR complements LiDAR data to enable effective national-scale coverage for disaster planning and mitigation. By James Antifaev, MDA Geospatial Services (www.mdacorporation.com), Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Changes in weather patterns around the globe are increasing the number and severity of natural disasters. For example, flood events have increased steadily, from approximately 50 per year during the
May 31, 2013
When it comes to humanitarian aid and disaster relief, effective collaboration and data integration can make the difference between life and death. By Rob Mott, vice president of Geospatial Solutions, and Andy Pursch, technical staff consultant, Intergraph Government Solutions (www.intergraphgovsolutions.com), Madison, Ala. Each year, natural disasters and civil unrest affect millions of people and destroy
May 31, 2013
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is implementing a dynamic environment to integrate and share Earth imagery. By Ron Langhelm, HLS GeoCONOPS Project lead, Booz Allen Hamilton (www.boozallen.com), Seattle. The homeland security community comprises a diverse set of stakeholders, crossing all levels of government. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established to coordinate
March 19, 2013
Does U.S. Policy Promote a Leadership Role in the Remote Sensing Satellite Industry? By J. Christian Kessler, NorthRaven Consulting, Seattle. For decades, the United States led the world in building and operating remote sensing satellite systems. On cue with U.S. policy to maintain its leadership position, other nations turned to the United States for remotely