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
February 6, 2013
Emerging Markets Driving Long-Term Earth Observation Growth By Adam Keith, director, Space, Euroconsult (www.euroconsult-ec.com), Montreal. Growth can be seen at each level of the global Earth observation (EO) value chain, from manufacturing, launch and data to services, despite strong budget pressures—particularly in North America and Europe. The number of EO satellites launched continues to grow. Excluding meteorology
December 11, 2012
U.S. Environmental Intelligence Efforts Need Leadership By Nancy Colleton, president, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (http://strategies.org), Arlington, Va. There’s nothing like a 70-mph wind gust to get your attention. It seems like only yesterday I found myself writing about the hottest July ever recorded in the United States and how it was impacting U.S.
October 4, 2012
Disaster Response Efforts Highlight the Value of Relationships By M. Karen Walker, contractor, Office of Corporate Communications, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (www.nga.mil), Bethesda, Md. The U.S. response toHaiti’s January 2010 earthquake in demonstrated the life-saving power of governmental, private-sector and nongovernmental organizations working together during disaster response. Thanks to an emerging group of organizations loosely called Volunteer Technical Communities (VTCs)—such as the International
July 18, 2012
High-Resolution Satellite Imagery— Can Funding Keep Pace With Technology? By Ian Dowman, professor emeritus, University College London, and author of High-Resolution Optical Satellite Imagery, available from Whittles Publishing (www.whittlespublishing.com) and in North America from CRC Press (www.crcpress.com). The acquisition of high-resolution images from satellites has developed at a rapid pace since GeoEye launched Ikonos
July 10, 2011
Who Uses Landsat Satellite Imagery? By John R. Hughes, editorial director, Earth Imaging Journal (http://www.eijournal.com/), Greeley, Colo. Exactly who uses Landsat satellite imagery and what value do they derive from the information? In the first study of its kind, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigators at the Fort Collins (Colo.) Science Center surveyed a broad cross
July 9, 2011
Industry Insights By John R. Hughes, editorial director, Earth Imaging Journal (www.eijournal.com), Greeley, Colo. Exactly who uses Landsat satellite imagery and what value do they derive from the information? In the first study of its kind, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigators at the Fort Collins (Colo.) Science Center surveyed a broad cross section of Landsat
April 9, 2011
By Laurence Smallman, defense research analyst, RAND Corp. (www.rand.org), Arlington, Va. The recent killing of American hostages by Somali pirates perhaps has set aside any Robin Hood-like notions that some may have had about the intent, determination, and ruthlessness of modern pirates. Pirates, Somali or otherwise, are considered “enemies of all mankind” for good reason,