May 31, 2013
According to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), the four decades between 1970 and the end of 2011 yielded more than 104,000 worldwide acts of terror. It’s no surprise that politically unstable areas in the Middle East, North Africa, South America and South Asia accounted for more than
March 19, 2013
Budget Woes Could Affect Technology Transfer As a result of the $85 billion broad-brush sequester, which officially kicked in March 1, 2013, NASA’s share of the federal cuts for fiscal year 2013 is nearly $900 million, a budget reduction from $17.8 billion to $16.9 billion. The commercial crew program, partnering NASA with commercial aerospace companies
February 6, 2013
Can Geospatial Innovation Save the World? Despite the recent proliferation of brainy electronic gadgets, computers on steroids and robots that can perform better than humans, innovation in its broadest sense could be facing significant headwinds. From roughly the late 1800s to today, a 2 percent output-per-person annual growth rate has enabled America to enjoy a standard of living
December 11, 2012
Dealing a Blow to Science What’s next? That’s what scientists around the globe, including many remote sensing professionals focused on Earth science, are wondering after theOct. 22, 2012, manslaughter convictions of six Italian scientists who had the unenviable job of determining whether a major earthquake was likely to occur in central Italy in the spring
October 4, 2012
When a Picture Is Worth a Thousand Lives Fifty years ago, in October 1962, Soviet Union Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko sat in John F. Kennedy’s office, assuring the young American president that the buildup of Soviet-made missiles on the island nation of Cuba was purely a contribution to Cuba’s national defense capabilities. Gromyko went on to say that the “training by Soviet
July 18, 2012
Earth Observation Faces Dire Straits The capacity to observe and study our planet from space faces serious challenges during the coming years. A host of aging satellites, along with several mainstay platforms that recently have failed, plus insufficient funding for future programs, are converging to form the perfect storm for a world of inadequate Earth
June 11, 2012
Litigation is the basic legal right that guarantees every corporation its decade in court. —David Porter, American Naval Officer, 1813-1891 The future of U.S. government agreements to purchase commercial optical satellite imagery is in limbo, and the natives are growing restless. OnMay 4, 2012, GeoEyeCEOMatt O’Connell hurled a shot across DigitalGlobe’s bow with an
April 12, 2012
I n his book “Winning Modern Wars,” retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark writes, “Defeating terrorism is more difficult and far-reaching than we have assumed. ... We may be advancing the ball down the field at will, running over our opponent’s defenses, but winning the game is another matter altogether.” The “field” described by Clark
January 17, 2012
We’re pleased to present our annual State of the Industry report. Once again, our Editorial Advisory Board members have done a great job of identifying the most significant forces impacting the remote sensing industry, as well as key challenges and potential solutions. In addition, the following topics are of interest as 2012 unfolds. Prioritizing Disaster Planning and Response Led