An innovative mapping project using unmanned aircraft systems within the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in south-central Colorado was completed by a collaboration among UAS Colorado, Black Swift Technologies, the National Park Service and Wohnrade Civil Engineers Inc.
NOAA's GOES-16 Satellite Sends First Images to Earth
GOES-16, the first spacecraft in NOAA's next-generation of geostationary satellites, sent back to Earth the first high-resolution images from its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument.
Pecora Award Recognizes Excellence in Earth Observation
Dr. Curtis E. Woodcock, a longtime innovator in space-based Earth observation at Boston University, and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) team, which paved the way for the next generation of satellite precipitation observations, received the 2016 William T. Pecora Award for achievement in Earth remote sensing.
Satellites Chronicle Forest Loss in Cambodia
Between 2001 and 2014, the annual forest loss rate in Cambodia increased by 14.4 percent: a total of 1.44 million hectares”5,560 square miles”of forest. In broad swaths of the country, densely forested landscapes”even those in protected areas”have been clear-cut during the last decade for rubber plantations and timber.
Scientists Use Satellites to Study Bird-Killing Bacteria
Around Lake Thurmond, a large reservoir that straddles Georgia and South Carolina, something's not right with the birds. The lake is full of vegetation”particularly an invasive aquatic plant known as Hydrilla verticillata”and the area is full of birds that are distressed or dying.
Swarm Satellites Discover ˜Jet Stream' in Earth's Core
Using data from the European Space Agency's three Swarm satellites”which measure the different magnetic fields that stem from Earth's core, mantle, crust, oceans, ionosphere and magnetosphere”scientists discovered a jet stream deep below Earth's surface that's increasing in speed.
Infrared Imagery Monitors U.S. Cold Snap
Imagery from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite showed the movement of cold, Arctic air over the United States from Dec. 1-11, 2016.
ESA Commits 10 Billion Euros to Space Activities
In early December 2016, the European Space Agency (ESA) held a two-day council meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland, where ministers from ESA's 22 member states plus Slovenia and Canada allocated €10.3 billion for space activities and programs based on the vision of a United Space in Europe in the era of Space 4.0.
WorldView-4 Successfully Launched
On Nov. 11, 2016, DigitalGlobe's WorldView-4 commercial imaging satellite was launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. About 45 minutes after launch, satellite signals indicated it was in proper position and working order.
Aerial Imaging Market Forecast to Reach $2.64 Billion by 2022
According to a new research report by Global Market Insights, the aerial imaging market is estimated to grow to $2.64 billion by 2022.