JAXA and the German Aerospace Centre
(DLR) signed a letter of intent concerning
mutual cooperation for satellite disaster
monitoring. Both parties confi rmed a
mutual intention to use JAXA’s ALOS
and DLR’s TerraSAR-X – both of which
carry a SAR instrument – to improve
response to disasters. They will exchange
data as required on requests for emergency
observations. They also agreed that
will start collaborative research related
to disaster monitoring. www.jaxa.jp
USGS adds NASA’s EO-1 satellite
imagery
USGS has expanded its free web-enabled
archive of earth observation data by
including over 83,000 additional satellite
images from NASA’s Earth Observing -1
(EO-1) satellite. Both the existing and all
future EO-1 imagery will supplement the
USGS archive of free, land remote sensing
imagery resources. EO-1 sensor data can
be previewed and downloaded at no charge
via the EO-1 website. www.usgs.gov
Applanix introduces RapidOrtho 2.0
Applanix released RapidOrtho 2.0, a
software enhancement for the Digital
Sensor System (DSS). It is a complete
airborne digital imaging system for fi rst
responders and geospatial professionals
who need to deliver rapid, highly-accurate
ortho-rectifi ed imagery without timeconsuming
and expensive ground surveys.
A new utility allows to import and convert
readily available DEM datasets – including
Lidar data – into the RapidOrtho format;
this means fi rst responders can utilize any
locally-available elevation data for rapid
delivery of orthophotos. www.applanix.com
UltraCamXp Wide Angle
Vexcel Imaging GmbH has released
UltraCamXp Wide Angle, a new version
of the UltraCam large format digital
aerial camera system that features a wideangle
lens with a shorter focal length. It
allows lower-fl ying airplanes to collect data at the same ground sample distance
(GSD) as higher-fl ying planes carrying the
UltraCamXp, while delivering comparable
image quality. www.microsoft.com
New aerial images of Australia online
Fugro released a new on-line aerial
image service for professional business
users such as surveyors, engineers,
architects, planners and developers. High
resolution imagery of selected areas of
Australia can be viewed and purchased
via the website www.fugroworld.com
and downloaded as a jpeg or ecw file
to the desktop. These images are orthorectified to enable customers to display
added features like street names and
mapped boundaries etc. www.fugro.com
NASA Lunar Satellite
NASA reported that its Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has
successfully completed its testing and
calibration phase and entered its mapping
orbit of the moon. The spacecraft already
has made signifi cant progress toward
creating the most detailed atlas of the
moon’s south pole to date. Scientists
released preliminary images and data from
LRO’s seven instruments. www.nasa.gov
Vietnam’s RS satellite model
completed
Vietnamese engineers have completed
the technical model of the country’s
fi rst remote sensing satellite. The
Pico-Dragon satellite is expected
to be launched between 2010 and
2011. The launching of the satellite,
whose functions include taking highresolution
photographs of natural
resources, aiding weather forecasts and
monitoring phenomenon like storms,
will be a test of Vietnam’s ability to
make its own satellites. Made by STI
in cooperation with Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency, Pico-Dragon
weighs less than two kilograms with
10x10x10 centimetre dimensions and
will have a life expectancy of around
six months. www.vnbusinessnews.com
ISRO updates
GAGAN
The fi nal operational phase of
the Indian SBAS - GAGAN
was initiated in June 2009. The
system is expected to be ready
for testing in about 18 months.
The Technology Demonstration
Phase for GAGAN was
successfully completed in
August 2007, as part of which
eight Indian Reference Stations
(INRES) were installed at
eight airports around the
country. The INRRES are
linked to the Master Control
Centre (MCC) near Bangalore
from where the Indian Land
Uplink Station (INLUS)
transmits correction signals
to the space segment having GAGAN navigation payload,
which translates these signals
to the GPS for reception by
a GPS SBAS receiver.
The fi rst navigation payload
is being fabricated and it
is proposed to be fl own on
GSAT-4 which is expected to
be launched later this year.
Two more payloads will be
subsequently fl own, one each
on the geostationary satellites,
GSAT-8 and GSAT-12
IRNSS
IRNSS is expected to be
implemented in the next
fi ve to six years. The
management structure for
system implementation has
been established and work on
the detailed system defi nition
(space segment and ground
segment) has begun. IRNSS
satellites will transmit ranging
codes and navigation data
in S and L-5 bands. The
navigation software and
user receiver specifi cations
are being fi nalized.
The IRNSS constellation
will have seven satellites
– three in Geostationary
Orbit (GSO) and four in
Near-GSO. The spacecraft
confi guration has been
fi nalized and all the satellites
of the constellation are being
confi gured identically. A
massive procurement strategy
has been formulated and
procurement of components
and strategic materials for ten
spacecraft has been initiated.
The spacecraft is basically
confi gured with I-1K Bus
to be compatible for launch
onboard PSLV. However,
detailed analysis based on a
study found that it is possible
to launch two numbers
of inclined orbit satellites
in one fl ight of GSLV.
GSAT-4
In the past year, main structure
of GSAT-4 was delivered and
North, South and equipment
panels have been realized.
Disassembled mode IST and
assembled mode IST has been
completed and the spacecraft
is undergoing thermovac
test. GSAT-4 is planned for
launch by GSLV later this
year and will be positioned
at 82 deg E longitude.
Excerpts from ISRO
Annual Report 08-09
