SWIFT E-News n°12 - 28th July 2010
In this Issue
1. Highlight: The European Parliament approved the proposal for a regulation on GMES programme and its initial operations 2011-2013
2. Commissioner Tajani foresees future cooperation between Galileo and GMES
3. First GOCE dataset made available
4. Earth Observation in the spotlight at the Oslo Science Conference
5. Successful launch of the German Radar Satellite TanDEM-X
6. Krakow Declaration on INSPIRE
7. Global Forest Monitoring service to support the GMES Africa initiative
8. The programme of the EU Belgian Presidency
9. Shanghai World Expo 2010 “Let’s embrace space”
10. A new website to provide real-time information of sea ice in the Antarctic
GMES Project Corner:
11. First G-MOSAIC User Workshop
12. SAFER anticipates production of geo-information
1. The European Parliament approved the proposal for a regulation on GMES programme and its initial operations 2011–2013
On 16 June 2010 the plenary session of the European Parliament approved at first reading under the co-decision procedure the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on GMES programme and its initial operations 2011–2013 (COM0223). The amendments adopted by MEPs concern, among others, the funding of the programme (to be further increased within the overall EU budget for 2007-2013), the organisational arrangements (the Commission should coordinate the GMES programme with activities at different levels), the GMES services (the Commission should guarantee that they match user needs and ensure effective competition in their provision), the GMES data and information policy, as well as governance rules. The legislative proposal will become an EU law provided that the Council also approved it at first reading, which is expected for this autumn.
2. Vice-President Tajani foresees future cooperation between Galileo and GMES
In the latest Enterprise and Industry online magazine, the European Commission Vice-President Tajani addresses the importance of Galileo and foresees a future cooperation between Galileo and GMES. The new Commissioner in charge of Industry and Entrepreneurship highlights the fields in which the two systems can be used and their benefits for the citizens. In addition, Mr Tajani recently visited the ESA Centre for Earth Observation in Rome, where he met ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programs, Mr Liebig. This was Mr Tajani’s first visit to an ESA establishment since the Commissioner took office for the new portfolio.
3. First GOCE dataset made available
Raw data acquired by the satellite GOCE go through a number of operations, including a process of calibration and validation, and then a High-level Processing, in order to turn into suitable products for users. The first products based on GOCE data were made available by ESA on 9 June 2010. Later, on 28 June-2 July 2010, the first GOCE’s global gravity field model was presented at the ESA’s Living Planet Symposium in Bergen, Norway. This model, which has proved the excellent functioning of the satellite, will be constantly improved by next series of GOCE data. The final gravity map and model will be of great value for the science community involved in oceanography, geophysics, ocean level and ice dynamics studies.
4. Earth Observation in the spotlight at the Oslo Science Conference
The Oslo Science Conference celebrated the end of the two-year International Polar Year (IPY) programme. The event gathered together scientists, researchers, policy makers, and students to attend thousands of scientific presentations. The role of Earth Observation has been highlighted for the mapping of ice thickness and the screening of the impact of climate change on the Arctic and the Antarctic. The progress made by the European Space Agency has been noted in the implementation of efforts related to the interaction between climate change and polar regions.
5. Successful launch of the German Radar Satellite TanDEM-X
On 21 June 2010 the second Earth Observation satellite of Germany, TanDEM-X, was successfully launched from Kazakhstan, joining thus its twin satellite, TerraSAR-X, which is already in orbit since 2007. Managed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the two satellites will fly in formation for a period of three years with the aim to survey the entire terrestrial globe, several times over. The acquired measurements will be processed to generate a unique, globally standardised, 3D digital elevation model of the Earth. The later will be used for multiple applications, ranging from geo-information to rescue and security services. Furthermore, the TanDEM-X/ TerraSAR-X elevation model, which should be ready for 2013, can contribute to initiatives and programmes such as GMES and GEOSS.
6. Krakow Declaration on INSPIRE
On 25 June 2010 the Krakow Declaration on INSPIRE was approved at the closing session of the 4th INSPIRE Conference, held on 23-25 June in Kraków, Poland. The Declaration notes the importance of INSPIRE for protecting the environment, recognises the efforts of EU member states for the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive, and recommends governments and organisations to maintain their efforts for the full implementation of the law, increase international collaboration and support the implementation of INSPIRE spatial data infrastructures in non-EU countries. Among other issues, the link between GMES and INSPIRE was addressed several times in plenary sessions and workshops.
7. Global Forest Monitoring service to support the GMES Africa initiative
DMC International Imaging (DMCii) has launched by the end of June 2010 a Global Forest Monitoring service to support adequate forest management in developing countries. The service uses satellite imagery from the Disaster Monitoring Constellation to produce easily-understandable and up-to-date maps of forest cover change for local authorities. The later will be thus enabled to draft efficient national REDD+ strategies for the United Nations initiative REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) that aims to prevent forests destruction. The DMCii Global Forest Monitoring service will support also the GMES Africa initiative by providing maps of the dense, rarely-charted forests of the Congo Basin.
8. The programme of the EU Belgian Presidency
Belgium took over the rotating presidency of the European Union on 1 July this year. The priorities identified in the programme of the Belgium Presidency are similar to the ones of the previous Spanish Presidency. Among others, a specific attention is devoted to innovation, climate change and biodiversity. Innovation policy is expected to be one of the key issues to be addressed by the Belgian Presidency. In addition, 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and the Belgian Presidency will contribute to the development of a new policy for the topic.
9. Shanghai World Expo 2010 “Let’s embrace space”
At the occasion of the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the conference “Let’s embrace space” saw the joint participation of the European Commission and relevant Chinese organisations in the field of Earth Observation. The progress of Earth Observation was one of the main topics of discussions during the conference, together with the three projects in which the EU and China currently cooperate. The European Commission also highlighted the will to expand international space cooperation to tackle climate change.
10. A new website to provide real-time information of sea ice in the Antarctic
A new website greatly made satellite images of the waters of the Antarctic more accessible. The Southern ocean in the Antarctic is used for scientific research, transport freights and tourists’ travels, but the ever-changing pack ice and icebergs pose serious danger to marine safety. Thanks to this new website, an interactive map is provided and users can zoom into areas of interest and download the information they require. At the moment ESA’s Envisat satellite is the only one providing images for the website, but the Sentinel satellites developed for GMES will be soon offering more data for services in the polar regions.
GMES Projects’ Corner
11. First G-MOSAIC User Workshop
The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra, Italy, hosted the first G-MOSAIC User Workshop on 23-25 June 2010. The event gathered representatives from institutions and organisations involved in security-related activities, and aimed at encouraging interaction between relevant stakeholders in the field of security and G-MOSAIC consortium partners, as well as within the Users Community.
12. SAFER anticipates production of geo-information
Within the Emergency Response Service (ERS), SAFER aims at creating an archive of mapping products of areas identified as vulnerable to disasters. The advantage of creating maps outside the demanding time constraints of an ongoing crisis is that these products can be delivered rapidly at the onset of a disaster. This strategy has already proved to be effective, for instance in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. ERS standard preparedness “hotspot” mapping products are produced in three scales, but other specifications can be accommodated to suit users’needs.
