Tuesday, June 30. 2009

Most Complete Worldwide Elevation Dataset Ready for Download

The Global Digital Elevation Map was developed from data collected by the Japanese Aster sensor aboard the NASA satellite Terra. Data points are 30M apart and the dataset covers 99% of the earth. For comparison, the Radar Shuttle Topography Mission covered but 80%.

Downloads/Links:

26-megabyte TIF (it will begin drawing on your screen if you click!)
Aster GDEM Page
Search and download (there are warnings heavy demand may mean some restrictions)

- NASA announcement (pdf)
- BBC
- Wired

Tuesday, June 23. 2009

National Applications Office Closes before it Opens

The controversial Bush administration spy satellite program, the National Applications Office, planned to be part of the Department of Homeland Security is being shut down. Some lawmakers feared it would lead to domestic spying. Local public safety officials said they had more pressing concerns and would have found the program hard to implement. The programs launch was delayed on legal grounds for about two years.

Per the Wall Street Journal:

The program would have provided federal, state and local officials with extensive access to spy-satellite imagery — but no eavesdropping capabilities— to assist with emergency response and other domestic-security needs, such as identifying where ports or border areas are vulnerable to terrorism.

The decision comes as Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's aims to refocus the department's intelligence on ensuring that state and local officials get the threat information they need, according to unnamed officials.

Airborne Radar, Satellite to Watch California's Faults

NASA has already started using airborne radar and will eventually use a new satellite to map California's earthquake faults. The ultimate goal is earthquake prediction.

The work began in February when a small NASA jet outfitted with a radar array left NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. It completed one 3D map and will repeat the trip later this year.

The plan is to map the state four times a year, and in time (from four to 10 years from now) to use data from a NASA satellite taking similar measurements every eighth day.

- Whittier Daily News

Monday, June 8. 2009

Intermap Brings Terrain Data to the Masses on the iPhone

Monday, Intermap will announce its AccuTerra applications for the iPhone. The company is well known in the geospatial industry as the source of NextMap Britain and NextMap USA, two nationwide detailed topographic datasets collected using synthetic aperture radar (corrected per comment - originally said LiDAR). Aerial imagery is collected at the same time. Most of that data has been sold (on spec or later) to national mapping agencies and defense interests, though some has made it into car navigation use and higher-end ruggedized GPS units for backcountry enthusiasts.

Continue reading "Intermap Brings Terrain Data to the Masses on the iPhone"

Friday, June 5. 2009

A piano tuner joins CA Assemblyman in Suggesting Publicly Available Aerial Images Endangered

"It is disturbing to me that terrorists can now perform considerable surveillance without visiting the targeted site," wrote piano tuner and nuclear watchdog Scott Portzline in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. He wants satellite and aerial imagery companies to voluntarily blur nuclear plants. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it's looking into the request.

Joel Anderson, a member of the California Assembly filed legislation in that state to make sharing of aerial imagery illegal.

- CNN via reader Duane

Thursday, June 4. 2009

GeoEye-1 "Glitch" will not impact Revenues

Reuters reports that in an SEC filing GeoEye states that the limitations noted last month in the satellite sensor will not impact revenues. In the worst case scenario (the situation is still being researched) it might have a 5% impact. From a technical standpoint it will "not affect the ground resolution or mapping accuracy of imagery."