NEWS
2010-07-23 : First TanDEM-X DEMs
Just one month after the launch of TanDEM-X scientists of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have now released first examples of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) created from data collected by the TerraSAR-X/ TanDEM-X satellite formation. This TanDEM-X elevation model, coloured with shades conventionally used in atlases, shows the region of Kalach on Don in southern Russia. Elevation in this model is greatly exaggerated – the landscape has a height of about 200 metres.
TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement) was launched on June 21st, 2010 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is currently undergoing an extensive system test and commissioning phase. TanDEM-X will circle the Earth together with the almost identical TerraSAR-X (in orbit since June 2007) as a unique satellite formation. Flying at a distance of only a few hundred metres, the “twins” will record data synchronously in the so-called StripMap Mode and thus acquire the data basis for a global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of unprecedented quality, accuracy, and coverage. In 2014, this homogeneous elevation model will be available for the Earth’s entire land surface, i.e. 150 Mio. square kilometres.
Like TerraSAR-X, this new German satellite mission is carried out as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and Europe's leading space company, Astrium. Infoterra GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astrium, is exclusively responsible for the adaptation of the elevation model to the needs of the commercial users and for its world-wide marketing.
More information on http://infoterra.de/image-gallery/images.html
2010-07-22 : Astrium expands its Geo-information services in Greece
Astrium has strengthened its presence in Greece by creating the company Spot Infoterra Hellas, a provider of geo-information products and services. The Greek company Geomet, a long-standing partner of Spot image and Infoterra in Greece, will be merged into the new entity. Through this move, the two recently merged subsidiaries of Astrium Services continue their expansion in Europe.
Spot Infoterra Hellas will be distributing the full range of Spot Infoterra products and services, including data provided by the Spot, Pleiades and TerraSAR-X Earth observation satellites. It will be developing additional services as well as part of the GMES initiative (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security), with a special focus on natural disasters such as the fires that devastated Greece in 2009. It will also be offering all the knowhow of Astrium Services in sectors such as maritime surveillance, border patrols and national and regional planning.
2010-07-20 : Astrium wins €7.5 million contract from the European Space Agency for satellite image processing until 2013
Astrium Services wholly owned subsidiary, Infoterra Ltd, has secured a further three year contract from the Farnborough Multi-Mission Processing and Archiving Facility (UK-MM-PAF) on behalf of the European Space Agency. Worth €7.5 million, the contract will see Infoterra continuing to deliver an operational service that will support the download and processing of images from both the ERS and ENVISAT satellite space missions.
ERS and ENVISAT together have provided data which underpins the latest Earth observation (EO) research, providing images which support operational applications as well as scientific understanding of climate change. Infoterra Ltd currently stores over eight millions images for this ever expanding EO community, providing an invaluable resource in our ability to understand the world in which we live.
2010-07-07 : ESA Interface to TerraSAR-X Ground Segment is Operational
Earth observation data experts from the European Space Agency (ESA) and its user community can now rely upon a very efficient access to TerraSAR-X radar satellite data. Infoterra GmbH, the EADS Astrium subsidiary responsible for the commercial marketing of this satellite, has tailored the TerraSAR-X data deliveries to ESA and its GMES users to the specific requirements of the Agency, minimizing administration effort and complying with ESA-specific procedures.
At the same time, Infoterra's staff has been specifically trained for handling the GMES Space Component Data Access (GSC-DA) Programme requests, ensuring a maximum level of service quality and fast response times. Further, the necessary modifications to the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)'s TerraSAR-X ground segment have been implemented in parallel.
The adaptation of delivery standards to ESA requirements was part of the first phase of a contract Infoterra received in 2009: a € 2.4M framework agreement covering the delivery of TerraSAR-X radar satellite data to ESA's GSC-DA user community.
2010-07-06 : SAFEcommand in Scotland
6 out of 8 Fire and Rescue Services across Scotland now benefit from Infoterra’s SAFEcommand™ mobile solution
Solution enhances incident operational safety through effective location and risk data management; provides real opportunity for cross border data sharing
Infoterra, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, has announced that, following a recent order from Lothian and Borders Fire & Rescue, 6 out of 8 Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland now benefit from Infoterra’s SAFEcommand™ mobile solution.
Lothian and Borders FRS has selected Infoterra to equip 78 appliances with the company’s Vehicle Mounted Data System (VMDS) to provide intelligence to help manage operational safety at incidents. Infoterra’s mobile data system has already been deployed in all 30 of Dumfries & Galloways appliances, Tayside’s 58 appliances and Fife & Central Scotland Fire & Rescue Service’s 30 appliances. Strathclyde Fire & Rescue has invested in STEPS (Strategic Emergency Preparedness System), a collaborative emergency planning and response solution which forms part of the Infoterra’s product suite for public safety and homeland security operations .
2010-07-01 : Infoterra establishes Symetri Geo business unit
>> Infoterra establishes Symetri Geo business unit to drive sales of ERDAS, Google Earth and Safe Software applications
>> One stop shop for solutions, support and consultancy from leading geo expert Infoterra
Infoterra Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, has today launched a new Geographical Software Business Unit – Symetri Geo – focused exclusively on the resale, distribution, and provision of technical and training support for the company’s expanding portfolio of third party geo-software products. Symetri Geo - www.symetri-geo.co.uk - will provide Infoterra customers using ERDAS desktop and enterprise products, the FME desktop and server suite and Google Earth Enterprise with a single point of access for all their geo-software requirements. The business unit will be developing further capabilities to deliver spatial data infrastructure (SDI) solutions that provide INSPIRE compliance. In addition, Symetri Geo will also support customers with a single point of contact to help ensure the success of their geographical data management projects.
Symetri Geo is the sole UK and Ireland distributor of ERDAS software, is a Google Enterprise Partner licensed to sell Google Fusion Server and Google Earth Server, a Safe Software partner for the FME suite of GIS and CAD data translation software, and is also fully accredited and certified to train customers in the use of ERDAS and FME software. Symetri Geo will continue to support defence, security and government agencies with robust spatial data management solutions as a single source provider for all their core geo software requirements, backed by the strength and expertise of Infoterra – the UK’s leading provider of integrated geo-solutions.
2010-06-21 : TanDEM-X radar satellite deployed in space
A demonstration of Astrium’s expertise in radar technology
• Public-private partnership brings proven benefits to space industry
• The project to map the Earth in three dimensions can now begin
The TanDEM-X radar satellite designed and built by Astrium (Friedrichshafen) was successfully launched early this morning. At 04:14 hours CEST (08:14 hours local time), a Russian Dnepr launch vehicle carrying the huge satellite, which has a launch mass of more than 1.3 metric tons and measures five metres in length, lifted off from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Around ten minutes later, the satellite separated from the launch vehicle’s upper stage. The first signals from the satellite were received by the “Troll” ground station in Antarctica at 04.15 hours.
2010-05-26 : Infoterra Launches TerraSAR-X ELEVATION Product Suite
>> Up-to-date regional Digital Surface Models worldwide
>> Unique reliability and high precision thanks to radar sensor
Infoterra GmbH, the wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium that holds the exclusive commercial exploitation rights for the high-resolution radar satellite TerraSAR-X, has announced the first element of its TerraSAR-X ELEVATION product suite.
Featuring a 10m grid spacing and an absolute height accuracy of up to 5m, the
TerraSAR-X ELEVATION DSM (digital surface model) is now operationally available for
areas as small as only 500 sqkm, and up to full regional coverage, worldwide.
Particularly the unique reliability of the weather-independent radar sensor makes this an
ideal complement to the established Spot Infoterra portfolio of elevation data sets such
as Reference 3D, based on SPOT HRS optical data.
2010-04-29 : TanDEM-X: Three-Dimensional Earth Measurement
- Astrium satellite completed - Ready for launch campaign
- High-tech radar product scheduled for launch on 21 June 2010
The German radar satellite TanDEM-X has been completed and has proven its suitability for operation in space in a special test series at IABG in Ottobrunn (near Munich) carried out on behalf of the European space company Astrium. On 11 May, the satellite will take off for its first big journey from the Munich airport to the Baikonur space centre (Kazakhstan).
The lift-off aboard a Russian Dnepr launcher is scheduled for 21 June 2010.
As with the TerraSAR-X 'sister mission', the TanDEM-X project has been implemented in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the Friedrichshafen-based Astrium GmbH.
Together with the almost identical TerraSAR-X satellite operating in space since 2007, TanDEM-X is planned to generate the database for a digital elevation model of the Earth's landmasses of unprecedented quality within three years: the complete land surface of the Earth, that is 150 million square kilometres, will be measured in a 12-metre grid (street width) with a relative height accuracy of less than two metres.
2010-04-29 : Infoterra innovates with more map
- Infoterra become the first to extract ‘real’ value from OS OpenData™,
providing a rich source of national large scale mapping content.
- More content, flexibility and application for smarter creative mapping solutions
- Delivering choice to geo users across government and business
Infoterra Ltd launches today more map™, a large scale national mapping content service, providing the key to addressing a multitude of valuable applications.
Infoterra has successfully developed vector extraction algorithms to produce buildings and other vectors from OS OpenData™. Never before have ‘intelligent buildings’ for the whole of Great Britain been available, without significant investment or constraining terms of use. These vectors are proving to be a substantial foundation upon which new, exciting applications can be built.
2010-04-21 : Infoterra launches SAFEcommand product suite for public safety and emergency organisations
Infoterra, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, has today announced the launch of SAFEcommand™ - a suite of products designed specifically to address the modern challenges faced by pubic safety and emergency organisations such as the police, fire and rescue services, and ambulance fleets. SAFEcommand integrates core data management, mobile and emergency response solutions to increase operational effectiveness and service delivery for both ‘blue light’ and homeland security organisations.
Key benefits for emergency services will include improved access to the latest incident information, improved response times and the accurate real-time location of resources. A central system for data consolidation and management also ensures the seamless delivery of critical operational response information to mobile resources. SAFEcommand can also play a key role in the effective data consolidation and management process prior to the deployment of critical risk information to frontline resources. The Infoterra solution takes advantage of the latest GIS-based systems and real-time mobile data communication to optimise crew and appliance resources. It also offers full support for multi-agency data sharing.
“SAFEcommand is an important addition to Infoterra’s expanding portfolio of public safety solutions, and our combination of integrated software, comprehensive GIS data, resilient mobile communications and national Managed Services capability makes Infoterra an ideal partner for major public safety projects,” commented Dave Fox, Infoterra’s CEO.
2010-04-20 : Shanghai: « Better City, Better Life »
From 1 May to 31 October, 2010 Shanghai will host the World Expo whose central theme is urban development, under the banner « Better City, Better Life ». To mark this event, Spot Image and its Chinese subsidiary Beijing Spot Image searched in the large SPOT archive to tell the story of the works which have been carried out in the Expo area and of the city’s growth
2010-04-01 : Spring – as you have never seen it before
Infoterra Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, along with its partners Southampton University and INRA France, has successfully mapped the start of Spring using satellite technology.
Infoterra has developed the PHenology And Vegetation Earth Observation Service (PHAVEOS) to monitor seasonal changes in the state of vegetation and has produced a series of maps, which show the British Isles emerging from Winter.
This service takes data from the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument on the ESA Envisat satellite, which was built by Astrium, and enables Infoterra to generate a series of daily maps showing the intensity of the chlorophyll (green) pigment in the vegetation
2010-03-25 : New equipment readied for Pléaides
The Pléiades terminal has arrived and is ready to be installed at Esrange in Sweden, where it will be connected to the antenna at the receiving station in Kiruna, north of the Arctic Circle. Operated by the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), the Kiruna station provides excellent responsiveness with its ability to receive data from satellites for up to 10 orbital revolutions a day.
This terminal is identical to those to be deployed at other receiving stations around the globe. It complements the receiving infrastructure at the headquarters of Astrium affiliate Spot Image in Toulouse, France, which comprises a receiving antenna that is already up and running and the civil receiving station that recently completed acceptance testing on 19 March.
2010-03-10 : New ‘AssetMonitor’ service launched to protect underwater cables and pipelines from shipping damage
Today Infoterra launched AssetMonitor, a new submarine asset protection service aimed at helping to protect valuable underwater assets – such as electricity & telecoms cables and oil & gas pipelines – from accidental damage by anchors and fishing activity. The company is also pleased to announce that Guernsey and Jersey Electricity’s Channel Islands Electricity Grid (CIEG) has become the first organisation to deploy AssetMonitor, and will use it to protect the two 90,000 Volt submarine cables that supply power and fibre optic communications from France to Jersey and on to Guernsey.