NASDA's Remote Sensing Activities
In Thailand
Mr. Masaru Tsukamoto
Bangkok Office, Nanda (National Space Development Agency of Jaapan )
B.B.Bldg. 1312, 54 Ashoke Rd., Sukhumvit 21, Bangkok, 10110 Thailand
Tel: (66)-2-260-7026 Fax :(66) -2-260-7027
E-mail : nasdatha@ksc15.th.com
1. Present state of utilization of Japanese Satellite data
NASDA (National Space Development Agency of Japan) was established in 1969 in order to act as the center for implementing space development and promoting space utilization exclusively for peace purpose. NASDA's main activities are to develop satellites and vehicles, to launch and track vehicles and satellites, to promote space experiments to promote utilization of remote sensing data from satellites, to research and develop. Recently, in the above several NASDA's activities, remote sensing activities have been paid more attentions. I am roughly thinking that the aim of NASDA's activities is now changing. Until now that was mainly establishment of domestic space basic technologies. We have now established. From now that will changing towards mainly development of useful space technologies for all over the world and humanity. In this point of view I think the first step of useful space technologies is remote sensing space.
NASDA has two main roles in Thialand. The first role is the direct reception of Japanese satellite date in Bangkok ground station in cooperation with NRCT (National Research Council of Thialand).In this station, NASDA is in charge of the establishment and maintenance of facilities. On the other hand, NCRT supplies building,electricity, and operates the facilities for the data reception and processing, and distributes the processed data to users in not only Thialand but also South-east Asia. Then NASDA & NCRT are in charge of the promotion of Japanese satellite data utilization in South-east Asia. The second role is the promotionof cooperative project and data utilization. Through UN-ESCAP, NASDA is holding the regional remote sensing seminar on tropical ecosystem management every year from 1992. We are also conducting ADEOS PI (Principle Investigator) project in cooperation with UN-ESCAP. We selected 20 PIs in Asian countries, provided ADEOS data to support them. Through NCRT, NASDA is conducting GRNS (Global Research Network System ) project from 1993, GAME-T (GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment Tropics) project from 1996 for the purpose of making basic and scientific data. Pilot project on Japanese satellite data for public use in Thialand has started this October in Cooperation with NRCT and four Thai departments. Through AIT (Asian Institute of Technology) & AARS (Asian Association of Remote Sensing), we are conducting some kinds of training courses for Asian users and are studying measures for the promotion of Japanese satellite data utilization (Figure 1).
