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STORIES
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China to build its own satellite navigation system
China has announced plans to build a satellite navigation system that will include up to 35 satellites and...
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Virtual Earth 3D, a new online mapping interface launched by Microsoft as part of Live Search
Similar to billboards on the side of roads, virtual billboards will be available throughout Live Search in the 3-D view...
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Grenada undertakes LIDAR Remapping Project
Total costs for the Project are approximately $400,000 (US). This includes the application of aerial photography that will...
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Egypt to launch its first scientific satellite with remote sensing devices in late 2007
Egypt has already launched a number of satellites for nonscientific purposes. Nilesat 101 was launched in 1998...
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WORLD THIS WEEK
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Intermap Technologies completes mapping of Germany
Additionally, the company collected data in surrounding countries resulting in a total of 486,873 sq. km. (187,983 sq. mi)...
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India, ASEAN sign agreement to boost science and tech cooperation
The Heads of Science and Technology Agencies of the State/ Governments of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia...
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Parcel Boundaries available from NAVTEQ, includes 55m boundaries covering over 50 per cent of US populations
NAVTEQ Parcel Boundaries are available for a broad spectrum of industry and use cases; such as, retail site...
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Defence land records in India to be computerised
The total defence land holdings located inside 62 cantonments are estimated to be about 17 lakh acres (6,87,990 hectares)...
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EDITORIAL
History repeats… and it is Europe’s turn to be at the receiving end now. The Dragon is now threatening the much-touted ‘Galileo’ programme. China has declared that its ‘Beidou’ navigation system will begin providing an “open” level of service, with 10-metre accuracy, in addition to its “authorised” encrypted military service. It is bound to affect the EU’s projected revenue returns from the Galileo programme. This is probably the repeat of a drama that must have been played between the US and the EU when EU declared the Galileo programme, a competitor to USA’s GPS service.
The Beidou programme, conceptualised in 1983 as a two-satellite regional navigation system, was proven in 1989 and the programme was officially started in 1993. Today, the system consists of 3 geosynchronous satellites the Beidou 1A, 1B and 2A. On completion, it will have 5 geosynchronous and 30 medium earth orbit satellites.
If one is to analyse the national initiatives in the field of satellite navigation by various countries, it is evident that every nation though initially dependent on the USA’s GPS facility, has strived to become self sufficient in these matters – a classic example of ‘Swadeshi’ a Gandhian concept which propounds the benefits of self reliance and self sufficiency.
It is always good to be self-sufficient. But, when opportunity knocks the door, it would be foolish not to take advantage. ATTENTION – all research community interested in free SAR data – TerraSAR –X, to be launched early next year, is offering free downloads for testing purpose. All you need to do is to tell them your area of interest and as and when the data is available, you will be informed…check it out at: www.terrasar.de/en/cat/preops/index.php
Dr. Hrishikesh Samant
hrishikesh@gisdevelopment.net
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INTERVIEW
Right now we have a clear focus on TerraSAR-X
 Nikolaus Faller
Chief Operating Officer, Infoterra GmbH
Shortly after the foundation of Astrium from Matra Marconi Space and Dornier Satellitensysteme, it was quite clear that providing geo-information services is a different business to space infrastructure... |
CORPORATE
NAVTEQ agrees to acquire Traffic.com
NAVTEQ intends to finance the purchase price through a combination of approximately $47 million in cash and…
Field location data boosts service revenues by 17%, says new report
The recently published study – “Location, Location, Location: Does It Matter in Field Service?” –found that...
MapInfo joins Forbes’ 200 Best Small American Companies list, also announces financial results for its fourth quarter
The Forbes 200 Best Small Companies annual list is comprised of small, but growing...
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NEW PRODUCTS
Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging announces IMAGINE DeltaCue
IMAGINE DeltaCue key application areas include: Detecting changes in land use and land cover; Delineating...
ImageStation PixelQue introduced by Intergraph
By delivering these tools within a single application, which is tightly integrated with ImageStation OrthoPro...
Leica DigicatTM 200 Buried Service Locator now available with wireless data connectivity
Leica DigicatTM 200 GIS is the integrated solution to buried service locating and GIS data capture. It enables 3D...
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Kilian Ulm 
