Mapping GIS Milestones : 1960-1970

Time Line 1960 First meteorological satellite (TIROS-1) is launched. 1962 USSR’s first Cosmos satellite is launched. ---- Britain’s first satellite Ariel is launched. ---- In the wake of the Chinese aggression, maps on ½ inch scale and larger for the whole of India are restricted by Ministry of Defence 1963 Development of Canada Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) commences, led by Roger Tom Linson, to analyse Canada’s national inventory. 1964 The Harvard Lab for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis, Harvard University, US is established by Howard Fisher. 1965 Inception of Forest Survey of India (FSI). Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC) established at Thumba, India. 1966 Indian Photo-Interpretation Institute (IPI), now known as the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), is established. ---- Howard Fisher developes SYMAP (Synagraphic Mapping System), a pioneering automated computer mapping application, at the Northwestern Technology Institute, University of Chicago and completed it at the Harvard Lab for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis. ---- The second edition of the best known atlas of the United States, ‘National Geographic Atlas of the World’ is published. 1967 Aerial photographs in India are graded secret unless advised to be graded top secret vide Air Headquarters No. Air HQ / S_20173 / Air Int., dated 11.04. 67. 1968 Apollo 8 Space programme returns the first pictures of the Earth from deep space. ---- The first Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) is developed and launched by NASA in 1968. Later on it was transferred to NOAA for day-to-day activities. 1969 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is established. ---- Environmental Science Research Institute (ESRI) is founded by Jack and Laura Dangermond as a privately held consulting group. ---- Jim Meadlock establishes Intergraph Corporation (originally called M & S Computing Inc). ---- NASA succeeds with a great start on the Moon and in orbit around the Earth. As the link up between Apollo and Soyuz, Skylab establishes a lasting presence in space.

Harvard Laboratory The Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis laid its foundation with the development of general purpose mapping software in the mid-1960s by Howard Fisher. A GIS-type course was taught in 1966 as a "collaborative regional-scale studio and used SYMAP in a landscape-planning study of the peninsula. SYMAP was invented in Chicago and then Fisher moved to Harvard where SYMAP and GIS evolved into many other things. The educational and research programme grew through the 60s, 70s and the 80s with GIS approach and automated mapping systems with development of databases. Apart from the SYMAP, other Harvard packages, which were equally important in the developing field of GIS and spatial data analysis, were CALFORM (late 1960s), SYMVU (late 1960s), GRID (late 1960s), Polyvrt (early 1970s) and ODYSSEY (mid 1970s). ESRI Jack and Laura Dangermond founded ESRI in 1969 as a privately held consulting group. The business began with $1100 from their personal savings and operated out of an historic home located in Redlands, California. ESRI’s early research and development in cartographic data structure, specialised GIS software tools and creative applications set the stage for today’s revolution in digital mapping. Today ESRI continues to set standards in the GIS industry. Its software is installed at more than 100,000 client sites worldwide, of which about 13000 are in Asia and the Pacific regions. Worldwide, ESRI has over 91 distributors, 16 of which are located in Asia. ISRO The Indian space programme was driven by the vision of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, considered as the father of Indian Space Programme. In June 1972 the Government of India set up the Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS). Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), under DOS, executes space programme through its establishments located in different parts of India. The main objective of the space programme includes the devlopment of satellites, launch vehicles, sounding rockets and support ground systems.