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IKONOS Satellite Takes First Image of CBS' Survivor Camps in Africa

Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite has taken the first high-resolution images of the secret CBS Survivor: Africa production and tribal camps. The camps are located in the Shaba National Reserve in central Kenya. According to the Web site Survivor Maps, the Aug. 13 satellite images show what the television viewer never sees - the large CBS production and logistics camp that is required to produce the highly rated series. The image, taken from 423 miles in space, shows the production compound including mess hall, temporary production buildings, motor pool and sleeping tents nestled under acacia trees. Also in the image is one of the contestant tribal camps that show a tribal Maasai-style village of 10 thatched huts with a circular thornbush fence, according to Survivor Maps. The production and tribal camps are about two miles apart. Dan Bollinger, creator of Survivor Maps, has been credited with determining the location of Survivor: Africa, which was later confirmed by CBS. Bollinger provided the geographical coordinates of the site to Space Imaging. The series will premier in October.

Visit:- www.claycritters.com/map/survivormaps.htm & http://newswire.spaceimaging.com/

Lowrance Electronics' SONAR/GPS Mapping Instrument Declared Technology Winner

Lowrance Electronics Inc., the Official SONAR/GPS sponsor of the famed BASS Masters Classic Tournament(R), received much acclaim from the top contenders for the "electronics edge" provided them by the revolutionary new Lowrance LCX-15 MT SONAR/GPS instrument. At the recent New Orleans tournament, 68 boats were equipped with two each of these state-of-the-art, big-screen, high-resolution, high-power, recording SONAR/GPS-mapping units. In addition to the bow-mounted unit, a second LCX-15 MT provided superbly detailed custom mapping and multiple choice full or split-screen SONAR/GPS combinations to help the pros find their way and locate fish around the broad South Louisiana Delta fishery. At stake, $100,000 to the first-place winner and over $250,000 in cash winnings to the remaining top-45 anglers in the standings. Veteran pro and previous 19-time winner on the BASS Masters Tour, Roland Martin, who completed daily roundtrips up to 285 miles through bayous, canals and marshes during the 2001 Classic, said, "Without the LCX-15's superbly detailed GPS mapping, there would have been absolutely no way I could have made those long runs without getting lost, then still make it back in time for the scheduled weigh-ins."

Visit:- www.lowrance.com

Asia News

IRS-1B completes 10 years in orbit

BANGALORE, Aug. 29 - INDIAN remote-sensing satellite IRS-1B has completed 10 years of operation and continues to give excellent performance, an ISRO release said.

Launched in 1991 by the Russian Vostok rocket, the 990-kg satellite was designed for three years. Though it has far outlived its expected life, there has been no degradation of its image quality.

The satellite was valuable in the making of its successors IRS 1C and 1D, among the best in spatial and spectral resolutions.

Its data are used in India and the US. IRS-1B will continue to be used for experiments in subsystem design, modes of operation using the available fuel, according to ISRO.

Its two cameras have operated for more than 7,000 times over India.

Source: Business Line

Japan launches new H-2A rocket

THE NEXT-GENERATION H-2A rocket was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima, on an island about 625 miles (1,000 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo, at 4 p.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) and put a test satellite into orbit about 40 minutes later, the National Space Development Agency of Japan said.

The launch of the 174-foot (53-meter) rocket was seen as crucial to the future of the country’s space program, which critics have slammed for its high price tag and a series of launch failures. Japan's new H-2A rocket blasts off from its launch site at Tanegashima island Wednesday.

A mishap in 1999 resulted in the loss of an $83.3 million prototype, while another unsuccessful launch the year before cost six times that much. The H-2A rocket launch had already been postponed twice — once in February due to engine trouble, and again last week after problems developed with an engine valve.

Officials also had a scare on Wednesday as technical problems forced a three-hour delay in the launch. Yamanouchi said the delay was permissible, adding that NASDA was able to win back some trust in its space program with Wednesday’s success.

“The biggest accomplishment today is that we were able to restore some of the public’s trust, which was nearly completely lost,” he said.

`Good scope for e-healthcare'

BANGALORE, Aug. 29 - THE new drivers of the health of the nation will be technology, genomics and consumerism, according to Ms Sangita Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals.

She was speaking at the Asian Development Bank conference on information and communications technology (ICT). The theme, human resources development, covered areas such as e-health, e-education and development of HR for ICT.

Dr Dayakar Reddy, Chairman, CDR Hospitals, said that as there was little activity in the country in the area of e-healthcare, there was great opportunity to apply ICT in the field. It is one of the forward-looking markets, he added.

Speaking on the need for networked learning in the field of education, Mr Gopal Rajagopalan, Managing Director, Schoolnet India, said that ICT would play a greater role in the education of teachers who have to be networked for enhancement of skills.

Mr Anil Dang, Chairman, Quantum Information Systems, said that education should be a hybrid of Internet-enabled technologies and face-to-face delivery system.

``We should copy the success story of the software industry in academia,'' he added. Quantum Technologies enables Indian students to acquire degrees from Illinois University without ``setting foot outside the country''.

Dr Rama Rao, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad, said that the PhD density in India is 10 per million in all fields put together. ``Considering the country's population, this is a pathetic figure.''

Innovation in higher education is hampered by academic bureaucracy, according to Prof S. Sadagopan, Director, Indian Institute of Information Technology. ``The challenge we face is of producing a large number of superior quality of educated people.'' He called for Government-industry-academy interaction.

Source: The Hindu