Top Stories
Russia launches three navigation satellites
A Proton K/DM2 successfully launched three Global'naya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (Global Navigation Satellite System - GLONASS) satellites from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 1804 UTC on December 1. The satellites were named Kosmos 2380, Kosmos 2381 and Kosmos 2382. The Proton placed the satellites into an elliptical orbit with an apogee of 19,100 km (10,313 nmi) with an inclination of 64.8 degrees. Each satellite will use its own propulsion system to circularise its orbit and move into its final orbital position within the GLONASS network. NPO PM, Zheleznogorsk, is responsible for the overall development of the GLONASS system, while PO Polyot, Omsk, builds the Uragan spacecraft bus. The 1415 kg (3120 lbm) Uragan satellite bus historically has had a design life of three years. A 1500 kg (3300 lbm) Uragan M spacecraft bus is being introduced, having a six-year design life. Kosmos 2382 was the first Uragan M bus launched for the GLONASS constellation. To reduce the cost of the GLONASS system even further, Russia plans to conduct further launches of the GLONASS spacecraft using Soyuz-Fregat rockets launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. It is estimated that the Soyuz-Fregat will cost half the price of a Proton.
Visit:
http://www.spaceandtech.com/digest/flash2001/flash2001-102.shtml
Winners announced in education, GIS/Transportation portions of digital state survey
Illinois, South Dakota and Utah are the nation's top providers of online educational services, according to the final phase of the four-part Digital State Survey. Kansas leads the country in its use of geographic information systems (GIS), which has become a critical tool in emergency management, ground surveillance and military actions since the Sept. 11 attacks. Conducted by the Center for Digital Government, in conjunction with the Progress & Freedom Foundation and Government Technology magazine, this latest Digital State Survey examined how information is being harnessed by the states to deliver education in colleges and universities and kindergarten through 12th-grade institutions. The survey also assessed which states have the necessary infrastructure to create enterprise-wide access to GIS and transportation. Sponsored by AMD, the education portion of the survey shows first-place Illinois, South Dakota and Utah ahead of the pack when it comes to delivering electronic services to their education institutions. South Dakota's six universities and colleges allow students to go online to make schedule changes, register, check on financial aid, make payments and other activities that otherwise would have required personal visits and waiting in lines.
Visit:
http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/
Syncline strikes reseller agreement with GDT to offer customers detailed geographic data
Syncline(R), Inc., has announced that it has entered into a reseller agreement with Geographic Data Technology, Inc. (GDT) that enables Syncline to offer customers GDT's Dynamap/2000(R), an extensive database consisting of detailed spatial information. The data, which includes the location of specific addresses and various landmarks, allows customers to add layers of detail to maps built using Syncline technology and services, making them more precise and comprehensive. Dynamap/2000 contains more than 30 types of map details, including more than 16 million addressed U.S. street segments, postal and census boundaries, railroads, airports, parks, recreational areas, transportation terminals, institutions (such as schools and hospitals), and water features. Available by county, by state or for the entire nation, Dynamap/2000 is used by cities, towns, counties, government agencies or businesses that need accurate location-based data, but do not have the time or resources to maintain their own digital, up-to-date maps with street names and addresses.
Visit:
http://www.syncline.com/
Official: Mexico Losing Forest Fast
A study of satellite images suggests that Mexico is losing forest cover almost twice as fast as previously estimated, the Environment Department reported. For years, government agencies had estimated that Mexico was losing about 1.5 million acres of forest each year to logging, fires and the expansion of farms and ranches, the government news agency Notimex reported. But according to a multi-agency study of satellite images taken between 1993 and 2000, forest loss in those years averaged about 2.78 million acres, Environment Secretary Victor Lichtinger told a news conference. Scientists estimate that Brazil has the world's highest deforestation rate, followed by Mexico and Indonesia. ``The situation is doubly critical ... because the loss of forests isn't just a question of plants, it's a loss of fertility, of water retention, of oxygen creation, it's a loss on many fronts,'' Lichtinger said. Upon taking office one year ago, President Vicente Fox pledged to combat deforestation, by cracking down on illegal logging and encouraging reforestation for commercial and other uses.
Visit:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011203/wl/mexico_deforestation_1.html
USGS creates customized water quality maps on the web using MapInfo
MapInfo Corporation has announced that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National
Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) site has unveiled its unique Web mapping application. The application displays scientific results on a map and was created with MapInfo MapXtreme
Java(TM) Technology Edition. Users can select from $70 million of chemical, biological and physical water quality data collected over the past 10 years in approximately 50 basins under the
USGS NAWQA program and map it to show water quality conditions in a given area. Using MapInfo MapXtreme, the application displays results from its data warehouse (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/data), which contains the largest consistently designed and collected set of searchable water quality data in the nation. The application communicates directly with the Oracle9i database accessing sampling sites with Oracle Spatial and rendering its associated water quality results in a thematic map. The application is being showcased at Oracle OpenWorld on Dec.5 in a session titled, "Mining USGS Water Quality Data with Oracle Discoverer," being held. Researchers can now display data on a map through a Web browser in a matter of seconds. Previously, this would take hours or even days to complete with complex GIS tools. Additionally, the public can access the data to determine water quality conditions in a specific area and compare it with other regions throughout the country.
Visit:
www.mapinfo.com
ComputaMaps names ADC WorldMap the exclusive marketing partner for continental datasets
ComputaMaps and ADC WorldMap have forged a unique partnership to deliver the most current, easy-to-use, and comprehensive off-the-shelf base mapping products available for the world continents. Through an exclusive arrangement, all ComputaMaps continental
datasets will be available only under the ADC WorldMap brand. The new products will feature the familiar ADC WorldMap user interface and will be backed by ADC WorldMap technical support. Configured for optimum performance, the new continental datasets will offer a depth and breadth of information not found in any other single source.
Visit:
http://www.adcworldmap.com/ &
http://www.computamaps.com/info_press.shtml
MapCloud Partners with Maps.com on Web Mapping technology
MapCloud Services Inc. announced that Maps.com, one of the top 15 most visited travel web sites (Jupiter/Media Metrix) will implement FreshMaps web mapping software on the Maps.com web site to allow visitors greater interactivity with their digital map data. As well as offering a comprehensive travel and mapping information resource, Maps.com offers one of the Web's largest collections of digital map graphics, available for business licensing. Previously, visitors to www.maps.com would only be able to view a raster image of a digital map, which had limited functionality. With FreshMaps technology, the visitor is able to interact with the digital data in a vector format, allowing them to properly view the details of the map prior to purchasing it. In addition, MapCloud is selling digital map data from Maps.com as part of their service offering.
Visit:
www.mapcloud.com
Terrorism attacks accelerate interest in GPS applications, says Allied Business Intelligence
Global positioning system (GPS) applications have attracted increased interest in the wake of the terrorism attacks of 2001. American society has changed from one that is casual toward these kinds of threats to one that is on the alert for them. GPS will play an increasingly important role in this new ``alert'' society. ABI's report, ``GPS World Markets 2002: Prospects for Satellite Navigation and Locator Applications,'' addresses these concerns and offers a thorough examination of the marketplace. One of the most important of the emerging GPS initiatives is the wireless E911 mandate requiring cellular carriers to link caller location to an emergency call. Although network-based solutions are being developed, most carriers will likely adopt handset-based GPS functionality. In addition, other GPS-based ``people-tracking'' devices are being developed that are as simple as a pendant tucked into a child's pocket or backpack. GPS is used for a wide variety of applications by many different industries. Besides the military, end uses fall into nine primary categories: aviation, marine, people tracking, recreation, surveying/mapping, timing, communications, in-vehicle navigation, and vehicle/freight tracking; the latter three account for two-thirds of total revenue. Several alternatives to GPS exist, including GLONASS, the Russian system, and Galileo, the proposed European alternative. Their influence on the overall marketplace is discussed along with their long-term viability. According to ABI analyst Bill Britton, the world market for GPS equipment will stand at $34 billion by 2006 and as much as $41 billion should the world economies recover from their current slump. The U.S. and Japan will continue their leadership roles in system development and manufacture.
Visit:
www.alliedworld.com
Asia News
Bentley Launches "MicroStation V8" Software in India.
Bentley System has launched MicroStation V8 in India. MicroStation V8 is the most significant release to date in the evolution of the company's flagship product. MicroStation V8 is the first release of Bentley V8 generation, a new era of integrated engineering content creation, management and publishing across the boundaries of file formats, project teams and time zones. MicroStation V8 provides a unified design environment for any project without the need. On the occasion of MicroStation V8 Bentley held "Bentley User Forum" at Hotel Intercontinental, New Delhi. Mr. Ian hemming, Executive Vice President, said that Bentley is now focusing on India and China as its markets. He said, "USA is not the dominant market now, Rest of the world is." During the forum various strengths of MicroStation V8 were demonstrated showing the immense application potential of the software. Demo CD's of the software also distributed in the forum.
Visit:
www.bentley.com
ISRO Successfully Tests Up-rated Liquid Propellant Engine
ISRO crossed a major milestone yesterday (November 30, 2001) when it successfully tested an up-rated version of the liquid propellant Vikas engine at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Test Facilities at Mahendragiri in Tamilnadu. The Vikas engines are employed in the second stage of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) as well as the second and the four strap-on stages of Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). After completion of qualification, the new up-rated Vikas engine is planned to be introduced in the second developmental test flight of GSLV, which is scheduled during 2002. The new engine has the potential to increase the payload capability of GSLV by about 150 kg in the Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
Read complete article at:
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/india-01o.html
