Eric D. Colburn, PLS

USGS Director McNutt a Leader in U.S. Delegation at International Conference

3D Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

Free, easily accessible U.S. satellite data enables any citizen, scientist, or analyst who can use the information to contribute to a shared vision of the challenges facing our planet.

That’s the message the newly-appointed director of the U.S. Geological Survey, Dr. Marcia McNutt, plans to deliver when representatives of 80 governments and over 50 participating organizations convene at the international Group on Earth Observations (GEO-VI) meeting, November 16-17, in Washington, D.C.

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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket was launched here at 11:51 a.m. Oct. 8. The Delta II was launched on behalf of Boeing Launch Services. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Vandenberg successfully launched a Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex late last week.

The rocket carried WorldView-2, a high-resolution, remote-sensing satellite, into polar orbit.

With confirmation of the payload’s delivery into orbit and signal acquisition, the launch was pronounced a success.

Col. David Buck, the 30th Space Wing commander, was the launch decision authority for this mission.

“There really is nothing quite as exciting as seeing one of these powerful little rockets jump off the pad,” Col Buck said. “I’m incredibly proud of this wing and its mission partners for the way they conquer the immense technical difficulties of space lift operations and make it look so easy.”

Once operational, WorldView-2 will join a constellation of satellites belonging to DigitalGlobe. It will produce high-resolution, world-imagery products and services for defense and intelligence, government, and commercial clients.

The Delta II is an expendable launch, medium-lift vehicle. First launched in 1989, the Delta II’s primary mission was to carry Air Force GPS satellites into orbit. Today, it is used to launch military, civil and commercial payloads into low-earth, polar, geosynchronous transfer and stationary orbits.

“The Delta II is one of my favorite rockets; I’ve been launching them since I was a lieutenant colonel,” Colonel Buck said. “I’m very confident whenever I am working with this rocket, but I am even more confident when I work with this team.”

Vandenberg is next scheduled to launch an Atlas V carrying a payload for the Defense Meterological Satellite Program on Oct. 18.

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Professional Land Surveyor Source

U.S. AIR FORCE - Vandenberg Base

ERDAS APOLLO 2009 Selected by China’s National Environmental Protection Ministry

14 October 2008

Norcross (Georgia, USA) – China’s National Environmental Protection Ministry is implementing ERDAS APOLLO 2009, a unified enterprise platform for managing and serving large volumes of geospatial data located and distributed across an organization.

ERDAS APOLLO Image Manager is being implemented to store and share the Ministry’s gridded data throughout the enterprise. Setting-up Open Geospatial Consortium and International Organization for Standardization (OGC/ISO) compliant web services, ERDAS APOLLO Server will catalog and deliver all the geospatial data of the Ministry’s enterprise over the web. Beijing Digital LandView Technology Company (Beijing LandView), ERDAS’ authorized distributor in China is providing ERDAS APOLLO, as well as ERDAS IMAGINE®, IMAGINE VirtualGIS®, IMAGINE Vector™, IMAGINE Easytrace™, IMAGINE Autosync™ and IMAGINE Deltacue™ and other IMAGINE add on modules to the National Environmental Protection Ministry.

“ERDAS APOLLO brings a new application model to traditional image users, resolving the matter of how to manage, search and share massive image data,” said Jane Wu, General Manager Beijing Landview. ”This new technology provides convenience in data usage and service.”

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