Space blog

Many thanks to Dr. Renato Filjar for drawing our attention to the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy, University of Nottingham 2nd GNSS Vulnerabilities and Solutions 2009 Conference to be held on 2 - 5 September 2009 in Baska, Krk Island, Croatia.

This four-day event aims to gather GNSS experts and focuses on GNSS problems and vulnerabilities, as well as to developments aiming to improve the accuracy and reliability of GNSS. Unique environment of Baska and its natural resources and rich history, combined with friendly hospitality will again create an inspiring atmosphere for ideas and knowledge exchange, well known to those who attended the last year's conference.

Two special sessions will be organised in order to address particular causes of GNSS vulnerabilities: Space Weather and Ionospheric Effects on GNSS, and Safety Critical Applications (including emergency situations management, homeland security and Intelligent Transport Systems). The rest of the conference will address other causes of GNSS vulnerabilities and means of their over-comings, such as GNSS system and augnetation vulnerabilities, GNSS interference and management, tropospheric impact on GNSS, navigation algorithms. The design of user equipment will also be considered, with an insight into user experience and applications.

Two special sessions will be organised to address particular causes of GNSS vulnerabilities: Space Weather and Ionospheric Effects on GNSS, and
Safety Critical Applications (concerning primarily ITS).

Extended abstracts should be submitted to Dr Renato Filjar, FRIN by e-mail no later than 1 May, 2009. His email address is rfiljar@vtsbj.hr

Dr. Renato Filjar invites you to join the leading GNSS experts and discuss the most important issues related to further exploitations of satellite navigation systems in the wonderful Mediterranean environment of Northern Adriatic. In addition, the organising committee kindly appreciate your efforts in informing your colleagues about the event.

For more details visit the RIN conference page

Leading small satellite mission provider SSTL, has been recognised as one of the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For, and the only space industry company to make the listing.

SSTL ranked 89 out of the 997 companies that took part, with staff giving a top 20 score to finding their work stimulating, saying that they feel proud to be working for the world’s leading provider of small satellite missions.

Susan Jason, who's been with SSTL for 10 years explained the appeal of the British space innovators

There are lots of techie, geeky, space enthusiasts here. We have healthy, fiery debates. It’s amazing being able to contribute to such an important area.”

The survey showed that people go out of their way to help each other, with colleagues fun to work with and supportive - another top 20 score. SSTL was also recognised as a 1* (First Class) Best Companies To Work for the third year running.

Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, Group Chairman and founder of SSTL has been instrumental in fostering this unique working environment

Since SSTL’s formation in 1985, highly motivated people have been the company’s most important asset. The innovation and total commitment that our staff bring to each and every project, enables us to satisfy our customers in a technically demanding field. We reflect this view in striving to make SSTL the very best place to work

Jackie Orme, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development,, said:

Being a Best Company to Work For is not just about prestigious listings and names up in lights. Engaged staff understand when times are tough and will respond by going the extra mile. Their companies will be the ones best placed to emerge strongly in a recovery.

SSTL will present new small satellite “eye in the sky” solutions for civilian and security applications at the IDEX International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi 22-26th February 2009.

“Eye in the sky” capability provides valuable security and environmental benefits to national and regional authorities, but this often comes at a high cost that restricts access to a privileged few. SSTL’s next generation satellite system is able to respond rapidly to tasks, imaging objects of less than 1m in size and provide frequently updated images for applications in surveillance, agriculture, or land use change mapping.

Head of International Business, Steve Young commented,

“SSTL can now provide a satellite system that can image the entire land area of the Earth within 30 months, at a resolution better than 1m, for less than $50M. This makes space much more accessible to regional and government programs seeking more independent native capabilities.”

Such new systems form part of SSTL’s space-based security solutions for national and regional security. The integrated solutions offered at IDEX 2009 enable real-time early warning and a reduction in time scales from threat-detection to termination in the field.

Young added,

“As the world’s most experienced team of small satellite engineers we address the top level requirements for space-based solutions. We design, build and launch cost effective satellite missions - and then we take it a step further by training local engineers and technical staff so that our customers can develop their own independent space capability.”

SSTL has more than 20 year’s experience designing and operating civilian and commercial earth observation missions. One such example is the CHRIS satellite imager which is flown onboard ESA’s PROBA mission. The imager has been providing hyperspectral data to the scientific community for the last 7 years, supporting resource management, deforestation and forest husbandry, precision farming, aerosol monitoring and water quality assessment.

Following the success of CHRIS, SSTL has developed the new CHRIS-2 imager which will provide vital data for mineralogists and ecologists alike, defining spectra for mineral exploration, information currently provided by aircraft reconnaissance and on-the-ground surveys.

The Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) and the recently launched RapidEye constellation demonstrate SSTL’s ability to provide systems equivalent to LandSat and other wide area imaging systems at a fraction of the cost of conventional large satellites.
SSTL-built satellite, TopSat, is providing 2.5m imagery of the Earth, having successfully achieved its original mission objective as a technology demonstrator for the UK Ministry of Defence.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd is exhibiting at IDEX 2009 Hall 06 stand A25, so why not drop by?

Take a look at Rob Coppinger's excellent Hyperbola blog and find out more about what UK minister for science Lord Drayson said about robotic exploration, the UK space strategy and the possibility of a UK space agency and participation in the ESA astronaut corps during his visit to SSTL on Friday 6 February.

To find out more, tune in to Hyperbola's podcast.