NigeriaSat (s) rocketing along

Friday, November 30. 2007

SSTL have successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for NigeriaSat-2. This review is of the finalised design of the NigeriaSat-2 spacecraft and ground segment and plans for the full satellite manufacture. The 300 kg satellite will provide Nigeria with valuable geographically referenced high-resolution satellite imaging for mapping, water resource management, agricultural land use, population estimation, health hazard monitoring and disaster mitigation and management. The higher resolution optical payload will enable Nigeria to join the second generation Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC).

The SSTL-300 platform
This is an exciting period for the small satellite manufacturer, because NigeriaSat-2 will use the new, more agile SSTL-300 Earth Observation satellite platform.

Customer representatives from the National Space Research & Development Agency (NASRDA) have attended seven days of meetings at SSTL's headquarters in Guildford as part of the CDR.

Meanwhile during the third week in November, Nigeria's training satellite turned "real" satellite, codenamed NX has passed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR) with flying colours. The Nigerian Know How Transfer and Training (KHTT) team carried out the PDR for NX, which was was originally planned purely for training engineers as part of the NigeriaSat-2 programme. The PDR marks a significant milestone for the project and reflects the confidence of Nigeria's National Space Research And Development Agency (NASDRA) in the continued development of their engineers under the SSTL KHTT programme.

Posted by Robin Wolstenholme in NIGERIASAT-2 at 16:35 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
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ALSAT-1 maps forest fires

Thursday, November 29. 2007
In the news

Algeria is celebrating the 5th birthday of its first satellite, ALSAT-1 this week.

Last summer, a heatwave struck Algeria bringing with it temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsuis. This dryed out the North African landscape, leading to forest fires in several forests.

The Batna region, which has some of the most densely forested regions in Algeria, was one of the worst affected areas. In particular, places like Djebel Belezma and Beni Fedhla were stricken by severe conflagrations accented by sirocco winds blowing at more than 80 kph.

Fire damage in the Bliza area


The fire has destroyed a significant part of the forests in the Batna region. For example, only this summer, fires have destroyed over 8000 hectares in Djebel Kimmel and in the area of Arris.

Forest fires: astronomical figures



Algeria used the SSTL-built ALSAT-1 satellite in a study to monitor forest fires and evaluate the damage caused and assess the forests’ ability to regenerate.

Fire damage surrounding Tipaza


The location referenced (geospatial) images from Algeria’s own satellite were supplemented where required with additional Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) data where required.

How satellite imaging is applied
The images were acquired from areas of interest are first pre-processed using the ENVI image processing software, these are then analysed and finely processed for later use. This results in cartographical (maps) that are easy to read with the human eye. The maps are then used to identify the various forest formations and the impact that this summer’s (2007) fires have had on them.
Both supervised classification and the vegetation index (NDVI) methods were used to determine the different forest formations and to deduct the fire impact on them. This methodology has allowed the Centre National des Techniques Spatiales (CNTS) to accurately assess the destruction of forest fires in the north of Algeria during this year’s (2007) campaign.

Posted by Robin Wolstenholme in In the news, Space at 15:25 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
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Satellites help save lives

Monday, October 22. 2007

The UK is taking charge of an international group providing satellite data to support disaster relief across the world. The British National Space Centre and DMC International Imaging Ltd (DMCii) will lead the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” from October 2007 until April 2008.

The Charter was set up in 2000 to provide satellite data and imagery to help governments and aid agencies plan emergency relief following major disasters. It has provided valuable information to relief agencies after earthquakes, floods, landslides and volcanic eruptions.

Dave Hodgson
When the Charter is activated, Earth observation satellites operated by 14 international organisations are made freely available. The satellites provide data which is then used to produce maps and other information for emergency response efforts.

The UK-built Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) is a key member of the Charter. The five satellites were built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and are owned individually by Algeria, China, Nigeria, Turkey and the UK.

DMCii will chair the Charter Secretariat. DMCii Managing Director David Hodgson said: “Imagery from the DMC has been provided for more than 50 disasters and is particularly valuable in monitoring fires and floods.

“DMCii is also proud to provide regular emergency on-call services to the Charter and to task the world’s Earth observing satellites in response to disasters.”

Minister for Science and Innovation Ian Pearson said: “The UK is proud to lead this important group. We often think of space as being somewhere to explore, but it can also bring enormous benefits to us here on Earth."

Disaster Monitoring is one of the more direct forms of benefit from space, making it easier for the public to comprehend. The Charter is frequently called into action, or in Charter terms "activated". Charter members have been called on 34 times so far this year including on 14 September after floods devastated 12 countries in West Africa. The Charter was also activated in the aftermath of Hurricane Felix which hit Nicaragua and Honduras on 4 September 2007. The UK has activated the Charter twice this summer following the floods in north and south west England. Satellite data and images were used to produce maps of the flooded areas to help the Environment Agency assess the full extent of the damage.

Posted by Robin Wolstenholme in Cooperation, Space at 09:47 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
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Nigerian ministerial visit

Friday, September 14. 2007

Nigeria's newly appointed Minister of Science, Chief Grace Ekpiwhre, began her new role with a visit to UK space company, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). The Honourable Minister was joined by Professor Robert Boroffice, Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency, for briefing talks on a two-satellite contract currently under manufacture at SSTL for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigerian ministerial visit
A new-design SSTL-300 enhanced microsatellite, to be called N2, will boost the country's space capability with a high performance operational mission delivering the latest in high resolution Earth imaging, to join the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) when launched in 2009. The imaging system will include a high-resolution 2.5-metre panchromatic camera with two further multispectral imagers: 5-metre 4-band (20km swath) and medium resolution 22-metre 4-band (300km swath).

Mrs Ekpiwhre also met with 11 Nigerian engineers currently working alongside SSTL engineers on the development of a training satellite. The SSTL-100 satellite, to be called NX, is an integral part of a know-how transfer programme that is providing the Nigerian engineers with hands-on experience in all aspects of spacecraft analysis, build, integration and test. NX will carry a 22-metre multispectral imaging system with ultra-wide 600km swath. The engineers will fully manage the complete life-cycle of the satellite, with responsibility for the delivery of the spacecraft to full flight specification.

The Minister visited both SSTL sites in Guildford, including the manufacturing clean rooms where she saw modules for the N2 spacecraft under construction.

This latest contract is the second between SSTL and Nigeria. NigeriaSat-1 was launched into the DMC in 2003 and continues to provide the country with 32-metre resolution imaging, used by the Government to monitor pollution, manage land use and monitor medium-scale changes to the landscape. N2 will enhance that capability significantly, providing Nigeria with hundreds of valuable geographically referenced images each day, for applications in mapping, water resource management, agricultural land use, population estimation, health hazard monitoring and disaster mitigation and management.

Posted by Robin Wolstenholme in NIGERIASAT-2, Technology at 10:40 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
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