Space Earth Observation Industry for Addressing the Mass Market Initiated by...

Google Tech Talks February, 7 2008 ABSTRACT Google Earth is at the forefront of providing the world with detailed ground imagery. A recent study by the French Space Agency (CNES) has created a set of specifications for the next step in satisfying world demand for imagery: resolution of 1-2 meters, latency 2-3 days, all over the land masses. This capability requires 60-80 satellites each carrying a 40 cm diameter camera. Building such a system, as a stand-alone project, is clearly unaffordable. A chance to realize such a system is offered by IRIDIUM-NEXT whose specifications are compatible with the needs of the imagery market, and could be deployed in 2013-2015. This commercial opportunity could by complement by deploying scientific instruments devoted to environmental monitoring and using the same spacecraft and data links. Decisions for IRIDIUM-NEXT have to be made by the system developer, Iridium Satellite LLC in mid 2008. Now is the time to engage in discussions among potential participants to offer an attractive technical and business plan to Iridium Satellite LLC. My presentation will discuss this opportunity to move Google to the next level of service. Speaker: Professor Jacques Blamont Prof. Jacques Blamont directed in 1957 the first launches of the French Veronique rockets. He was instrumental in creating the French space agency, the French National Center for Space Studies or CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales). In 1962, at the creation of CNES, he was appointed technical director. In 1972 he became chief scientist and adviser to the director general of CNES. Involved in atmospheric research, Prof. Blamont discovered the interstellar wind in 1970. He was the author of the first measurements of atmospheric temperature from 100 to 500 km. He made the first measurements of Einstein's general relativity red shift of the Sun. He discovered the hydrogen envelope of comets. Blamont was a member of the Science Steering Groups on the NASA missions Voyager, Pioneer-Venus, and of the USSR balloon mission Vega to Venus and Halley's comet; and a prime investigator on the Soviet Union's Phobos mission. He was a major contributor to the Lunar mission Clementine by the US Department of Defence and, in 1994. He developed image data compression for this mission, multiplying the number of lunar images obtained by 7 (2 million images). Among his honors are the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, 1972, and Gagarin Medal of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1985. He received the Spie Prize (International Society for Optical Engineering) for his space technology achievements. His book Le Chiffre et le Songe (1993) received the French Roberval Prize in 1993 (Prix Grand Public Roberval). Prof. Blamont is currently adviser to the CNES President.