L3 - Russian Earth Observation Business Flashcards
Describe a development of a Russian Earth Observation program in last 20 years.
Russia inherited a well-developed EO program from Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union (up to 1991) space imagery was classified cus it was a state owned country. After 1991, first commercial EO imagery distribution companies appeared in Russia.
In 1992: Two state companies and two Commercial companies were providers of satellite imageries. Until 1995, thanks to Sovinformsputnik commercial company, Russia dominated the high resolution EO data international market by releasing Kometa with 2 meters resolution images. In 1998 Russia released 1 meters resolution images to the international market. Sovinformsputnik Company stopped to exist 2003 due to the impossibility to compete with IKONOS imagery.
Today data from various international EO satellites is available in Russia through state centres as well as commercial companies. Russian EO data providers are now in competition with other international data providers at domestic market
Outline the main products based on Earth observation imagery
• Earth Observation data and value-added products
1. Processed images: a) Mosaics built from EO data (e.g. pan+ multi), b) composite images, c) Ortho-corrected images
2. Valued added products based on EO data: a) Map production using satellite images b) Production of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), c) 3-D models, flight simulators d)GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
3. Special software to process EO data
• Ground stations for Earth Observation data acquisition
• Software for Earth Observation Data processing
Distinguish differences between application of high resolution data and low resolution data
• High Res Images:
1. Advantages: Very good for production of topographic maps and Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), 3-d Models, flight simulators, ortho images
2. Disadvantages: Cover not large territories, Limited spectral band: panchromatic not multispectral, Price is quite high per km2
• Low Res Images:
1. Advantages: Cover large territories, Many spectral bands, Moderate prices for raw data, Ground stations (not that expensive)
2. Disadvantages: Not useful for high detailed and precision studies of a territory
List main application fields of high resolution data and low resolution data
• High Res Images: Cartography and Terrain Mapping, Urban Planning and Development, Communications lines/networks control, Cadastral Mapping, Landuse Mapping and Planning, Telecommunications, Utilities, Defense
• Low Res Images: Environmental monitoring, Monitoring of emergency situations, Forestry, Agriculture, Coastal monitoring, Monitoring of Oil pipelines.
In general, imagery goes to where is the money or which business needs EO products: Oil and gas industry, Real estate and land inventories, Urban infrastructure development and monitoring
Explain the policy of the EO data distribution in Russia.
Russian remote sensing program budget is part of the Federal Space Program budget prepared annually by Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). Any Russian company willing to sell satellite imagery is required to have license from Roscosmos. All original images are property of Roscosmos and customers are getting copies in any format as paper print, digital, film.
Special Policy Issues for Russian High Resolution data (1-2 meters): Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared special list of sensitive geographic regions (wars, local conflicts etc). Sell of high-resolution data on territories from the list is not allowed. Sell of 1 meter resolution and higher images produced by Russian satellites for Russian territory is prohibited.
Explain different market strategies (suggested different products) chosen by Russian companies described in the lecture
Since 1992 Sovinformsputnik and Scanex suggested unique products to the market in Russia and former Soviet Republics (since 1991 Independent States):
• Sovinformsputnik 2 m resolution images (the only provider to international market until 1995)
• At that time Scanex was specializing exclusively in low resolution EO data and suggested ground stations based on personal computers.
• Scanex Business Specialization only in low resolution data developing own ground stations (1992-2007): All of them are based on personal computers, and can be handled by a single person without special training at any phase of operations. In all of them user’s participation may be reduced to a simple supervision, All of them have the software with the friendly user’s interface of the MS Windows type. Area of business is mainly Russia and former Soviet Republics now Independent States. Since 2007 signed agreement to distribute high resolution data from IKONOS.
• Sovnoz: Leader in Integration of EO technologies
