Satellite of India’s GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) in Position

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

The satellite to operate the GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system that will offer seamless navigation to air traffic over the Indian Ocean and the Indian airspace, has been positioned.

India will become the fourth in the world to adopt this system which would enhance the accuracy and integrity of GPS signals to meet precision approach requirements in the civil aviation, official sources said.Others using similar technologies are the US, the European Union and Japan.

Once operational, GAGAN would provide augmented information for satellite navigation to aircraft flying over Indian airspace and routes over high seas with high level of accuracy, integrity and continuity during the entire flight operations – from take-off to landing, they said.

The GAGAN transmitter is to be integrated with the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to provide an SBAS over Indian airspace.

The project is currently in the final operational phase and is scheduled to be completed by June 2013.

The system would use eight reference stations located in Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, Jammu and Port Blair, and a master control centre at Bangalore to provide navigation and air traffic management over the entire Indian airspace and Indian Ocean area — from Southeast Asia to the African shores.

Source(s):

DNA

Image Link

Posted in Remote Sensing 101, Satellites, Space | Leave a comment

India Adapts New Remote Sensing Data Policy

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

The government of India released its much-awaited Remote Sensing Data Policy (RSDP – 2011) on July 4, 2011, bringing relief to the industry. The new policy does away with restrictions on all remote sensing data up to one meter resolution, that is, all satellite remote sensing data of resolutions up to 1 m will now be distributed on a nondiscriminatory basis and ‘on request’. The 2001 policy required data up to 5.8 meter resolution to be protected. Meanwhile, for data better than 1 m resolution, private agencies need clearance from an interagency High Resolution Image Clearance Committee (HRC). However, government bodies can obtain such data without any further clearance.

Some of the highlights of the policy include:
– Department of Space (DOS) of the Government of India will be the nodal agency for all actions under this policy.
– The Government, through DOS, will be the sole and exclusive owner of all data collected/ received from IRS. All users will be provided with only a license to use the said data, and add value to the satellite data.
– Any organisation interested in operating a remote sensing satellite from India, will need license and/ or permission of the government, through the nodal agency, for the same.
– While the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of ISRO/ DOS is vested with the authority to acquire and disseminate all satellite remote sensing data in India, both from Indian and foreign satellites, Antrix Corporation Ltd. (of DOS) will be responsible for grant of license for acquisition/ distribution of IRS data outside India.
– NRSC will maintain a systematic National Remote Sensing Data Archive, and a log of all acquisitions/ sales of data for all satellites.

RSDP-2011 comes into effect immediately.

Links and Sources:

Geospatial World

ISRO

Posted in India, News, Remote Sensing 101 | Leave a comment

Nature Uses Screws and Nuts

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

 A musculoskeletal system so far unknown in the animal world was recently discovered in weevils. The hip ofTrigonopterus oblongus does not consist of the usual hinges, but of joints based on a screw-and-nut system. This first biological screw thread is about half a millimeter in size and was studied in detail using synchrotron radiation. The discovery is reported by the current issue of the Science magazine.

read here

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Best Waterfalls of the World

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Rashid Faridi

Igauza Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River originates near the city of Curitiba. It flows through Brazil for most of its course. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Brazil and Argentina.Its brink spans a distance of an incredible 2km in its average flow of 1.3 million liters per second. The falls actually consists of some 275 individual waterfalls and cascades. Catwalks make it easy to get closeup and intimate views and the rainforest surroundings make the scenery feel right for a natural attraction.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is the largest singular waterfall in the world spanning a width of 1.7km, a height of 108m, and an average flow of 1 million liters per second! It’s no wonder this ‘smoke that thunders’ is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Niagara Falls
Easily the most famous waterfall in North America, this powerful waterfall also ranks as the biggest one by volume with a whopping average of about 750,000 gallons per second (2.8 million Liters per second)! In addition to its raw power, the falls is easily one of the easiest to access and view from all sorts of angles.

Plitvice Falls
When it comes to the overall waterfalling experience, it’s hard to beat this world famous attraction of croatia. This one is really a network of countless waterfalls (some of which are impressive enough to stand out on their own). The waterfalls themselves segregate the many clear and colorful lakes that bring life to this lush and protected ecosystem.

Angel Falls
Plunging uninterrupted for 807m (with total drop of 979m) from a mystical tabletop mountain (tepuy) deep in a Venezuelan equatorial rainforest, it is widely acknowledged as the tallest permanent waterfall in the world. Its existence defies logic as its source is nothing but the soggy cloud forest on the plateau of the tepuy.

Angel Falls (Spanish: Salto Ángel; Pemon language: Kerepakupai vena, meaning “waterfall of the deepest place”, or Parakupa-vena, meaning “the fall from the highest point”) is  in Venezuela.

It is the world’s highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Canaima), a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State.The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep River (alternatively known as the Río Gauya), which flows into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River.Before reaching the ground, much of the water is dissipated as mist.

The height figure 979 m (3,212 ft) mostly consists of the main plunge but also includes about 400 m (0.25 mi) of sloped cascades and rapids below the drop and a 30 m (98 ft) high plunge downstream of the talus rapids. While the main plunge is undoubtedly the highest single drop in the world, some feel that including the lower cascades stretches the criteria for the measurement of waterfalls somewhat, although there are no universally recognized standards of the subject.

Links and Sources: Indiatimes , Wikipedia

Formation of Waterfalls

Posted in Landforms, Photo Post, topography, water | Leave a comment