News Mails - 2008
Newsletter -No.040, 31/ Mar/ 2008
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1. [News from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), Indonesia] LAPAN-TUBSAT Video Under Extensive Study For Land UseApplications
2. [News from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), Indonesia] LAPAN-A2 Microsatellite
3. [News from the National Space Agency of Malaysia (ANGKASA)] Current Status of RazakSAT - Malaysia
4. [News from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA] The Current Status of The Greenhouse gas Observing SATellite (GOSAT)
5. [[Series 2: Introduction of the Current Status of Small Japanese Satellites]] Introduction of SORUNSAT-1 (Kagayaki)
6. Information about the APRSAF-15, Hanoi, Vietnam - December, 2008
7. [[Event Information - April - June 2008]]
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1. [News from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), Indonesia] LAPAN-TUBSAT Video Under Extensive Study For Land UseApplications
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Users can directly use the video data from LAPAN-TUBSAT (the earth observation satellite). However, users could also go further and use the video for other applications such as land use applications. For such applications, LAPAN is still under extensive study with regards to how to use LAPAN-TUBSAT video. Video frames have been stitched together to give an image of a wider area and also georeference the data.
Since the resolution of LAPAN-TUBSAT images is five meters, it is not so difficult to make visual identification based on logical connections between landforms and land cover, while also considering the colors, shapes, patterns, sizes and associations in the image. To see the image, please visit the TUBESAT microsatellite project website (http://www.ilr.tu-berlin.de/RFA/index.htm).
Full text of the article: http://www.aprsaf.org/interviews_features/features_2008/feature_49.php
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2. [News from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), Indonesia] LAPAN-A2 Microsatellite
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Continuing with the successful program of the LAPAN-TUBSAT microsatellite (LAPAN-A1, launched on January 10, 2007), LAPAN has launched a new satellite program called LAPAN-A2 . This satellite will be developed and integrated in Indonesia by Indonesian engineers with the same mission as the earth observation satellite. LAPAN-A2 has a similar bus system as LAPAN-TUBSAT, however there will be a few enhancements. It will have additional spaceborne GPS and magnetometers for navigation and also there will be some experimental components such as wheel-drive electronics and components for onboard data handling which have been developed by LAPAN's engineers. The payload of the satellite will remain the same. However, an HDTV camera on LAPAN-A2 will be able to take wider areas and higher definition images compared with the LAPAN-TUBSAT.
LAPAN-TUBSAT Website: http://www.ilr.tu-berlin.de/RFA/index.htm
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3. [News from the National Space Agency of Malaysia (ANGKASA)] Current Status of RazakSAT - Malaysia
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Malaysia's first remote sensing satellite, RazakSAT, has been ready to be launched since late 2006. But because Space-X, a private launch service provider in the USA, has repeatedly postponed the launch schedule, it is currently at the Space Centre(ANGKASA) at Sg. Lang, Banting, in Malaysia. Various system checks and tests have been performed on it from time to time as needed. RazakSAT is currently scheduled to be launched in September 2008.
A workshop for the RazakSAT user group is planned for May 2008 in Kualalumpur, with the objective of opening up opportunities for local researchers to submit research proposals on the applications of RazakSAT's data images. We expect early images from RazakSAT will be made available to researchers within the Launch and Early Orbit Phase, from September to December 2008.
RazakSAT Website: http://www.razaksat.com/razaksat.asp
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4. [News from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA] The Current Status of The Greenhouse gas Observing SATellite (GOSAT)
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The Greenhouse gas Observing SATellite (GOSAT), under developing by JAXA, is designed to observe the global distribution of greenhouse gases from space, and is expected to contribute to international efforts for the prevention of global warming by acquiring the current absorption and emission levels of greenhouse gases.
Mr. Takashi Hamazaki, project manager of GOSAT, and senior engineer JAXA said “GOSAT is expected to track extremely small densities of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), and observe deviations in the concentrations of those gases. We have to overcome some very technical challenges in order to develop and manufacture those sensors.”
GOSAT Website: http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gosat/index_e.html
Full text of the article: http://www.aprsaf.org/interviews_features/features_2008/feature_52.php
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5. [[Series 2: Introduction of the Current Status of Small Japanese Satellites]] Introduction of SORUNSAT-1 (Kagayaki)
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Six small piggyback satellites are planned to be launched in FY2008 together with JAXA's Greenhouse Gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT).
As the second article in this series, the APRSAF secretariat interviewed Mr. Hiroshi Saegusa, project manager of small satellites (SORUNSAT-1, Kagayaki) at Sorun Corp., to learn about the current developmental status of SORUNSAT-1 and his determination to develop it.
“At present (March 2008), we have finished manufacturing the Engineering Model (EM) and done the ground testing for it, and we will start manufacturing the Flight Model (FM).”
SORUNSAT-1 Websute: http://www.tiniaerospace.com/appsorunsat.html
Full text of the article: http://www.aprsaf.org/interviews_features/features_2008/feature_51.php
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6. Information about the APRSAF-15, Hanoi, Vietnam - December, 2008
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The fifteenth session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-15) will be held in December, 2008 in Hanoi, Vietnam and jointly be organized and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam (MOST), Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
APRSAF-15 is proposed to have a plenary session and 4 working groups (WGs):
Earth Observation (EO), Communication Satellite Applications (CSA),
Space Education & Awareness (SEA) and Space Environment Utilization (SEU).
More information about the APRSAF-15 will be update on the website.
http://demo.triple-i.co.jp/aprsaf/text/ap15_info.html
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7. [[Event Information -April - June 2008]]
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*April 14 - 16, 2008
The Second GEOSS Asia-Pacific Symposium
Tokyo, Japan
http://www.prime-intl.co.jp/geoss/
* April 15 - 18
Water Down Under 2008 - 31st Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium & 4th International Conference on Water Resources and Environment Research
Adelaide, Australia
http://www.waterdownunder2008.com/
*April 21-26, 2008
Asia-Pacific Forestry Week: Forestry in a Changing World
Hanoi, Vietnam
http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/33592/en/
*April 23-26, 2008
Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation Symposium “Towards sustainable land use in tropical Asia”
Sarawak, Malaysia
http://www.atbcasia.org/public/default.asp
* May 21 - 25
IOC/WESTPAC 7th International Scientific Symposium - Natural Hazards and Changing Marine Environment in the Western Pacific
Sabah, Malaysia
http://www.ums.edu.my/conferences/index.php?mod=Publication&action=homeaccess&conf=IOCWESTPAC7
*June 1 - 8, 2008
26th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science
Hamamatsu, Japan
http://www.26ists.com/
* June 5 - 7
Global Mapping Forum 2008
Tokyo, Japan
http://www.gmforum2008.org/
*June 11 - 13
DOST's golden anniversary year-long celebrations
Manila, Philippines
http://www.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=406&Itemid=121
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Copyright 2008 The APRSAF Secretariat
APRSAF Secretariat
[APRSAF Newsletters are distributed to update the readers on the recentdevelopments in the space related activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
To subscribe/unsubscribe, or to update your contact information, pleasee-mail to: secretariat
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