mississippi coast geospatial news

Exports, STEM highlight Mississippi ranking

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Among the states, Mississippi ranks No. 5 for export growth, according to the Enterprising States 2011 study just released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Mississippi is also ranked 10th in cost of living, 11th in per capita income growth and higher education efficiency, and 12th in productivity growth and business birth rate. Mississippi is also ranked 20th in science, technology, engineering and math job growth as well as 20th in entrepreneurial activity. (Source: Tcp, 06/23/11) Study: U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Images show extent of river sediment

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 27 May 2011 17:30:00 +0000

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA's Applied Science and Technology Project Office at the John C. Stennis Space Center has provided satellite images to the Army Corps of Engineers and Louisiana showing large amounts of sediment throughout coastal Louisiana as a result of flooding on the Mississippi River. The images show three large areas of sediment, or plumes, moving through the floodwaters across Louisiana. The U.S. Geological Survey and NASA are providing satellite imagery to help in flood response efforts. It's part of the Applied Science and Technology Project Office's commitment to use data from agency satellites to help communities address issues of concern. (Source: NASA, 05/27/11)

Sats examined for contamination

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Lockheed Martin has been conducting exoneration exercises for A2100-based satellites in various stages of manufacturing to ensure that foreign object debris (FOD) wasn't introduced during manufacturing, according to Aviation Week. FOD in the oxidizer line is thought to have caused the failure of the liquid apogee engine on the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite. The propulsion system for AEHF-1 was built at Lockheed Martin's facility at the Stennis Space Center, Miss., in 2006. (Source: Aviation Week, 02/02/11)

Eglin testers find Gorgon Stare flaws

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Gorgon Stare, an airborne surveillance system that would vastly increase the area a drone can see, was deemed "not operationally effective" when tested in the fall by the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. But military officials say such tests are done to find problems beforehand, and fixes are being put in place. The problems, including low image quality and an inability to sufficiently track people on the ground, were detailed in a six-page December draft report obtained by the Center for Defense Information's Winslow Wheeler. The memo, marked as a draft and pre-decisional, found more than a dozen problems. Gorgon Stare, being developed by Sierra Nevada and the Air Force, uses nine or more cameras aboard a Reaper unmanned system to survey a city-sized area. (Sources: Wired, 01/24/11, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Air Force Times, 01/25/11)

NOAA satellites aid in rescues in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:34:00 +0000

NOAA satellites in 2010 aided in the rescues of 295 people throughout the United States and its surrounding waters. The satellites picked up distress signals from emergency beacons carried by downed pilots, shipwrecked boaters and stranded hikers, and relayed the information to first responders on the ground. NOAA's polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites, along with Russia's COSPAS spacecraft, are part of the international Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, called COSPAS-SARSAT. Alaska had the most people rescued last year with 77, followed by Florida with 37, and West Virginia with 17, who were aboard a downed Army Reserve helicopter. (Source: NOAA, 01/20/11)

January sci-tech newsletter available

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:56:00 +0000

The latest issue of Alliance Insight, a quarterly newsletter highlighting science and technology in South Mississippi, is now available. The January issue takes a look at what's in store for South Mississippi in 2011. Also included: feature stories about NASA's Stennis Space Center, the Infinity Science Center, South Mississippi's airports and the Tradition planned community. The newsletter is produced by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development. (Source: Alliance Insight, January 2011)

Contract: All Native, $22.7M

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:13:00 +0000

All Native Service Co., Bellevue, Neb., is being awarded a $22,741,962 contract for technology advancement support services to the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate at Fort Belvoir, Va. This effort provides the Army and Department of Defense with technology solutions for night vision and electronic sensors and sensor suites for target acquisition, engagement and defeat of enemy forces day or night, and under all battlefield and weather conditions. Eleven percent of the work will be done at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/16/10)

Sensor newsletter available

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:18:00 +0000

Sensor, a newsletter focusing on Mississippi's geospatial industry, is now available for viewing. This is the first one produced by the Stennis Space Center-based Magnolia Business Alliance, a non-profit. Sensor had been produced by the Enterprise for Geospatial Solutions when it was run by the University of Mississippi. But in early August management and support of EIGS was transferred from the university to the private sector. EIGS is now a program of the Magnolia Business Alliance. (Source: Tcp, 11/22/10) Newsletter

Science center topping out date set

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:03:00 +0000

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - A "topping out" ceremony has been scheduled for Nov. 17 for the Infinity Science Center being built near NASA's Stennis Space Center. The ceremony marks a milestone in construction of the multimillion-dollar education center, set to open in 2012. In addition to the placing of a tree at the highest part of the structure, there will be remarks by key officials. Infinity, located near the Mississippi-Louisiana state line and the Mississippi Welcome Center along Interstate 10, is designed to interest young people in science, technology, engineering and math, and to increase the public’s understanding of the earth, space and ocean science work done at Stennis Space Center. (Source: Tcp, 11/01/10)

Geospatial experts flock to New Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:58:00 +0000

NEW ORLEANS - The GeoInt 2010 Symposium, the largest geospatial intelligence event in the United States, is being held this week at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The symposium, which annually attracts more than 3,000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors, got under way Monday and ends Thursday. There are keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, breakout sessions and networking opportunities at the symposium. Organizers say it's the premier event of the year for the defense, intelligence and homeland security communities. (Source: Tcp; Background: United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, 11/01/10)

Infinity science center taking shape

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:24:00 +0000

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. – The Infinity Science Center, an interactive facility begin built near Stennis Space Center along Interstate 10, is beginning to take shape. Work began May 3 near the Welcome Center in South Mississippi not far from the state line with Louisiana. The building is scheduled to be finished in August. About 90 percent of the steelwork is up and 80 percent of the concrete is done. A "topping off" will be celebrated in the next few weeks. Backers are still raising some $2 million for the $12 million interactive exhibits. Infinity will highlight ocean, space and earth science through fun exhibits at the center. It's expected to open in the spring of 2012. (Source: Sun Herald, 10/10/10)

NASA picks NRL imager

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:51:00 +0000

WASHINGTON - NASA has chosen the Naval Research Laboratory's Wide-field Imager to be part of the Solar Probe Plus mission set for launch no later than 2018. The Solar Probe Plus, a car-sized spacecraft, will plunge directly into the sun's atmosphere about four million miles from our star's surface. It will explore a region no other spacecraft ever has encountered in an effort to unlock the sun's biggest mysteries. (Source: NRL, 09/27/10) Gulf Coast note: NASA has activities at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss. The NRL also has a detachment at Stennis Space Center.

Geospatial program selected for funding

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:37:00 +0000

A program in South Mississippi centered around Stennis Space Center will receive $600,000 in funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration from its pilot "Innovative Economies" program. The announcement was made today by SBA Administrator Karen Mills. The Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions, which has transitioned to the South Mississippi-based non-profit Magnolia Business Alliance, focuses on the growth of the Mississippi and Louisiana geospatial cluster. It won a one-year contract with an option for another year to help create jobs. The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology is an MBA team member. There were 10 awards announced. (Source: Tcp, 09/20/10) SBA press release

Cluster goes from public to private sector

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:49:00 +0000

The Enterprise for Geospatial Solutions has shifted from the University of Mississippi's oversight to the private sector in an organization called the Magnolia Business Alliance. The university and member companies decided the organization matured to the point that the private sector is best suited to take over. The state of Mississippi, first through the Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative and then through EIGS, has spent the last decade nurturing a high-tech business cluster in the geospatial industry. During the past year, 847 people were employed by EIGS member companies with an average salary double the per capita income for the state. Revenues for the cluster topped $125 million. The Web site is www.magnolia-ba.biz. (Source: Magnolia Business Alliance, 09/02/10)

Geoscientist gets NSF grant

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:23:00 +0000

The National Science Foundation is awarding a Mississippi State University assistant professor almost $200,000 in rapid response funding to study the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact on Louisiana salt marshes. Deepak Mishra's project is assessing overall salt marsh health and productivity by comparing pre- and post-spill satellite images. Mishra, a member of MSU's geosciences department, says the maps and tools developed during the one-year study will aid coastal managers in Louisiana as they evaluate and prioritize the large-scale marsh restoration efforts. (Source: MSU, 08/31/10)

DEVELOP students focus on spill

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:40:00 +0000

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - DEVELOP students at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center put their knowledge of remote sensing and access to NASA technology to use this summer to study the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. DEVELOP is a NASA Science Mission Directorate Applied Sciences training and development program where students, mentored by science advisors from NASA and partner agencies, work on Earth science projects. The Stennis students partnered with DEVELOP students at NASA’s Langley Research Center, Va., to form a Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response team. The DEVELOP team used NASA technology to track the extent of the oil spill and to study how sea surface temperatures are being affected by the changing conditions. Students are sharing this information with local communities addressing coastal management issues from the oil spill. (Source: NASA, 08/19/10)

DigitalGlobe lands contract

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:40:00 +0000

DigitalGlobe, a Colorado-based provider of high-resolution earth imagery, said it's entered into a 10-year $3.55 billion agreement with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency to provide satellite imagery from its WorldView satellite constellation. DigitalGlobe will begin procurement for its next satellite, WorldView-3, which will be ready for launch by the end of 2014. (Source: DigitalGlobe, 08/09/10) Gulf Coast note: DigitalGlobe has an operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Tool gets SAFETY Act designation

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:27:00 +0000

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - The Department of Homeland Security recently designated NVision Solution’s REACT (Real-Time Emergency Action Coordination Tool) as a qualified anti-terrorism technology covered by the SAFETY Act. SAFETY stands for Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies. The act is designed to encourage the development of anti-terrorism technologies by providing liability protection to vendors, customers, and users of qualified technologies. NVision formerly marketed the tool as "HazNet." REACT users include all NASA centers; Hancock County, Miss.; St. Tammany Parish, La.; the Mississippi National Guard; the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security; and the Center for Asymmetric Warfare. (Source: NVision Solutions, 08/05/10)

GRIP experiment on track

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:07:00 +0000

NASA's unmanned Global Hawk aircraft completed four science flights over the Pacific Ocean in April in a joint project between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and plans are on track to use the UAV later this year to track hurricanes in the Atlantic. In the Global Hawk Pacific (GloPac) mission, a Global Hawk fitted with 11 science instruments acquired and transmitted data that has never before been accessible through either manned flights or satellites. Flights reached up to 65,000 feet where information was collected from the air as well as the water and polar ice below. Later this year, NASA Global Hawk will examine hurricanes and their formation process to explore the possibility of improving hurricane forecasts in the GRIP experiment. (Source: Northrop Grumman via Globe Newswire, 06/09/10) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss. Background on GRIP.

AEHF satellite set for July launch

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Lockheed Martin delivered the first satellite in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. It will be prepared for a July 30 liftoff aboard an Atlas V. The multi-satellite AEHF system will provide the U.S. military with global, protected, high capacity and secure communications. It's the successor to the five-satellite Milstar constellation. The governments of Canada, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom participate in the AEHF program as international partners and will have access to the communications capability of AEHF. (Source: Lockheed Martin via PRNewswire, 05/24/10) Gulf Coast note: Lockheed Martin Mississippi Space and Technology Center personnel at Stennis Space Center, Miss., worked on the core propulsion modules for the AEHF program.

Tracking the oil muck with GIS

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:53:00 +0000

A Homeland Security Department program that allows emergency response officials from states and localities to readily share geospatial data is helping officials coordinate responses to the BP oil spill. Officials from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have been using DHS’ Virtual USA program to share data related to the oil spill, according to David Boyd, director of the Command, Control and Interoperability Division in the department’s Science and Technology Directorate. Federal officials from DHS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have also used Virtual USA in the response work, he added. The Virtual USA program that allows states to share geospatial data and metadata and create data mashups is being used to coordinate responses across states’ boundaries. Boyd said historically the coordination would have been done over the telephone, but now officials can work with a common set of images and metadata. Boyd made the comments at the Open Government and Innovations Conference in Washington. (Source: Federal Computer Week, 05/05/10)

SEUS-CP delegates plan Biloxi meeting

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:35:00 +0000

BILOXI, Miss. - Political, economic development and business leaders will gather at Biloxi's Beau Rivage next week for the third annual Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance Conference. Delegates arrive April 11 and the conference ends April 13. The event will focus on advanced manufacturing, energy and geospatial technologies. Visitors can also participate in tours of Keesler Air Force Base's Cyber Security Center, Trinity Yachts, the Marine Mammal Institute and Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems Center, which builds portions of the Global Hawk and Fire Scout unmanned systems. The SEUS-CP Alliance is a trade and investment-focused partnership between the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and the seven Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island. It was established in Montreal in November 2007 to advance a common interest in enhancing economic ties between the two regions. (Source: Tcp, 04/06/10)

Science center signing ceremony set

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:18:00 +0000

GULFPORT, Miss. - A signing ceremony for the contract to build a 72,000 square foot state-of-the-art science center near NASA's Stennis Space Center will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Hancock Bank Board Room in downtown Gulfport. Roy Anderson Corp. will start construction May 1. The center to be located along Interstate 10 near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line is expected to be a big tourist draw. Infinity is designed to highlight the activities at Stennis Space Center and inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers in the fields of earth, ocean and space science. (Source: Infinity Science Center Inc., 04/05/10)

Aerotec helps filmmaker - again

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:57:00 +0000

PICAYUNE, Miss. - Aerotec recently provided airborne LIDAR imagery for IBM's "Smarter Planet" series of videos. "Data Anthem" was produced by Ogilvy & Mather New York and directed by James Frost of Hollywood-based Zoo Films. Aerotec's airborne LIDAR was used for the opening scene and some of the follow-on scenes. This is Aerotec's second collaboration with Frost. In 2008, Aerotec provided airborne color 3D LIDAR models to Zoo Films for a music video. LIDAR is an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging. (Source: Aerotec, 03/23/10)

NVision launches surface computer

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:29:00 +0000

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. – Geospatial technology company NVision Solutions Inc. has released NVTouch, a multi-touch, multi-user surface computer. The system has been installed at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., and at the Stennis Space Center Emergency Operations Center in Mississippi for the HazNet Emergency Management System. NVTouch is a Windows-based computer coupled with a projection system and infrared sensing technology resulting in a 42-inch interactive touch table where users interact with images on the table. NVision manufactures the tables in Mississippi at the Stennis Technology Park. (Source: NVision Solutions, 02/04/10)