The Planets Are Aligning for Commercial Remote Sensing

For the past decade, market researchers, industry gurus, and business consultants have been analyzing the nascent commercial remote sensing industry and attempting to project its growth potential. Considering their success, I thought I would try something a little more scientific-I don't believe astrology has been used as a method of prognostication in this industry, but hey, it worked for Ronald Reagan.

Since 2003 has come to an end and the New Year is looming, it's a good time to chart the planets for the remote sensing industry and possibly provide some insights to what the future holds. The horoscope shows Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury, which have key political, industrial, and economic influences, will have profound impact-charting these planets' alignment portends a very favorable future for the commercial remote sensing industry.

Jupiter, the largest and most influential of the planets, is represented by the U.S. Government, which has thrown its mass behind the commercial remote sensing industry by virtue of the U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy. On April 25, 2003, President Bush authorized the new national policy that establishes guidance and implementation actions for commercial remote sensing space capabilities.

The U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy assigns the Departments of Commerce, Interior, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to determine which civil needs can be met by commercial remote sensing space capabilities; and communicate current and projected needs to the commercial remote sensing space industry. The Policy also states that civil agencies shall outsource functions to enable the U.S. Government to rely on commercial remote sensing space capabilities for filling civil imagery and geospatial needs. Agencies are directed to allocate resources to implement these objectives within the overall policy and available funding. Civil agencies may acquire remote sensing products and services directly from commercial providers, through cooperative arrangements with other civil agencies, or through the agency formerly known as NIMA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

The U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Industry Conference, organized by the Strategic Research Institute held December 1-2 in Washington, D.C., provided a first-hand perspective of the potential ramifications of the Policy. The various sessions dealt with policy, technical issues, and applications as they relate to the dissemination of remote sensing throughout the federal government.

I was very pleased to see that aerial remote sensing was given equal billing. One issue I would have with the Policy is the frequent reference to "Space" in U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy, which could be construed that only the "Space" companies will be the beneficiaries of the Policy. But, the conference and its participants made it quite clear-without actually stipulating-that aerial remote sensing is clearly a major if not primary component of the commercial remote sensing industry-and a rising tide raises all ships.

The panel with the three leaders of the high resolution satellite companies, Gene Colabatistto, president, Space Imaging LLC; Matthew O'Connell, CEO, Orbimage; and Herb Satterlee, CEO, DigitalGlobe provided some valuable insight aside from it being a veritable love fest. All three proclaimed to be cooperating with each other on such projects as ClearView, as well as cooperating with the aerial/mapping firms, and government agencies on various projects. Certainly cooperation is a good thing. However, lest we are deluded by mutual admiration rest assured these companies are arch competitors and they fight for every pixel and every dollar of every remote sensing project out there-commercial or not.

For this session at least, the three leaders were in total accord. They believe the commercial remote sensing market will grow slowly-with domestic and international military and intelligence business generating the great majority of their revenue. They agreed that it is not prudent to compete against the 1,500, or so, companies providing aerial mapping/ remote sensing services, and since these firms are less wary of satellite companies, there will be much more partnering between the two groups. They all agreed that it will take time for federal agencies to take advantage of the Policy.

Rather than looking at other assets in space to respond to potential commercial opportunities, the satellite companies intend to strive for greater utilization of their existing assets. None are anywhere near capacity in their collection capabilities, and they intend to promote the use and applications of their multi-spectral data from existing satellites which holds tremendous up-side potential and higher profit margins for value-added services.

The panel on "The Implementation of Commercial Satellite and Aerial Data from Leading Federal Agencies" was very enlightening  by way of USDA, BLM, and Transportation  representatives espousing the considerable benefits of other sensor types and platforms. For instance, a number of speakers mentioned great interest in the new digital mapping sensors now available from Leica, Z/I Imaging, and Vexcel-as well as LiDAR and IFSAR instruments and services.

Mars, the planet of war, naturally represents the Department of Defense, which has been rising in the remote sensing house and will dominate this chart for the foreseeable future. The progression of defense spending has been gradual but is beginning to bear fruit.  In the mid 1990s, the satellite companies were thrilled with million dollar contracts, with ClearView they are receiving tens of millions of dollars and with NextView they are looking at hundreds of millions of dollars.

The final planet to influence the remote sensing industry is also the smallest, yet will be instrumental to the success of the Commercial Remote Sensing Policy. Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, messenger to the other gods, is the bearer of messages and news. Mercury will deliver its message of the virtues of remote sensing into areas where it never has before as the dark, hidden recesses of the federal government are being pried open by the Policy.

Communication is a fundamental element of the Policy according to R.J. Thompson, Federal Implementation Chief, EROS Data Center, U.S. Geological Survey. "Those who are the leads, USGS, NASA, and Commerce, must compile and communicate what we are doing-how we are using the technology, and, also communicate to the industry what we need in terms of remote sensing products and services. We need to report how successful we are in implementing the technology and improve communication with the agencies and the industry stakeholders." Thompson stated during his presentation focused on civil agency implementation of the Commercial Remote Sensing Policy, "What we are saying to the civil agencies, is ... embrace this with open arms."

This represents not only a shift in the planets, but something that seemed even more immovable. It signifies a major shift in perspectives in this industry. The remote sensing industry used to be technology driven, "If we build it they will come." Now, the various stakeholders recognize the hurdles the industry faces are not technological but communication and education.

As the planets shift their alignment, so EOM has been pulled by gravitational force into GITC America's orbit to become part of the major communication and marketing resource in the geomatics universe.

GITC America acquired Earth Observation Magazine in the spring of 2003 and also publishes Professional Surveyor Magazine and the GIS Monitor E-Newsletter, providing the geospatial industry with end-to-end marketing and communications services-from print magazines, direct mail, Web services, to electronic and email distribution. In conjunction with The Netherlands-based GITC bv which publishes GIM International, Hydro International, Geomatics World (UK), Geomedia (Italy), ISPRS Highlights, among others, GITC has become the only true multi-channel, multi-discipline information source in the remote sensing, geospatial, mapping, and surveying fields reaching more than 120,000 geomatics professionals.

At EOM we have been working closely with NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, which has been on the forefront in promoting the benefits of remote sensing to other federal government agencies. As a result, we have developed a list of government agencies and departments as well as leading individuals within those organizations who can benefit from remote sensing and they have been added to the Earth Observation Magazine readership list. About half of EOM's 20,000 distribution is targeted to U.S. Government agencies, such as: Interior, Commerce, NASA, Agriculture, EPA, Homeland Security, State, Energy, NOAA, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Transportation, and Defense.

As the planets perform their galactic dance, and the remote sensing industry pursues the inexorable march towards commercialization, EOM will be there, carrying out its Mercurial duties as messenger for the remote sensing industry.

Until next time...Cheers!