Aurora - The Catapult Programme

Satellite Applications

Aurora Newsletter July 2017

Contents Welcome3 Healthy New Towns (HNT) Project

3

Combatting Food Fraud

4

EASOS4 In-Orbit Demonstrator Submissions

5

Bringing Advanced Machine Learning into Earth Observation Applications

5

Using Geospatial Technologies to Map Developing Nations

7

OceanMind Strengthens Maritime Monitoring

8

Field Variability Assessment Tool

9

Pathway 2 Autonomous Connected Vehicles (PACV)

9

Satellite-Enabled Maritime Domain Awareness for Chile

10

Micro Tag

10

Catapult Promotes Satellite Technology to Cornish Mining Community

11

Space to Accelerate Programme Unveiled

12

CoEs Supporting Space Entrepreneurship Programme

13

Facility Review – SatComms Lab

13

South Africa Day

14

Catapult Showcases at ITS Europe

14

Past Events

15

Forthcoming Events

18

Welcome – Stuart Martin

Over the past three months we have been involved in some really exciting new projects that are exploiting space data and technology. To highlight just two, the Earth And Sea Observation System (EASOS) is helping Malaysia provide social and environmental resilience to marine pollution, deforestation and flooding, while the Healthy New Towns initiative offers evidence to help us radically rethink how we improve people's health in built up environments. We have also been involved in some great workshops and events, including Digital Globe's conference – Engage 2017 – which showcased some of the amazing applications and services Earth observation provides. As always, we have more details of inspiring workshops run here at Harwell, highlighting new opportunities for businesses working with satellites, both in the UK and internationally. I hope you enjoy your read.

New sustainable living town houses

Healthy New Towns (HNT) Project Recognising the importance of the built environment to healthy living and lifestyles, the NHS began working with 10 housing developments in 2016 to shape the health of communities and to rethink how health and care services can be delivered. The Healthy New Towns (HNT) programme, as NHS England states, “offers a golden opportunity to radically rethink how we live – and takes an ambitious look at improving health through the built environment.” As part of the HNT feasibility study, we have brought together public and private sector stakeholders to pilot digital therapeutics for obesity and diabetes, incorporating satellite-enabled technologies to underpin wellbeing and better health management.

• How air quality mapping and monitoring can be used to help individuals manage their own wellbeing. • The nature of school education programmes that can help underpin sustainable behaviour change. • The role of competitive group initiatives in broader digital therapeutic strategies. We believe this project could have a major impact on millions of people’s lives. The first phase of work delivered clear recommendations in early 2017, and we hope will lead to a more significant and broader development programme later in the year. Author: Asimina Syriou

The HNT project is jointly funded by the NHS and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and is helping to define: • How obesity and diabetes challenges can be tackled through changes to the built environment. • How the health impact of different built environments can be measured and evaluated.

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© Damian Schogger 2017

A crucial element of the HNT initiative was the feasibility study that the Catapult conducted with three HNT councils: Bicester, Ebbsfleet and Darlington.

Bike park, Amsterdam

Aurora | July 2017 | Page 3

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For Sainsburys, the organic market has grown 5% for the past three consecutive years.

Combating Food Fraud In partnership with Sainsbury's, we have conducted a research study investigating whether remote sensing can be used to verify that produce is grown organically. Currently, a definitive test for verifying produce does not exist and supermarkets depend on pesticide and isotope testing which can be generalised as reactive, costly, non-scalable and redundant in inaccessible geographies. The organic market is currently worth £2 billion to Sainsburys and has grown 5% for three consecutive years, driven largely by consumers prioritising quality over price. Traceability is key to consumer confidence and as such supermarkets are increasingly looking for innovative ways to manage food fraud. A proactive, scalable approach enabling accurate traceability of produce would be of huge value, not only to Sainsbury's, but also to other supermarkets as well as contributors that sit further down the supply chain. The hypothesis tested in the study was that certain indicators such as relative biomass of crop and spatial heterogeneity of crop, which can be measured with remote sensing, may collectively provide an evidence base to suggest whether something is likely to have been grown

One of the strengths of the EASOS system is to allow managed sharing of data across departments to facilitate more effective collaboration.

organically or not. The study considered a range of satellite data looking historically at crops with known anomalies. The project findings were presented at the Sainsbury's R&D conference in May at the Royal Institute, demonstrating remote sensing as viable method of monitoring, but leaving unanswered questions around transferability and scalability. The team is now seeking funding to expand the experiment to additional crops and geographies in order to further validate the approach and refine the business model. Author: Dan Wicks

EASOS Under the UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP), we are leading a consortium of 13 British organisations to develop and deliver a satellite-enabled decision support tool to assist Malaysia in improving the social and economic prospects of the country by making it more environmentally resilient. The initial focus was on capturing user requirements and design/planning. The project is engaging with 23 separate Malaysian government departments and one of the strengths of the system is to allow managed sharing of data across those departments to facilitate more effective collaboration in predicting, identifying and

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Organic potatoes

responding to events (flooding, marine pollution and illegal logging). The approach is fundamentally collaborative with the Malaysian stakeholders, so their input has been vital. This is supported by an in-country EASOS project team who will oversee technology transfer, knowledge exchange, change management and training issues in anticipation of the system becoming operational (for trial purposes) from March 2018. Gathering the varied requirements and understanding the current capabilities of the various stakeholders made extensive use of the Catapult’s “designer/thinkers”


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EASOS was formally launched at the Asian Space Technology Summit in May 2017, with Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation as guest of honour.

YB Datuk Wira Dr Abu Bakar Bin Mohamad Diah, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation, launched EASOS at the Asian Space Technology Summit

to facilitate the work and visits to key facilities such as the Malaysian Space Agency (ANGKASA – see photo) where the local system will be hosted in a state-ofthe-art building. EASOS was formally launched at the Asian Space Technology Summit where we were privileged to welcome YB Datuk Wira Dr

Final deadline for IOD submissions is 4 September 2017.

Abu Bakar Bin Mohamad Diah, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation, as guest of honour. As part of the launch ceremony, the Deputy Minister was the first to ‘log in’ to the EASOS dashboard and observed within his speech at the launch that: “The future is bright”. Author: Mark Hampson

Deadline Approaching for In-Orbit Demonstrator Submissions � IN

ORBIT DEM ON

ION RAT ST

There is still time to submit your draft mission proposal for the next selection phase for the In-Orbit Demonstrator (IOD) programme. The next deadline for shortlisting is 14 July 2017. Innovate UK has invested £1.5 million in the IOD programme which offers applicants the opportunity to secure a place on one of four cubesat missions launched from the International Space Station. A final deadline for IOD submissions is 4 September 2017, with decisions scheduled to be made the following month. Author: Florian Deconinck

Bringing Advanced Machine Learning into Earth Observation Applications Over the past decade, the size and complexity of Earth observation (EO) imagery has been steadily increasing, along with its overall volume. This trend is likely to continue, especially with the advent of microsatellite constellations and faster, more efficient data relay methods, and as a consequence, the need to process and analyse EO in a rapid but

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still effective manner is becoming more critical. However, ‘traditional’ methods of performing these tasks are not suited to working with the volume of data being generated. Machine learning has an increasingly important role to play when it comes to understanding the information contained


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Machine learning has an increasingly important role to play in understanding the information contained within Earth observation.

Figure 1: Data curation tool

within EO data, especially because computing power is decreasing in price and becoming more available. Ship detection is a routine application of Sentinel-1 data. To determine whether machine learning could be applicable to the analysis of EO imagery for ship detection with a shorter computational pipeline, we have collaborated with IBM Research UK and Roke. The project is specifically aimed at using machine learning to generate spiking neural network models to detect and classify ships in Single Look Complex (SLC) Sentinel-1 images.

The next steps are to further develop machine learning techniques that can be applied to other types of sensors.

To reduce the computation pipeline, we generated neural network models to detect and classify four types of entities, namely land, coast, sea and ships. This approach eliminated the requirement to do land masking, and allowed the detection and classification to be performed on individual bursts within each sub-swath of the image, thus reducing the overall computation.

The project comprised three phases: data curation; identification and generation of a ‘ground truth’ dataset to be used in the training of a spiking neural network model using machine learning; and training and testing the model for accuracy. We also created a data curation prototype tool (figure 1) to generate training datasets to be used in the training of machine learning models. Figure 2 depicts the clustering of the curated data. The results from the project were very encouraging: the resulting algorithm detected ships with over 88% accuracy, and due to the way in which the ships were selected to train it, it had a lower false alarm rate than thresholding methods. The next steps are to further develop machine learning techniques that can be applied to other types of sensors, and for the detection and classification of different types of objects on the surface of the sea. The project’s success underlines the impact that machine learning techniques could have in

Figure 2: Clustering of curated data

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Within our Smart Analytics Thread, we are exploring new ways in which EO data

handling can become smarter, as well as testing out newly available techniques and services. We are also working with academics and industry to ensure that new and potentially game-changing tools and techniques are efficiently delivered to the market for use by anyone. Author: Electra Panagoulia

© Creative Commons / World Bank 2017

Within our Smart Analytics Thread, we are exploring new ways in which EO data handling can become smarter, as well as testing out newly available techniques and services.

the processing and analysis of EO imagery, now that big data volumes are slowly becoming part of everyday life. Historically complex tasks, such as data fusion, will also greatly benefit from the integration of machine learning into EO data tools.

UAV image of village in Tanzania

In the developed world, we often take maps for granted. Too often, we forget that having accurate maps of where we live is a privileged position.

Using Geospatial Technologies to Map Developing Nations In the developed world, we often take maps for granted. Our lives are increasingly driven by technology, innovations in smartphones and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, including GPS), meaning that we all have maps in our pocket. Too often, we forget that having accurate maps of where we live is a privileged position. In the developing world, maps often do not exist at all, or when they do, they are often inaccurate and out of date due to rapid urbanisation and environmental change. Satellite Earth observation (EO) can help by providing imagery that will facilitate the creation of maps. However, in developing nations – particularly those in tropical and sub-tropical regions – the use of satellite EO data is often hindered by dense cloud cover. Additionally, the associated high cost of very high resolution imagery and computational power needed to process it means that satellite EO data is often out of reach for end-users in lower income countries. The World Bank has piloted two mapping projects in Tanzania: the Ramani Huria (‘Open Map’ in Kiswahili) Project and the Zanzibar Mapping Initiative (ZMI). Both projects are adopting unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data to create accurate, detailed maps of Dar es Salaam and the Zanzibar archipelago.

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UAVs can provide a comparably lowcost solution for wide-scale mapping in developing nations. The lower flight altitude of UAVs compared with satellites means that cloud cover is no longer an issue, and the data recorded can provide image resolutions as high as 4cm. The limited constraint of no-fly zones, coupled with the comparative ease of use of fixed wing UAVs, means that local people can be trained to operate the UAVs and acquire the imagery. Using a fleet of eBee drones, teams in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar can generate imagery over large areas quickly. Using open source tools such as OpenDroneMap, the data can then be processed and shared openly and efficiently. Positive Impact These newly-generated maps will be a crucial resource for urban planning and environmental management. The rapid urbanisation of cities in developing countries, such as Dar es Salaam (one of the fastest growing cities in Africa), has led to the establishment of informal settlements. These present numerous challenges for transport, accessibility and risk. Dar es Salaam, for example, is subject to seasonal heavy rain that often


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Satellite and UAV EO datasets are complementary: both provide unique insight into the human and natural environment.

Machine learning is helping OceanMind to automatically analyse maritime information from a wide variety of sources.

causes flash flooding. Many informal settlements are in flood plains; coupled with poor drainage networks, these areas are often subject to severe flooding which can, in turn, present risk to human life, and harbour the spread of disease through contamination of drinking water and proliferation of water-borne diseases such as cholera.

In Zanzibar, the ZMI project is creating a high-resolution map of the islands Unguja and Pemba. The Zanzibar Commission for Lands will use the maps for better planning, land tenure and environmental monitoring. There are plans to combine the UAV data with satellite EO data to provide an enhanced understanding of the changes taking place in the region.

The Ramani Huria project has used a combination of maps created using UAV imagery with digital elevation models to map areas at high risk of flooding and inundation. Using this information and community engagement, local volunteers are working to create drainage systems to alleviate the impact of flooding. The positive effects of this initiative can already be seen in Dar es Salaam.

Satellite and UAV EO datasets are complementary: each has its own benefits and constraints but both provide unique insight into the human and natural environment.

Author: Terri Freemantle

OceanMind’s Technical Capability Strengthens Maritime Monitoring Machine learning is helping OceanMind revolutionise the function of its fisheries analysts thanks to some significant growth in technical capability. Encompassing a highly sophisticated system that performs in-depth computational analysis, OceanMind can automatically analyse maritime information from a wide variety of sources. Rather than monitoring the seas and investigating all fishing activities for compliance in an area of interest, analysts can now focus their attention specifically on the anomalies for possible illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing that might otherwise go unnoticed. Previously, fisheries analysts manually searched for fishing activity using various datasets such as Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) to track data for a particular geographical location. The new advanced system has already incorporated a colossal amount of data including AIS, VMS and satellite observations, along with other sources such as licencing data, fishing regulations and vessel registries. OceanMind continues to grow its data bank and utilise new data sources as they become available. Machine learning enables fishing activity to be identified and corroborated automatically, allowing OceanMind’s fisheries analysts to focus specifically on those anomalies that characterise possible IUU fishing activity and investigate them further. The system is secure, quick

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For more information on these projects, visit http://ramanihuria.org/ and https:// opendri.org/project/zanzibar.

Fishing boats off the coast of Thailand

and effective, with an extremely high identification success rate, preventing copious examples of IUU fishing from slipping through the net. This new technology is trailblazing, having been designed to support the fisheries compliance and enforcement workflows and processes required for analysts to quickly provide detailed, actionable insight, tailored to each project’s objectives. Adding greater strength to its technological capability, OceanMind has an internationally distributed analyst team covering all three major ocean basins, with each analyst possessing significant ‘in the field’ knowledge and experience of fisheries monitoring and compliance. Author: Elaine Sharp


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Freely available historic EO data offers a great opportunity for farmers to evaluate variability within their fields.

Cornfields

Field Variability Assessment Tool As part of an Innovate UK funded project, we are developing a simple intuitive tool with Precision Decisions which will allow farmers to access satellite-derived information about the level of variability they may have in their fields. There are currently a limited number of tools for farmers to exploit freely available historic satellite Earth observation (EO) data, which offers a valuable resource and a great opportunity for farmers to

Real-time monitoring of tyres is critical to the reliability of commercial vehicles and will be essential to future driverless vehicles.

Author: Mark Jarman

Pathway 2 Autonomous Connected Vehicles (PACV) Pathway 2 Autonomous Connected Vehicles (PACV) is another Innovate UK collaborative research and development (CR&D) programme which aims to develop an innovative solution to monitor key telematics information from trucks. The two-year project kicked off in May 2016. Other partners in the consortium are Tructyre, RL Automotive and University of Portsmouth. Real-time monitoring of tyres is critical to the reliability of commercial vehicles and will be essential to future driverless vehicles. This project involves using advanced data analytics (artificial intelligence; AI) to predict future safety risks based on tyre failure, helping to prevent collisions, accidents through failures and unscheduled stoppages. To ensure seamless connectivity between the vehicle and the control centre, a resilient hybridised (cellular and satellite) communications system will be developed. Our role is to supply knowledge and technical expertise on

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evaluate historic variability within their fields. This tool will be easy to use and compatible with existing systems, and will have a low-cost entry point, so that farmers have a simple method to visualise their field variability. The information will allow them to develop a business case to justify an investment in precision agriculture, based on the known scale of variation on their farm.

satellite connectivity and hybrid system development, and define the end-user requirements. During the first nine months of the project, we have demonstrated that tyre sensor data can be transmitted via separate cellular and satellite transceivers. Over the remainder of the project, we will work with RL Automotive to develop the hybridised communications system (single unit) that will offer reliable, seamless connectivity regardless of the location of the vehicle, while our partners deliver the final optimised version of the AI algorithm and migrate part of the data processing to the on-board unit. This will minimise the amount of data transmitted, offering a cost-effective and reliable solution. In the longer term, we expect Tructyre and RL Automotive to add this solution to their offering as a new product. Author: Ashweeni Beeharee


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Chile is the 10th largest fishing nation. Any substantial increase in detection and prosecution of illegal fishing would make a significant contribution to the Chilean economy. Satellite positioning data used for tagging

Satellite-Enabled Maritime Domain Awareness for Chile Chile is the 10th largest fishing nation in the world with 1.5% of the world’s global catch and is estimated to lose US$150 million in revenues per year due to illegal fishing. Any substantial increase in detection and prosecution of illegal fishing would therefore make a significant contribution to the Chilean economy. Through the UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP), Satellite Enabled Maritime Domain Awareness for Chile (SEMDAC) aims to demonstrate the efficacy of using satellite data and algorithms in detecting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Chile’s Marine Economic

We provided expert advice to partners, and technical design and implementation of the test regimen to prove the Micro Tags novel performance and features.

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Zone. The purpose is to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the techniques and to estimate the socio-economic impact of implementing a sustainable service. Consortium members include the University of Oxford, exactEarth and MDA. During the ‘delivery phase’ (December 2016 to April 2017) requirements were gathered, two areas of interest were identified and agreed, data was procured, the system developed and the sea trial successfully undertaken with the Chilean partner DIRECTEMAR (Directorate General of the Maritime Territory and the Merchant Marine). Author: Nick Wise

Micro Tag Micro Tag is an Innovate UK funded project to demonstrate and validate the functionality, performance, applicability and potential of satellite positioning data for tagging, and to expose companies to opportunities by working on the project, which it is expected will lead to revenue and the creation of UK jobs in the sector. The project began in April 2015 and finished in March 2017. Partners include Carewhere and Nottingham Scientific. Our role was to provide expert advice to the partners on GNSS and related technologies, and technical design and implementation of the test regimen to prove the Micro Tags function and performance. During early 2017, we completed testing of the tag and compiled the final report which was submitted to Carewhere.

Pin map of city scape using network connection concept


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The multi-system Micro Tag will be the smallest, most power efficient and multifunctional tag system available globally.

The multi-system Micro Tag will be the smallest, most power efficient and multifunctional tag system available globally. The project’s primary objective will be the management and rehabilitation of offenders where the cost of the failure of existing systems and processes exceeds £10 billion per year. Our contribution to the project was to apply our extensive design skills along with our implementation and test facilities. All Micro Tag products are UK built, creating jobs at different skill levels from product design and highly technical electronic engineering to manufacturing assembly. It is anticipated that the project will have an impact within 18 months by

generating new jobs for the UK and will offer a huge social benefit in rehabilitation. The adoption of novel technology into this ‘voluntary’ sector with incentives provided is a key tool to reduce reoffending. Author: Antonios Maillis

Cornwall has a long history of mining, quarrying and mineral processing, dating back to the 18th century, with a focus on geological studies and engineering advancements in metalliferous mining.

Mining remains at South Caradon Mine at the edge of Bodmin Moor

Catapult Promotes Satellite Technology to Cornish Mining Community A recent workshop held at Goonhilly Earth Station provided an opportunity for a wide range of stakeholders in the Cornish mining sector to discuss how satellite technology could provide a platform for new collaborations. The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Cornwall Mining Alliance and Camborne School of Mines, and highlighted recent developments in satellite technologies, reviewed current capabilities and explored their potential application to the mining industry. The workshop’s main speakers came from

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organisations including CGG, British Geological Survey and the Universities of Portsmouth and Exeter. Cornwall has a long and successful history of mining, quarrying and mineral processing, dating back to the 18th century, since which time the region has been the focus of geological studies and engineering advancements in metalliferous mining. Today, the region is home to a unique concentration of innovative businesses, organisations and experienced professionals providing services to all aspects of mining.


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Satellite technology has helped facilitate exploration for natural resources for many years, and the quality, availability and accessibility of data will benefit the Cornish mining community.

Space to Accelerate offers Solent-based companies looking to work in the downstream space sector the opportunity to take part in a customised business growth programme.

While information from satellite technology has helped facilitate exploration for natural resources for many years, the quality, availability and accessibility of data continues to grow as space technology improves – something the Cornish mining community could benefit from. This was evident as more than 40 attendees contributed to an open discussion to identify new initiatives to help the economic development of Cornwall, which has great potential to innovate in the sector. Delegates at the Goonhilly Mining Event

Space to Accelerate Programme Unveiled Solent-based businesses are getting the opportunity to take their business to new levels, find a dynamic business space or gain support to facilitate growth and success, thanks to the new Space to Accelerate Programme. The programme is part of the national UK Space Incubator Network (see page 13), which comprises a growing number of incubators dedicated to identifying and accelerating the growth of start-ups and scale-ups leveraging space technology as a critical asset in their businesses. Space to Accelerate offers a select number of Solent-based companies looking to work in the downstream space sector the opportunity to take part in a customised business growth programme. There is also an option to take up exclusive business space in one of two incubation centres, based at the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre in Southampton and the Innovation Space at the University of Portsmouth.

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Author: Estel Blay

This package will include participation in a research-based business growth diagnostic programme, intensive business strategy and planning sessions, and customised challenge-led growth workshops. To put your company or business idea forward, please send your contact details and a summary of your business activity in 300 words or less to Ann Swift (ann.swift@ port.ac.uk) at the South Coast Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications, or visit projects.noc.ac.uk/uksa. For details of the wider network, please visit http://www.setsquared.co.uk/ukspace-incubator-network. Author: Ann Swift


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The Catapult’s Centres of Excellence are supporting an award-winning Entrepreneurship Programme for space tech businesses and entrepreneurs.

CoEs Support Space Entrepreneurship Programme The UK Space Agency has invested in business incubation centres across the UK, providing funding that will enable a network of incubators (UK Space Incubator Network) to support start-up companies across the space sector. The five Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Satellite Applications will be coordinating the delivery of the space incubators. The incubation funding will help grow space in the regions by providing a supportive business environment to assist entrepreneurs to develop small companies. SETsquared has been asked to coordinate the network of UK Space Agency funded incubators, and is organising Entrepreneurship Programme for Spacetech which will take place on: • 18-20 September 2017 at South West Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications

Our Satcomms lab has eight workstations that connect to an antenna farm on the Catapult building roof which allows various configurations to be set up and tested.

• 1-2 November 2017 at Scottish Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications • 7-8 February 2018 in Glyndwr Innovations, Wales • 15-16 March 2018 in DOCK, Leicester For more information please visit: http://www.setsquared.co.uk/uk-spaceincubator-network and http://info.setsquared.co.uk/ entrepreneurship-programme-spacetech Author: Adam Marinovic

Facility Review

SatComms Lab The Catapult’s SatComms Lab facility can be used by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and satellite operators to develop and test upstream and downstream satellite-based technologies across a range of different satellite hardware. The lab includes: • a FlatSat – a small satellite technology development and integration platform • a mobile test vehicle, in addition to satellite communications and GNSS test equipment that can be leased for use in projects

Catapult Satcomms lab

• a data centre (also used by CEMS) based on the latest high performance computing and virtualisation technology, which can be used to host applications • drones that can be used for a variety of purposes. The lab has eight workstations that connect to an antenna farm on the roof of the Catapult building and allow various configurations to be set up and tested. For more information on using the lab, please contact [email protected].

Catapult Satcomms lab

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Author: Kieran Arnold


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South Africa’s large land and ocean territory makes satellite monitoring vital for economic and social growth.

Stuart Martin, CEO, presenting at the South Africa Day

South Africa Day In early June, together with the UK Space Agency, we hosted an event for UK businesses using satellite data to explore new opportunities in South Africa. With the country’s large land and ocean territory making satellite monitoring vital for economic and social growth, the event presented several areas of opportunity for UK space SMEs in sectors such as agritech, ocean monitoring, mining and urban planning. More than 40 SMEs took part in oneto-one sessions with the high-level South African delegation. The delegation included the South African High Commissioner to the UK, the CEO of South African Space Agency (SANSA) and representatives of the British Embassy in South Africa, which provided information about exploring South Africa as a potential export market.

ITS Europe provided the opportunity to demonstrate how satellite data can deliver further functionality benefits to the eCall emergency call system.

Richard Atkinson, Science and Innovation Officer from British Embassy in Cape

The space industry is a growing area of strength in South Africa and has seen renewed government focus and funding, with SANSA becoming an agency of the Department of Science and Technology in 2010. Five years later, UKSA and SANSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding collaboration in civil space activities. South Africa was key to the International Partnership Space Programme (IPSP) and a partner in the first call of IPSP’s successor, the International Partnership Programme, launched in June 2016. Author: Estel Blay

Catapult Showcases Benefits of Satellites for Emergency Services at ITS Europe The Catapult continued its ongoing relationship with the ITS Congress by exhibiting and presenting at the recent ITS Europe in Strasbourg, which brings together stakeholders from across the intelligent transport systems sector. The conference and exhibition provided the opportunity for the Catapult and its partners to demonstrate how satellite data can deliver further functionality benefits to the eCall emergency call system, part of the EU-funded I_HeERO project.

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Town, said: “The country has a growing appetite for innovative applications of satellite data to help solve a range of challenges. South Africa has also committed to designing, constructing and launching their own satellites (small and cube) more regularly. This presents an opportunity to UK business across the value chain.”

Catapult stand at ITS Europe


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We featured highway message boards using hybrid communications to showcase the work we have done with the emergency services.

the work it has undertaken with the emergency services community, featuring highway message boards using hybrid communications comprising satellite and video links.

Promoting the eCall system on Catapult stand

Delegates saw a demonstration of eCall for Trucks with access to a cargo information service, the use of Earth observation imagery for situational awareness with Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) software, an implementation of eCall over satellite and an outline of what next generation eCall could bring. In addition, the Catapult showcased

In addition to the eCall demonstrations, the Catapult’s Chief Technology Officer, Paul Febvre, moderated a session on ‘Satellite technologies applied to mobility’. Ashweeni Beeharee moderated a special interest session entitled ‘5G in ITS – powered by satellite communications’, with representatives from Inmarsat, Intelsat and Livewire contributing to the session. Intelligent Transport Systems is one of the Catapult’s focused programmes and is aimed at unlocking the UK’s potential in providing satellite applications and services that deliver ground-breaking solutions to transport issues. Author: Ashweeni Beeharee

Past Events 2nd Antenna Workshop

With partners, we hosted an event to bring together Earth observation and GIS experts to explore a proposed standard for Sentinel-2 Analysis Ready Data (ARD).

Date: 6 April 2017 After a successful antenna workshop in 2014, we were asked to host another workshop in collaboration with the KTN’s Satellite Terminals Working Group (STWG). The focus for this workshop was antennas for satellite communication (satcomm) terminals. During the workshop, delegates were informed of current satcomm technology and challenges, and shared the latest in technological developments. The day’s activities included a small exhibition and a visit to our Far Field Antenna Test Range.

Engage Conference by DigitalGlobe Date: 25-26 April 2017 The Catapult took park in this year’s DigitalGlobe event – Engage 2017 – where Stuart Martin, CEO, presented the Catapult’s role and contribution to the UK space sector. We also took part in the exhibition, supported by SMEs from the Earth observation sector: Rezatec, IMGeospatial and Deimos UK. This was a very successful event with a growing audience from both the space and nonspace sector.

Sentinel-2 Analysis Ready Data: Standards and Automated Production Date: 28 April 2017 With partners from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’

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Engage 2017

Earth Observation Centre of Excellence and Aberystwyth University, we hosted an event that brought together Earth observation and GIS experts from academia, industry and government to explore a proposed standard for Sentinel-2 Analysis Ready Data (ARD). The objectives of this workshop were to inform attendees of the current context of ARD activities, particularly in relation to Sentinel-2, and to outline the work around a proposed processing chain based on the Atmospheric and Radiometric Correction of Satellite Imagery (ARCSI) software under this project. The event also aimed to build a community around Sentinel-2 ARD that can input to the requirements for a Sentinel-2 ARD product in an open, transparent and reiterative way.


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Women in Aerospace brings together women and men interested in supporting a more diverse and equal workforce within the space sector.

continuation of the study during the rest of the 2017 season. A summary report presenting the findings will be made available to all interested parties towards the end of the summer.

Guests at the WIA Event – May 2017

Women in Aerospace Date: 3 May 2017

Connect Harwell ‘Space and Sorbet’

The recently launched ‘Women in Aerospace – UK’ group hosted an event on the Harwell Campus to bring together women and men interested in supporting and getting involved in a more diverse and equal workforce within the space sector.

Date: 14 June 2017

Senior women from the campus, including the Catapult's Antonia Jenkinson, Shefali Sharma from Oxford Space Systems and Sarah Beardsley from RAL Space, all entertained the audience with an insight into their careers to date and how they have and are succeeding in the male-dominated sector. The engaging presentations and interactive audience, which included men and women across the Campus, discussed current issues and ways of increasing the number of job applications from women in the space sector. This was a positive and well attended event that also attracted attendees from across the South West and London. Further events are planned throughout the country. If you want to find out more, please visit: http://wia-europe.org/about-us/localgroups/uk-local-group/

Satellites for Grassland Management provided insight into the opportunities available through exploiting satellite Earth observation, field and weather data.

Satellites for Grassland Management Date: 16 May 2017 This Grasslands workshop was part of a project funded by Innovate UK. In collaboration with the Agri-EPI Centre Ltd and Cranfield University, we presented the objectives and findings of the pilot project and aimed to provide insight into the opportunities available through exploiting satellite Earth observation, field and weather data. Alongside this, we also explored other emerging technologies to support precision management of grassland agriculture in the UK. The workshop was a great success, with over 40 attendees from a range of organisations from the space and agriculture sectors. All three project partners are now self-funding the

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Every two months, companies based on the Harwell Campus are invited to a Connect Harwell networking event to discover what is being worked on across the many industries located here. The Catapult hosted the event in June, displaying how we have worked with other companies on the Campus. We had 30 delegates attending from a range of companies and industries, and enjoyed making new connections over some sorbet!

Computation Meets Data Science Date: 11 May 2017 The Satellite Applications and Digital Catapults, in collaboration with leading data science company Wolfram, ran a one-day event on ‘Computation meets Data Science’. Over 100 data scientists, technology experts and members of the Catapult network came together at the Digital Catapult to share their knowledge and experience. Featured topics included machine learning, data visualisation, advanced analytics and infographics, with applications ranging from healthcare, finance and digital manufacturing to the Internet of Things. Adrian Smith and Adrien Muller represented the Catapult at the event, promoting our work in the healthcare sector and our Smart Analytics Thread. Attendees also heard opinions, discussed challenges, saw the latest


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Over 1,000 companies attended the Exponor conference in Chile to share services, products, advances and techniques related to the mining sector.

More than 1,200 delegates attended the UK Space Conference in Manchester, and 109 companies showcased their expertise within the exhibition hall.

advances in computational technology and developed a new network of contacts.

Exponor Chile 2017 Date: 15-19 May 2017 Exponor took place in Antofagasta, Chile, in May, showcasing the mining sector’s most innovative technology from 30 countries. Over 1,000 companies attended from around the globe to share services, products, advances and techniques. With experts in specialist mining fields, Exponor gave attendees the opportunity to gain inside knowledge on the latest developments in the mining sector. The Catapult took part in the UK pavilion within the exhibition hall, along with the Department for International Trade. This event supported our activities in our Sustainable Living programme and Environmental Monitoring for the Extractive Industries Thread.

Stuart Martin hosting a panel session

UK Space Conference Date: 30 May – 1 June 2017 Just days before UK voters went to the polls, the UK space industry displayed a show of strength and unity at the biennial UK Space Conference in Manchester Central. The event’s overarching objective was to inspire, enable and connect the UK and international space community – something that was evident amongst the 1,200 delegates.

Applications of Satellite Technologies in the Mining Sector Date: 23 May 2017 In association with the Cornwall Mining Alliance and the Camborne School of Mines, we hosted a workshop at Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station in Cornwall which aimed to bring together a wide range of stakeholders in the mining sector to discuss how satellite technologies could provide a platform for new collaborations. More than 40 attendees had an open discussion to identify new initiatives to help the economic development of Cornwall, which has great potential to innovate in a sector in which they have been working for centuries. A tour of the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station facilities completed the agenda.

Hosting the Taiwanese delegation on the Catapult stand

More than 180 speakers took to the stage across 28 session and five plenaries, including Stuart Martin, Antonia Jenkinson, Paul Febvre and eight other Catapult staff, presenting various projects and initiatives the Catapult is involved in.

GEO Business 2017 Date: 23-24 May 2017 This year, the Catapult exhibited at GEO Business to showcase our Earth observation and remote sensing capabilities, and to promote awareness of our Sentinel Data Access Portal (SEDAS) and CEMS facilities. GEO Business, held at the Business Design Centre in London, is the UK’s biggest geospatial event for everyone involved in the gathering, storing, processing and delivering of geospatial information. Our CEO Stuart Martin presented during the main conference on the integration of satellite data in geospatial datasets. We also held an Associated Meeting where Robert Fletcher, Head of Domain - Infrastructure and Cloud Services, introduced SEDAS, the online hub where users access free Sentinel data.

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Catapult stand

The exhibition showcased 109 exhibitors, which meant the exhibition hall was continually buzzing with discussions throughout the event, and a parallel event of hands-on interactive exhibits and educational activities welcomed 1,500 visitors, including Tim Peake, the British ESA Astronaut.


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Cereals 2017

Agritech is an important part of our Sustainable Living programme, with many opportunities for satellite technologies to make a greater contribution to food production.

Date: 14-15 June 2017 The Catapult restated its commitment to the agricultural sector by exhibiting at Cereals 2017 in June, meeting with thousands of farmers and agronomists at the arable industry’s leading technical event. Agritech is an important part of our Sustainable Living programme, as there are many opportunities for satellite technologies to make a greater contribution to food production. We aim to help farmers, agronomists and the wider agriculture sector take full advantage of the wealth of new technologies and data that are available to them. Exhibiting with us in our tent was Weather Logistics, Inmarsat and Farming Online, showcasing several agritech-related tools, including the use of Sentinel data through the SEDAS open data platform and our cloud computing environment CEMS (Climate and Environment Monitoring from Space).

Emerging Markets Thread workshop Date: 27 June 2017 The Catapult recently launched the Satellites for Emerging Markets Thread to provide the benefits of satellite data

Cereals 2016

and technology to emerging markets across the world. Our first Emerging Markets Thread workshop aimed to address utilities and infrastructure challenges through satellite applications. The workshop introduced emerging market challenges, satellite application capabilities and funding opportunities to develop innovative solutions, and offered opportunities to network and collaborate with other organisations. The workshop was informal and interactive, and open to anyone: stakeholders with an issue to solve, businesses with an idea for new products, or organisations looking for partners or support were invited to pitch their ideas. We also provided short one-to-one meetings for those interested in meeting us or other attendees.

Forthcoming Events July Satuccino Summer BBQ

The Catapult will be attending and exhibiting at the European Conference on Precision Agriculture on 16-20 July.

Date: 5 July 2017 Venue: Satellite Applications Catapult Join us for our annual Satuccino BBQ at the Catapult from 2:30pm on Wednesday 5 July. This will be our third annual Satuccino BBQ, and we are pleased to welcome all space sector companies engaged with

the Catapult. Join us to find out what your neighbours are up to, share ideas and get an update on new opportunities from across the sector. For more information email: marketing@ sa.catapult.org.uk or check our website.

11th European Conference on Precision Agriculture Date: 16-20 July 2017 Venue: John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland The Catapult will be attending and exhibiting at the European Conference on Precision Agriculture to showcase our current projects and capabilities in the agritech field.

Satuccino Summer BBQ

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The theme of this year's conference is ‘Innovating through Research’ and all involved in precision agriculture can participate. For more information on this conference, please visit: https://ecpa.delegate-everything.co.uk/


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At London Space Week 4-5 October at the Glaziers Hall, London, the Catapult is sponsoring the Start-up Space Challenge.

If you would like to organise a meeting with a member of the Catapult team at this event, please contact: [email protected]

Modern Art Museum Workshop – The Future of Earth from Space Date: 5 August 2017 Venue: Modern Art Museum, Oxford Come and join the Catapult for a series of fun, educational and engaging activities for all the family; including crafting a volcano-monitoring spacecraft and building a real-life satellite. For more information email: [email protected]

Join us at New Scientist Live – Festival of Ideas and Discovery from 28 September to 1 October at Excel, London.

New Scientist Live – Festival of Ideas and Discovery Date: 28 September – 1 October 2017 Venue: Excel, London

London Space Week 2017 Date: 4-5 October 2017 Venue: Glaziers Hall, London This event is one of Europe’s major business-to-business events dedicated to space applications, launch vehicles, satellites and space-related technologies. This will be the third such event, with highlevel conferences and workshops, and 600 participants expected to attend. The Catapult is sponsoring the Start-up Space Challenge. Innovation is at the heart of all space strategies and the Challenge showcases 15 start-ups who will be selected by a committee of experts and will then compete to win the LSW Start-up Space Challenge. To find out more about event please follow www.london-space-week.com. For more information email: [email protected]

New Scientist Live is a festival of ideas and discovery, taking place at ExCeL London. Rooted in the biggest, best and most provocative science, New Scientist Live will touch on all areas of human life. The show will feature four immersive zones covering Humans, Technology, Engineering, Earth and Cosmos. For four days this autumn, New Scientist Live will be like no other place on Earth. The Catapult is featuring our Satellites 4 Everyone project, designed to educate and inform everyone of the role of satellites in the 21st century, and the uses of data they supply. It also aims to inspire new ideas and innovations using satellite technology and data, to help the UK continue to be a world leader in the space industry. To find out more about event please follow live.newscientist.com/. For more information email: [email protected]

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Electron Building Fermi Avenue Harwell Campus Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 0QR For more information: T: +44 (0) 1235 567999 W: sa.catapult.org.uk E: [email protected] @SatAppsCatapult Satellite Applications Catapult Ltd is an independent technology and innovation company. It is one of a network of elite centres established by Innovate UK to accelerate the take-up of emerging technologies and drive economic growth. The Satellite Applications Catapult is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number 07964746. Registered office: Electron Building, Fermi Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QR, UK. ©Satellite Applications Catapult 2017. All rights reserved.

July 2017