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1. [[Hot Topic]]
APRSAF-13 will be held next week
(Jakarta, Indonesia, 5-7 December)
2. [[Asian Space Update 1]]
Signing of the MOU between GISTDA and JAXA Concerning the
ALOS Data Sub-Node
(Bangkok, Thailand, 23 November)
3. [[Asian Space Update 2]]
Caravan Seminar on Geospatial Technologies for Disaster
Mitigation -
Philippines Perspective
(Philippines, 27 November)
4. [[Asian Space Update 3]]
Announcement of the Korean Astronaut Candidates
5. [[Asian Space Update 4]]
8th International Forum on Advanced Satellite Communications
in the Asia-Pacific Region
(Tokyo, Japan, November 28)
6. [[Asian Space Update 5]]
Revealing Dark Universe by AKARI (ASTRO-F)
7. [[Event Information and APRSAF Website Update- November
2006]
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1. [[Hot Topic]]
APRSAF-13 will be held next week
(Jakarta, Indonesia, 5-7 December)
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APRSAF-13 will be held next week in Jakarta, Indonesia,
with the main theme "Work Together, Building a Secure and Prosperous
Society," aiming
to invite participating organizations from the Asia-Pacific
region to
join forces and cooperate in space activities for a common
cause.
About 150 participants from 19 countries and 7 international
organizations will take part in APRSAF-13.
Representatives of participating countries will make a
variety of
presentations at the Plenary Session. In addition, APRSAF-13
will
receive a status report on Sentinel Asia, which is an activity
that
shares, through the internet, disaster-related information
such as
images taken by earth observation satellites to contribute
to disaster
management in the Asia-Pacific region.
On the second day of APRSAF-13, four working group sessions
will be
held: Earth Observation (EO) WG, Communication Satellite
Application
(CSA) WG, Space Education & Awareness WG, and International
Space
Station (ISS) WG.
After the sessions, APRSAF-13 Water Boost Rocket Competition
will be
held on Dec 9 at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Science & Technology
Center, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Final announcement, tentative program and concept papers
for each
working group can be obtained at APRSAF Website:
http://www.aprsaf.org/text/ap13_info.html
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2. [[Asian Space Update 1]]
Signing of the MOU between GISTDA and JAXA Concerning the
ALOS Data Sub-Node
(Bangkok, Thailand, 23 November)
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The Director of Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development
Agency
(GISTDA) Dr Thongchai Charuppat and the Executive Director
of Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Dr Yasushi Horikawa
signed on
Thursday, 23 November, 2006, 11:00 hours the Memorandum
of Understanding
(MOU) concerning the ALOS data sub-node cooperation at
Lad Prao
B-Horvang Room, Sofitel Central Plaza Bangkok Hotel.
GISTDA is being established with the consent of JAXA as
the ALOS
(Advanced Land Observing Satellite) Data Sub-Node for the
ASEAN region
to receive and distribute the data to ten ASEAN countries:
Indonesia,
Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore,
Brunei
Darussalam, the Philippines and Thailand. In this regard,
GISTDA is also
upgrading the satellite data receiving system, data recording,
database
management, cataloguing and processing with the same standard
of other
ALOS data nodes including JAXA in Asia, ESA (European Space
Agency) in
Europe and Africa, NOAA/ASF in North and South America
and GA
(Geoscience Australia) in Oceania countries.
ALOS was successfully launched on 24 January, 2006, and
the first image
was taken on 14 February, 2006, over Mt. Fuji in Japan.
The satellite
has three remote-sensing instruments: PRISM with 2.5-meter
resolution
for stereo mapping, AVNIR-2 with 10- meter resolution for
land use and
vegetation and PALSAR with 10- and 100- meter resolution
for change
detection in topography and geology. With multi-sensors,
ALOS data can
be applied in various fields such as cartography, natural
resources
survey, land-use classification and disaster management.
GISTDA Ground Station will be operational for ALOS data
processing and
distribution in February 2007
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3. [[Asian Space Update 2]]
Caravan Seminar on Geospatial Technologies for Disaster
Mitigation -
Philippines Perspective
(Philippines, 27 November)
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Caravan Seminar on Geospatial Technologies for Disaster
Mitigation -
Philippines Perspective was held on 27 November 2006 at
City Garden
Hotel, Makati City, Philippines.
The seminar was attended by about 70 participants from
various
government, non-government organizations as well as government
and
private academic sectors who are involved in the use of
remote sensing
technologies.
The seminar was welcomed by various directors like Dr.
Lal Samarakoon,
Director, Geoinformatics Center, Asian Institute of Technology,
Bangkok,
Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr., director, Philippine Institute
of Volcanology
and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and General Diony Ventura, administrator,
National Mapping Resources and Information Authority (NAMRIA).
Japanese experts delivered information on various space
programs of JAXA
and the Sentinel Asia disaster support programs.
Participants became aware on how to collaborate and access
information
that is related to space-related technologies applied to
disaster
mitigation.
On the part of Geo Informatics Center - Asian Institute
of Technology,
Dr. Lal Samarakoon gave updates on the various remote sensing
technologies applied to disasters. Likewise, his introduction
on the
activities of "mini-project" on space technology applications
currently
being implemented in GIS-AIT gave ideas on the possible
future
collaborative work with various disaster research agencies.
Many participants have signified their intentions to participate
in
these mini-projectsE
Dr. Manzul Hazarika likewise mentioned all ongoing mini-projects being
implemented in the region. It shows that various expertises
can be
tapped in the training center.
On the side of local presentations, the topic focused
on the
PhilippinesEcurrent space technology programs and applications,
the
current and future remote sensing data status and the
JAXA-GIC/AIT-PHIVOLCS-NAMRIA collaborative work on landslide
susceptibility mapping in the Philippines.
One of the important topics that gained attention is the
national
multi-agency multi-hazard mapping activities of the Philippines.
The
mapping activities involved hazard mapping of floods, storm
surge,
tsunami, landslides, liquefaction, ground rupture and ground
shaking.
It became visible that such remote sensing is an invaluable
tool in
fast-tracking hazard mapping activities and likewise in
monitoring
disasters. A strong collaborative work and linkages should
be worked out
in the immediately
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4. [[Asian Space Update 3]]
Announcement of the Korean Astronaut Candidates
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The MOST and KARI announced last week that 10 astronaut candidates had been selected in the
third selection and that the fourth selection of other 10 astronaut candidates would begin on December 3 and continue
for about four weeks.
The final two candidates who will be trained at the Gagarin
Center in Moscow from April 2007 will be selected by the end of this
year.
Ten Korean astronaut candidates including three women
were selected at
the third selection from among 30 candidates at the second
selection.
The 10 candidates, who passed a complete medical test,
a space
environment adaptation test and a coping ability with various
conditions
test, will enter the competition for the final selection
of two Korean
astronauts.
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5. [[Asian Space Update 4]]
8th International Forum on Advanced Satellite Communications
in the
Asia-Pacific Region
(Tokyo, Japan, November 28)
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The 8th International Forum on Advanced Satellite Communications
in the
Asia-Pacific Region organized by the Ministry of Internal
Affairs and
Communications of Japan (MIC) * was held at Chiyoda Media
Plaza Tokyo
Japan on 28 November with about 190 participants (including
ICT policy
makers, researchers, engineers, satellite service providers,
and
satellite manufacturers from Japan and abroad).
The co-organizers are the National Institute of Information
and
Communications Technology (NICT) and the Japan Aerospace
Exploration
Agency (JAXA)
The 8th forum was held with the following aims:
1. To promote the realization of collaborative international
application
experiments using WINDS** (Wideband Inter Networking engineering
test
and Demonstration Satellite) developed by JAXA and NICT,
which will be
launched by an H-IIA launch vehicle in fiscal 2007;
2. To diffuse the current status of research and development
on
ultra-high speed satellite communications technology.
At the forum, five speeches were delivered and then five
panelists
eagerly discussed the theme "Future Perspective of Broadband
Satellite
Utilization in the Asia-Pacific Region."
APRSAF Secretariat
interviewed Regional Director of Asia Pacific Huges
Network Systems India Ltd, India Mr. Raj K. Bajaj and Associate
Professor of the Electrical Engineering Dept of Bandung
Institute
Technology Indonesia Dr Sugihartono about their impression
on this forum
and their hope for WINDS. Mr. Bajaj and Mr. Sugihartono
took part in the
forum as panelists and speakers. They told us that WINDS
would be of
initiatory KA band technology for experiment and could
provide a
technology for eliminating the geographical digital division
in the
Asia-Pacific region.
The video interview with Mr. Raj and Mr. Sugihartono will
be uploaded in
APRSAF Website soon.
*The MIC in cooperation with NICT and JAXA has been working
on research
and development of ultra-high speed satellite communications
technology
to ensure the same level of speed and volume of fiber-optic
networks,
using satellite communications technology that can be resistant
to the
effects of natural conditions on earth.
**WINDS can take full advantage of the characteristics
of satellite
communications technologies such as wide coverage, multicast
ability and
disaster-resistant capabilities. The WINDS satellite communications
system will enable home users to receive 100 Mbps-class
high-speed data
with a small dish of about 45 cm in diameter (in case of
reception) and
this is expected to be the best tool in eliminating the
geographical
digital division in the Asia-Pacific region.
URL: http://www.jaxa.jp/jda/brochure/img/04/winds.pdf
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6. [[Asian Space Update 5]]
Revealing Dark Universe by AKARI (ASTRO-F)
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AKARI (ASTRO-F) * is the JAXA's infrared astronomical
satellite
successfully launched on February 21, 2006. The biggest
goal of the
mission is an infrared all-sky survey. It captured the
first light on
April 13, when its lid opened. Its in-orbit performance
was clearly
shown by a series of images released last May.
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2006/05/20060522_akari_e.html
Last August, a new series of images depicting vivid scenes
of the birth
and the death of stars was released.
http://www.jaxa.jp/news_topics/column/no19/index_e.html
During the survey observations, AKARI observed one of
the most important
targets for studies about the formation of galaxies: the
Large
Magellanic Cloud. The wavelength bands used have been the
strongest so
far, producing stunning images of our nearest neighbor
galaxy in the
universe. The images were released in November.
http://www.ir.isas.jaxa.jp/ASTRO-F/Outreach/results/results_e.html#1101
The world-wide astronomical community is now looking forward
to new
discoveries from AKARI.
Security Chief of the Akari Project Dr Takao Nakagawa
said to APRSAF
Secretariat: "We have completed about 70% of the all-sky
survey, and we
are pretty much excited to see new results every day."
AKARI (ASTRO-F):
See the following new website for more detailed information:
http://www.ir.isas.jaxa.jp/ASTRO-F/Outreach/gaiyou_e.htm
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7. [[Event Information and APRSAF Website Update- November
2006]]
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* Dec 4-5, 2006
The 6th International Workshop on Web and Wireless Geographical
Information Systems
Hong Kong, China
http://www.dl.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp/w2gis06/
* Dec 4-6, 2006
8th International Conference on Information Integration
and Web-based
Applications & Services (IIWAS2006)
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
http://www.iiwas.org/conferences/iiwas2006/
* Dec 5-7, 2006
The 13th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency
Forum (APRSAF-13)
Jakarta, Indonesia
http://www.aprsaf.org/text/ap13_info.html
-APRSAF-13 Side Event
**Dec 9, 2006
The 2nd APRSAF Water Boost Rocket Event
Jakarta, Indonesia
http://www.aprsaf.org/text/ap13_info.html
**Dec 11-12, 2006
APRSAF Space Education Seminar
* Dec 6-7, 2006
International Conference on Sustainable Development Issues
and Prospects
for the Greater Mekong Sub region
Bangkok, Thailand
http://www.ait.ac.th/gmsarn/index.htm
* Dec 6-7, 2006
1st International Conference on Digital Information Management
Bangalore, India
http://www.icdim.org/
* Dec 8-9, 2006
National Seminar on Geo-Informatics
Maharashtra, India
http://www.vpmthane.org/news/seminar-geoinfo.htm
* Dec 11-15, 2006
Regional Workshop on Sharing Geographic Information in
the HKH region-Geo-Network Metadata implementation
ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal
http://menris.icimod.net/news/showDetail.php?id=105
* Dec 12-15, 2006
2nd International Conference on Sustainable Sloping Lands
and Watershed
Management
Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
http://www.nafri.org.la/05_news/workshops/sswm2006/sswm2006.htm
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Copyright 2006 The APRSAF Secretariat
APRSAF Secretariat
c/o. Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan
Roppongi First Bldg. 12F, 1-9-9 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
106-0032,
Japan
Telephone: +(81 3)5572-6708
Fax: +(81 3)5572-6707 | 
