Toward New Partnerships In Remote Sensing: Government, The Private Sector, And Earth Science Research

Toward New Partnerships In Remote Sensing Government, the Private Sector, and Earth Science Research Steering Committee on Space Applications and Commercialization Space Studies Board Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, D.C. www.nap.edu THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. Support for this project was provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration Contract Nos. NASW-96013 and 01001, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Contract No. 50-DKNA-6-90040, Stennis Space Center Order Nos. NS-7426 and NS-7570, Environmental Protection Agency Grant No. X-82821401, Department of Transportation Order No. DTRS56-00-P-70077, U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Agreement No. 00HQAG0204, and Department of the Army Order No. DACA89-99-M-0147. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. The cover was designed by Penny Margolskee. Cover images (left to right): 1. IKONOS satellite image of Mount Etna, Sicily, showing the prominent white smoke plume rising from the volcano. SOURCE: Image courtesy of Space Imaging, Inc., Denver, Colo. 2. Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) true-color image, centered on the Chesapeake Bay and the Carolina capes region of the eastern seaboard, showing the effects of Hurricane Floyd on the coastal waters. SOURCE: SeaWiFS Project, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and OrbImage. 3. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image showing levels of chlorophyll fluorescence in phytoplankton in the Arabian Sea. SOURCE: Scientific Visualization Studio, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. International Standard Book Number 0-309-08515-2 Copies of this report are available free of charge from: Space Studies Board National Research Council 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20418 Copyright 2002 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibili