MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: The New Straits Times

Macres director Nik Nasruddin Mahmood said the system is being designed to receive real-time data from four existing satellites - French Spot-1, Canadian microwave remote sensing Radarsat, USA Landsat and NOAA satellites.

The data, he added, will be transmitted to Macres' headquarters in Kuala Lumpur via fibre-optic links to be processed for different applications.

As the main contractor, TPM is working closely with its foreign partners - US-based Datron Advanced Technologies Corp which specialises in building acquisition and reception sub-systems and French-based Matra Systems and Information responsible for data recording and archiving sub-systems and managing sub-systems.

Under the project, TPM is responsible for receiving technology from partners and making local preparations such as engineering work and protection requirements to minimise attacks from lightning. The MGRS system is slated to be completed by September next year, said Nik Nasruddin.

"In fact, we are currently in discussion with the contractors to speed up work so that the system can be phased out and become operational in stages starting middle of next year," he told Computimes on Tuesday. "When completed, the ground receiving station will eliminate the problem of getting real-time satellite data."

According to Nik Nasruddin, previously data was acquired from other ground stations outside Malaysia such as Singapore and Thailand through satellite operators. Worldwide, there are only 20 operational ground stations for remote sensing.

However, it has its limitations as the ground stations outside Malaysia have their own national priorities and could not meet Macres' requirements. As such, users such as the agriculture, forestry, geology, marina, water resources, disaster management, infrastructure development, town planning and environment industries could not get the required data. "Once MGRS is operational, we expect the number of users to increase multi-fold," said Nik Nasruddin.

From 1994 to last year, the number of satellite images requested on digital form increased from 66 to 306 (240 from the Government sector and 66 from the private sector).

Remote sensing is a technology which involves the use of sensors placed on a platform moving at a far distance from the earth's surface. It can be used for collecting data of the earth for the purpose of inventorying and monitoring.

The other component of the MGRS project is a specially-designed building located in Temerloh, Pahang, that accomodates the remote sensing systems. Spanning some 100 acres, the land was provided by the Defence Ministry (Mindef). The building completed in March last year, was built at a cost of RM33 million.

Nik Nasruddin said Temerloh was selected after nine months of consideration by the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing, based on its optimal coverage (which enables it to receive data on real-time within a radius of 2,500km which includes Asean, Southern China and parts of India), free from signal interferences from ground transmitting devices like handphones, ground and soil suitability and the availability of land.

He said the land in Temerloh has also been registered with the Multimedia Commission as a protected area so that nothing can be installed within a 50km radius that would interfere with the MGRS system.

Nik Nasruddin said the project is part of the Government's initiative to go into space technology applications.

In spearheading and coordinating the efforts towards total space capabilities, Macres has taken initial steps to form a National Space Agency. These include the drafting of national space policies and a memorandum for Government approval. The establishment of a centralised agency for managing the development of space technology activities will spur growth in space technology, including remote sensing applications, telecommunications and weather forecasting and relevant space technology developments especially satellite construction.

Macres' remote sensing data services comprise two major activities - remote sensing data sensing acquisition and processing according to users' requirements from public and private sectors. Last year, spent on the acquisition of optical and radar satellite for processing user data requirements.