GCS Research and DigitalGlobe Partner on Lewis and Clark Geosystem Project

GCS Research LLC and DigitalGlobe are pleased to announce the inclusion of DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird imagery as a significant commercial remote sensing component of GCS Research’s recently announced Space Act Agreement with NASA. Over the course of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration (2003-2006), GCS Research will work closely with DigitalGlobe and NASA to incorporate high-resolution, QuickBird (60 cm, pan-sharpened) imagery into the Lewis and Clark Geosystem and make these images available for viewing and analysis via Internet systems.

The Lewis and Clark Geosystem represents a joint GCS Research and NASA research project to make available a variety of remote sensing images to a combined audience consisting of K-16 educators, scholarly researchers, and interested members of the general public. Working with corporate partners such as Mapping Science Inc., ESRI Inc., Digimarc Inc., Ingeniux Inc., and others, GCS Research and NASA personnel are developing a web-based geospatial portal based upon a distributed architecture. Massive data resources currently maintained by NASA at The John C. Stennis Space Center’s Earth Science Applications Directorate (ESAD) are being dynamically networked with other geospatial data resources from participating public and private data partners. Most notably, David Rumsey’s existing Lewis and Clark ArcIMS services are being connected with NASA’s core data node, creating an unprecedented blend of historical cartographic products with NASA’s archive of modern satellite imagery (Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, ATLAS, Hyperion, etc.).

DigitalGlobe’s unique contribution will include providing significant, high-quality images of key areas of the Lewis and Clark Trail and encampments. Focusing initially on areas of ongoing archaeological investigation by Dr. Ken Karzminski and NASA ESAD researchers, QuickBird images will be acquired to support these significant investigations. Simultaneously, NASA, GCS Research and DigitalGlobe will investigate the utilization of QuickBird imagery for a variety of landscape management objectives along the modern Lewis and Clark Trail. Some of these investigations will include cooperative efforts with other federal agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region, which currently oversees the management of various wildlife refuges present along the historical Lewis and Clark route. In addition to archaeological investigations, landscape management objectives include evaluating the effects of wildland fire disturbance regimes on trail ecosystems, monitoring wetlands change, measuring urban expansion, tracking noxious and invasive weeds, and mapping vegetative mosaics for key Lewis and Clark encampments such as Fort Clatsop (winter 1895-1806).

“We are tremendously honored to have DigitalGlobe involved in the Lewis and Clark Geosystem project. Combined with NASA’s imagery resources, QuickBird assets are tremendously valuable as we explore the geography of Lewis and Clark,” said Alex Philp, President, GCS Research LLC. “As the most powerful commercial satellite in existence today, we look forward to highlighting QuickBird’s value as a landscape management tool for ecosystems associated with the Lewis and Clark Trail.”

“DigitalGlobe is pleased to have been selected to participate in this landmark project,” said Herb Satterlee, CEO and chairman of DigitalGlobe. “This work allows DigitalGlobe to further its commitment to helping preserve and manage important ecosystems on the Lewis and Clark Trail and beyond,” he said.

Currently, NASA, GCS Research and its technology partners are building phase one of the Lewis and Clark Geosystem, which includes a remote sensing geodatabase of combined assets from a variety of existing geospatial resources for the Lewis and Clark Trail. DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird imagery will be included in the raster catalogue of the Lewis and Clark Geosystem as they are acquired by NASA. A prototype of the Lewis and Clark Geosystem is currently focusing upon the National Park Service’s Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Oregon. The prototype highlights the distributed nature of the Geosystem, the power of geospatial data query, and a forthcoming .NET service interface. This initial phase of the Lewis and Clark Geosystem will be released at the ESRI International User Conference, San Diego, July 2003.

For more information, please contact GCS Research: phone: 406-721-6744, email: [email protected], and visit their website at: http://www.gcs-research.com.

About GCS Research

GCS Research specializes in geospatial information technology and develops custom mapping and geoimagery applications for the Internet. To help our clients achieve their unique goals, GCS Research provides a full spectrum of geospatial services involving consulting, analysis, programming, and data. GCS Research provides .NET-programming and hosting solutions for Internet mapping systems, delivers value-added remote sensing imagery from commercial and federal data providers, creates custom cartographic products, aggregates project-based data resources, and consults on enterprise GIS implementations. More information can be at http://www.gcs-research.com.

About DigitalGlobe

DigitalGlobe is an Earth imagery and information company in Longmont, Colorado, USA. With the 2001 launch of its QuickBird satellite, DigitalGlobe has established a market leadership position. The company provides the world’s highest resolution commercial satellite imagery, the greatest collection capacity, the most up-to-date archive and the largest image size of any other satellite imagery provider. The competition has no plans to launch a comparable commercial satellite until at least 2006. In addition to offering technical superiority, DigitalGlobe distinguishes itself in the market through its commitment to excellent customer service, relationships with business partners and open-systems philosophy. More information can be found at http://www.digitalglobe.com.

http://www.gcs-research.com/index.cfm?fuse=press

Alex Philp
President
GCS Research L.L.C.™
P.O. Box 9457
Missoula, Montana 59807
United States

406-721-6744 Main Office
406-532-3761 Project Lab
406-829-1817 Facsimile
[email protected]
http://www.gcs-research.com

Director
Geospatial Research Group
Department of Geography
Social Sciences Building
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana 59812
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