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German Radar Satellite Lifts Off Tonight

Posted by kdawson on from the ready-for-my-closeup dept.

2Y9D57 writes "Germany's new TanDEM-X radar satellite is scheduled to lift off from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 04:15 Berlin time on 21 June — that's 10:14 pm Eastern today (20 June). Flying in close formation with its twin satellite, TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X will generate the most consistent and highest-resolution digital elevation map ever of the Earth — 12m = 40ft. pixel pitch. It will take three years to image all 150 million square kilometers (58 million square miles), in the process generating more than 350 TB of raw data. Here's where to go as the time approaches for live streaming."

7 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Another proprietary dataset? by chrb · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Unfortunately, despite being partly publically funded by the German taxpayer, it appears the complete dataset will be considered proprietary for the commercial exploitation of Infoterra GmbH.

    1. Re:Another proprietary dataset? by 2Y9D57 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Infoterra GmbH will be responsible for commercial sales of the data. The German Aerospace Center deal with the scientific utilization.

    2. Re:Another proprietary dataset? by the_other_chewey · · Score: 4, Informative

      data sets will be provided under COFUR (Cost Of Fulfilling User Request) conditions

      ...to parties that submit a request with a good reason and get it approved.

      You can't just show up with a bunch of hard drives and ask for the data, even if you're
      prepared to pay for costs that would produce.

      ESA (and ESA-related, TerraSAR is German-only) projects have a long and annoying history
      of keeping their data under wraps despite public funding and no objections by the scientific
      parties (priorities of potential discoveries matter) involved.

      Until this changes, it's still SRTM data for everyone.

  2. Bloody typical by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's launching in Europe on the 21st June but on the 20th in the USA. Why is the good shit always released in the US first?

    </typicalslashdotrant>

  3. Re:ah, the logic of it by 2Y9D57 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Where can I complain if I don't want my private property mapped by the German government?

    Don't worry. The reflection from your tinfoil hat will blind the radar over your house.

  4. Re:ah, the logic of it by dov_0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The elevation above sea level of the land one lives on is hardly personal or private information... A photograph of one's house, car, children playing on the lawn etc could be considered to be somewhat different.

    --
    sudo mount --milk --sugar /cup/tea /mouth /etc/init.d/relax start
  5. Re:His mama is so fat... by M8e · · Score: 4, Informative

    that she can be identified on a 40 ft resolution height map.