Earth ‘spy’ satellites to help N.Z.

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33750, 24 January 1975, Page 3

Earth ‘spy’ satellites to help N.Z.

(N.Z.P.A. Stajf Correspondent) WASHINGTON, January 23.

New Zealand geologists and scientists will obtain a stepped-up flow of information from a new earth resources satellite shot into orbit from California on Wednesday.

Known as Earth Resources Technology Satellite 2 (ERTS2), the new satellite will result in the North and South Islands being scanned scientifically every nine days.

The first satellite put into orbit under this resource pro. gramme of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration three years ago will complement the information-gathering of the fresh satellite. Each satellite passes over New Zealand and Austria every 18 days but they are set in differing cycles so that one will be over New Zealand every nine days.

Dr E. P. Mercanti of the Goddard Space Centre of N.A.S.A. in Washington said yesterday that three New Zealanders were authorised under the E.R.T.S. programme to receive full information accumulated by the two satellites during their scanning of New Zealand. RECEIVERS BUILT

They are Mr I. F. Stirling, of the Lands and Survey Department, Wellington, Dr Richard Suggate, of the New Zealand Geological Survey, Lower Hutt, and Mr M. G. McGreeney, of the Forest Research Institute, Rotorua. In cases where any of the three might want specific information from the electronic sensors on the satellite they can ask N.A.S.A. for detailed information obtained from it while passing over New Zealand. It would be posted to them by N.A.S.A. officials along with analyses of the material put together by the United States scientists. The Canadian and Brazilian governments are receiving information direct

from the first satellite during its periods in orbit over their respective countries. They obtain it through ground receivers they have built. JOINT PROJECT? Italy and' Iran have both set up programmes to construct their own receiving stations and Australia and Norway have expressed interest to N.A.S.A. in establshing their own receivers. Dr Mercanti did not know whether the Australian project for constructing a receiving station would involve a joint project between the New Zealand and Australia governments. This could be possible. The general manager of the space systems department of General Electric (Mr Lee Farnham), said the satellite would give scientists an opportunity to advance their work of discovering, analysing and managing the earth’s critical resources. The first' satellite had been designed for a one-year mission but had proved in its three years of operation that useful resources information could be obtained from orbiting remote sensors “beyond everyone’s expectations.” He said that through the second satellite research workers would learn much more about how data could be applied to the solution of food, energy pollution and land use problems. MINERALS

The previous satellite had provided indications of new oil, copper and iron deposits in the United States and Alaska, helped in correcting old maps and in preparing new ones, suggested techniques for an improved world food crop inventory programme, helped in environmental monitoring and in the establishment of timber resource estimates.