Exploration remote sensing and cooperative applied research and development
Midway up its leaning curve, satellite remote sensing has demonstrated exploration and engineering cost savings and contributions to exploration advances, but its full potential remains undeveloped because the right geological sensors have not been used and basic geologic research and applied research and development are not being done. From Landsat's birth in 1972 to its 1981-1984 transfer from NASA's to NOAA's (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) operations and premature commercialization efforts with EOSTAT, NASA worked with industry in basic and applied geologic remote sensing research and development (e.g., the Joint NASA/Geosat test program). After 1984, NASA terminated applied geologic research and development and any basic geological research that ''smacked'' of industry benefit but, oddly, created programs to commercialize remote sensing. To bridge this gap, NOAA established three university-tied cooperative institutes for applied land remote sensing in 1986. With no geologic base, NOAA needs industry participation for success. Two facts are evident: (1) government and industry have vastly underfunded basic geologic science underlying large satellite remote sensing investments, and (2) exploration cut-backs limit companies' research and development to enhance their remote sensing capabilities. A United States solution would be an industry-led condsdortia to help fund and direct basic and applied research for geological satellite remote sensing. France, Japan, Canada, Germany, and the European Space Agency have government-industry cooperatives to enchance their competitive use of remote sendsing for global exploration for energy and minerals. With an aimless space program, United States industry must lead the way or lose its competitive edge in this developing worldwide exploration and engineering technology.
- OSTI ID:
- 6469675
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880301-
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
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47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
AERIAL SURVEYING
COOPERATION
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
LANDSAT SATELLITES
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
REMOTE SENSING
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESOURCES
REVIEWS
SATELLITES