Netcetera
2002 ESA entrusted its multinational industry partners to implement the APEX program. An industrial consortium under the scientific lead of the Remote Sensing Laboratories of the University of Zurich (largest Swiss science group in this area), RUAG as the prime contractor, Netcetera, and the Belgium technology company OIP, developed an imaging spectrometer. It is used to monitor the earth's surface by aircraft. The new spectrometer uses the earth's different dispersion of light in contiguous spectral bands to get insight on the composition of the earth's surface. The findings help to explore e.g. the effects of climate change, the analysis of dry zones, snow, vegetation, soil structures and the CO2 balance. With APEX regional and even local pollutant concentration can be measured and mapped for the first time.
Combination of Software Knowledge and Hardware Know-How
Netcetera was called in for the concept, development and implementation of the camera's control and data unit, focusing on the handling of the different systems' varying data rates as well as the synchronization of all image sensor data and additional environmental parameters. In addition Netcetera developed a user interface to manage the flights, to record and archive the data and its transfer, as well as to test the onboard systems.
«The combination of our engineers' software knowledge and hardware know-how was crucial for this integrated solution», comments Andrej Vckovski, CEO of the Netcetera Group. «Netcetera is one of ESA's long-term partners. We could prove once again that we solve complex assignments efficiently and successfully.»
- More about APEX
- Full Media Release in German (PDF, 29 KB)