The 17th William T. Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium
November 16-20, 2008 • Denver, Colorado
As Steering Committee Chair of the 17th William T. Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium, I am delighted to have this opportunity to invite you to Denver, Colorado for this exciting technical program. During the symposium, with an eye toward the future, we will examine the full range of issues around the theme of “Future of Land Imaging…Going Operational.”
In 1966, through the vision and support of Dr. Pecora, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall announced the beginning of “Project EROS” - Earth Resources Observation Satellites - a revolutionary program aimed at gathering facts about the natural resources of our planet from Earth-orbiting satellites carrying remote sensing instruments. That announcement stimulated a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that resulted in the 1972 launch of the first Earth Resources Technology Satellite, eventually dubbed “Landsat”. In recognition of that historic announcement, the Honorable Congressmen Mark Udall and Tom Udall have been invited to share their thoughts and insights for extending well into the future the original vision for an “operational Earth Resources Observation Satellite (EROS)” Program, as envisioned by Stewart Udall and others, over 40 years ago. Prior to the Congressmen’s remarks we will have a special showing of An Idea That Worked – a Stewart Udall Commemorative Video produced by the USGS.
The keynote address by Dr. Berrien Moore, Executive Director, Climate Central, Inc. will highlight the findings of the Decadal Survey for Earth Sciences, which he chaired, and address the innumerable environmental challenges facing the world. In addition, Dr. Gene Whitney, Research Manager for the Energy and Minerals Section of the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress, will provide comments on the Future of Land Imaging – Beyond LDCM, titled “Future Opportunities and Hurdles for an Operational Landsat”. Kass Green, President of Kass Green & Associates, and current President of ASPRS will talk on “Using Moderate Resolution Satellite Imagery For Global Monitoring of Critical Issues – The Need for an Operational National Land Imaging Program.”
Through the leadership and commitment of the USGS, NASA, and all the Symposium sponsors, especially the Technical Program Committee Chairs – June Thormodsgard and Darrel Williams, we have compiled an outstanding program. The Symposium will have three general sessions featuring past Pecora award recipients and international speakers focusing on use, availability, and applications of Synthetic Aperature Radar and Multi-Spectral Imagery. The conference will close with a look to a New Landsat Era – Future is Now. The symposium clearly continues the Pecora tradition of focusing on the applications of satellite and other remotely sensed data to study, monitor, and manage the Earth’s land surface, as well as technologies to improve satellite data analyses, quality, access, and preservation. A special focus of Pecora 17 will be to examine the current and future pathways to transition remote sensing technology and information access from experimentation and exploration to operational monitoring of land surface change.
The Symposium also includes a Wednesday evening celebration recognizing 25 years of continuous observations of the Earth from Landsat 5. The combination of technical sessions, policy discussions, posters, workshops, and exhibits at Pecora 17 comprise a unique opportunity for you to share experiences, successes, and ideas.
Thomas M. Holm
Steering Committee Chair
Pecora 17 Symposium