NPA
Group provide comprehensive, high quality Earth Observation solutions
that improve the effectiveness of decision making.
NPA provide world-leading expertise in earth observation, remote
sensing and digital cartographic information. Supported by highly
skilled staff and powerful digital processing technologies, NPA offer
comprehensive services from satellite data acquisition and image
processing, through interpretation and validation, to production
of derived maps and reports.
Data Services
NPA acquire, process and distribute image data including Landsat
(ETM/TM/MSS), SPOT (Pan/XS/XI), IRS, RADARSAT, ERS-1/2, Russian imagery
and data from all other optical and radar satellites. NPA’s
order desk rapidly searches and provides ‘quick-looks' from
both the NPA and other world-wide archives to give the optimum data
solution. NPA have focused on services relating to the new generation
Very High Resolution sensors and are a distributor for 1m resolution
imagery from the IKONOS-2 satellite.
NPA place a growing emphasis on internet GIS. Satellite imagery
from around the world can now be previewed and purchased from NPA’s
website. NPA supplies a range of image processing and GIS software
to enable the use and visualisation of satellite imagery and include:
TNTmips, Desktop Mapping System and World Construction Set.
Covering a spectrum of remote sensing applications, NPA specialise
in extracting useful information from satellite imagery. This includes
advanced terrain modelling services such as the production of low
cost Digital
Elevation Models (DEMs) and the rapid mapping of land-cover.
These derived data serve as a critical input into a wide range of
applications world-wide, such as use in the modelling of radio signal
propagation and as a key input into environmental studies. In addition,
NPA are able to use multiple satellite images over time to monitor
a host of changes in our environment, whether it be subtle vegetation
stress in a small but remote field or the wide ranging changes in
human activity over a region resulting from development of infrastructure.
NPA are particularly noted for expertise in geological and oceanographic
studies for hydrocarbon exploration. NPA are a market-leader in space-based
natural oil seep detection, having pioneered the technique of Offshore
Basin Screening and the new Thermal Basin Screening, both developments
part-funded by the British National Space Centre (BNSC), the oil
industry, and consortia of academic expertise. As one of Europe’s
largest users of satellite radar data (ERS-1/2 and RADARSAT), NPA
are recognised as an established authority on the systems and processes
enabling high-volume, custom SAR processing.
With growing involvement in disaster and risk management, NPA are
at the forefront in the application of satellite SAR interferometry
(InSAR) for ground displacement and subsidence detection. NPA are
leading an EC Centre for Earth Observation Framework IV project with
Oxford University and two Greek partners to demonstrate the utility
of InSAR for seismic risk assessment.
Developing diverse commercial applications is core to NPA’s
business plan. For example NPA’s terrain mapping data can be
used to produce computer-generated overflights which can be used
to visualise terrain and geology for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration,
promote a specific tourist destination, or even to generate real-world
terrain for use in computer games software. Products from NPA are
used in a great variety of industry applications such as: natural
resource management, civil and transportation engineering, defence,
telecommunications, agriculture and water resources.
