NASA SELECTS PROJECTS FOR COMMERCIAL USE OF REMOTE SENSING DECEMBER 20, 1990 RELEASE: 90-164 NASA today announced the selection of 12 research projects to develop new private sector applications of space-based and airborne remote sensing technologies. Funding for the Earth Observations Commercialization Applications Program (EOCAP) projects represents a continuation of a program aimed at increasing broader use of NASA-developed technology for gathering and analyzing valuable information about Earth and ocean resources through remote satellite or aircraft observations. The program, sponsored by NASA's Office of Commercial Programs (OCP), will fund over $2 million of research annually. Investigator teams are required to provide substantial co-funding of proposed research as a contribution to the project. Projects funded under the program will identify and research new commercial products and services that might be developed from use of existing technology and explore ways of improving and expanding the uses of remote sensing by commercial ventures. The first solicitation for EOCAP was issued in late l987. Of the more that 120 proposals received and evaluated, 20 projects were selected and funded over a 3-year period with $12 million from OCP and the Office of Space Science and Applications. The second solicitation for proposals was issued in June l990. A total of 50 proposals were received and reviewed prior to today's selection announcement. Projects will be managed by OCP through the Science and Technology Laboratory at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The 12 projects selected for negotiation leading to 1-year funding contracts, with options to extend funding for an additional 2 years, will be procured in two phases expected to begin in March l99l, with the second phase as early as July l99l. Phase I projects are: o Hazardous Waste Detection: A Pilot Remote Sensing Assisted Environmental Audit, proposed by investigators affiliated with Earthscan, Inc., Austin, Texas. o Improved Urban Infrastructure Mapping for Market Forecasting using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Technology, proposed by investigators affiliated with BellSouth Services, Inc., Birmingham, Ala.; University of South Carolina, Columbia; and NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, Miss. o Development and Marketing of Land Use and Cover Change Analysis System (LUCAS), proposed by investigators affiliated with Pacific Meridan Resources, Emeryville, Calif.; USDA Forest Service, Portland, Ore.; and Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, Salem. o Integrated Software System for Analyzing Remote Sensed Data, proposed by investigators affiliated with Statistical Sciences, Inc., Seattle; University of Washington, Seattle; and Hewlett-Packard, Denver. o Application of Remote Sensing Technology for Real Time Disaster Assessment, proposed by investigators affiliated with Terra-Mar Resource Information Services, Mountain View, Calif.; Teale Data Center, Sacramento, Calif.; NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.; Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Fire Laboratory, Riverside, Calif.; Hewlett Packard Co., Fort Collins, Colo.; Visual Information Technologies, Inc., Plano, Texas; and ESL, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif. o Use of Satellite Derived Estimates of Precipitation and Evapotransporation to Enhance Hydrologic Forecasting, proposed by investigators affiliated with The Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif.; C.F. Haines, Hydrologistics, Inc., Northport, Ala.; NASA Stennis Space Center; Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Camp Springs, Md.; and Alabama Power Co., Birmingham. o Demonstrate and Market Oil Seep Surveys, proposed by investigators affiliated with Earth Satellite Corp., Rockville, Md.; Chevron Overseas Petroleum, Inc., San Ramon, Calif.; Marathon Oil Co., Houston; Arco Oil and Gas Co., Plano, Texas; Geosat Committee, Norman, Okla.; and Central Trading System, West Islip, N.Y. Phase II Projects are: o GeoStack Database for Geographic Information Systems, proposed by investigators affiliated with ST Systems Corp., Lanham, Md.; University of Florida, Gainesville; Stennis Space Center, Science and Technology Laboratory; Chevron Overseas Petroleum, Inc., San Ramon, Calif.; and Weyerhaeuser Co., Tacoma, Wash. o Pipeline Infrastructure Monitoring and Management, proposed by investigators affiliated with James W. Sewall Company, Old Town, Maine; Algonquin Gas Transmission Co., Boston, Mass.; NASA Stennis Space Center, Science and Technology Laboratory; Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co. Houston; Texas; Eastern Gas Pipeline Co. and Trunkline Gas Co., Houston. o Marketing Remote Sensing Data for North Pacific Fisheries Development and Management, proposed by investigators affiliated with Natural Resources Consultants, Inc., Seattle; Western Resources Analysis, Wenatchee, Wash.; Pacific Remote Sensing Alliance, Bothell, Wash.; NASA Ames Research Center; Department of the Navy, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.; University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska; Alaska Factory Trawler Associations, Seattle; North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners' Association, Seattle; University of Washington, Seattle; U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Law Enforcement Division, Seattle; Washington Sea Grant Program, Seattle; University of New Mexico, Technology Application Center, Albuquerque; and RSMAS/University of Miami, Fla. o Satellite Remote Sensing for Agricultural Production Management, proposed by investigators affiliated with Cropix, Inc., Hermiston, Ore.; NASA Ames Research Center; Oregon State University, Corvallis; IRZ Consulting, Hermiston, Ore.; Eagle Ranch, Echo, Ore.; L & L Farms, Echo, Ore. o Wetlands Information Services, proposed by investigators affiliated with Applied Analysis Incorporated, Billerica, Mass.; and Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. Barbara Selby NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. (Phone: 703/557-5609) Myron Webb Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Phone: 601/688-3341)