The Centre for Aerospace Research of the Earth was set up in 1992 as a legal entity within the NAS Institute of Geological Sciences. It incorporated several departments of the Institute of Geological Sciences and Kyiv Institute for AeroSpace Technologies to conduct and develop both fundamental and applied studies of the Earth, using remote-sensing technologies.
Its main research trends cover:
- theoretical, procedural and practical studies of natural resources of Ukraine for exploring, prospecting and developing deposits of useful minerals with remote-sensing techniques;
- elaboration of scientific fundamentals for remote-sensing environmental monitoring of Ukraine’s territory, relying on physical&mathematical models of radiation and dispersion processes in various spectral ranges due to surface features (vegetation, soil, water, air);
- theoretical validation and experimental verification of new on-board equipment and technologies for remote sensing of land surface in various spectral ranges to deal with resource-prospecting and environmental tasks;
- international cooperation in remote sensing of the Earth to assimilate cutting-edge experience, tools and technologies for the progress of nation’s economy and environment protection.
Major research achievements:
For the first time in Ukraine, the theory and methodology of using space observation data in efficient nature management have been generalized, in particular, for oil and gas prospecting on land and sea shelf, assessing forest cover condition and fire hazards, for forecasting grain crop condition, yields and ecosystem states. Effective novel methods and techniques have been developed and employed in synergetic interpretation of advanced aerospace hyperspectral imagery.
Developed and validated has been a conceptual model for the operation of “Sich” Earth remote-sensing system, alongside with a model for determining the effect of system’s parameters on data quality and a model for using remote sensing information in environmental and economic monitoring, with due account being taken of the socio-economic component. Techniques have been produced for forming and optimizing the in-orbit structure of remote-sensing multi-satellite constellation.
Relying on remote-sensing data, new technologies have been produced for hydrocarbon prospecting both on land and sea shelf. Those have been validated within the Dnieper-Donetsk Basin with high forecast reliability (83%). Their use allows a more than twofold increase in the geological and economic efficiency of oil and gas prospecting. Estimates of the oil-and-gas potential of the Black Sea shelf have been provided, employing remote-sensing methods.
Procedures have been developed to assess the geological and environmental conditions of industrial centers (Nikopol, Borislav, Kyiv, Kryvy Rih) using Earth remote-sensing data.