Accelerating Remote Sensing

Through the Visiting Investigator Program (VIP) at Stennis Space Center, Scott Nesbit of Nesbit Environmental, Inc. explored the potential of remote sensing for locating abandoned barges in the Louisiana coastal zone. The barges and other vessels sometimes became illegal disposal sites for used oil or hazardous materials, which could leak into waterways and cause serious pollution. Nesbit and Stennis scientists used the U.S. Geological Survey's Side-Looking Airborne Radar, the Landsat Thematic Mapper, and the French SPOT satellite to create new images of the area and compare them to older ones, thus locating potentially abandoned vessels. The system offers increased accuracy and reduced cost of follow-up inspections. Nesbit Environmental later merged with C-K Associates. VIP is a mechanism involving NASA funding designed to accelerate the growth of commercial remote sensing by promoting general awareness and basic training in the technology.

Full article: http://hdl.handle.net/hdl:2060/20020078406