Contact: Maridith Geuder
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is increasing to $25 million its investment in remote sensing research at Mississippi State University.
Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) announced Saturday during Homecoming activities that NASA will provide an additional $15 million over three years for remote sensing research. The space agency last year committed $10 million to a new Remote Sensing Technologies Center at MSU.
Remote sensing uses satellites or airplanes for collecting images that reveal features not apparent to the naked eye. Data derived from the images can help map forests, detect pollution, analyze crops, or be used to make decisions about transportation corridors.
The Remote Sensing Technologies Center focuses on agriculture, transportation, and forestry and wildlife. Its work complements NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, as well as the state's Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative, Pickering said.
"Mississippi is becoming a center of excellence in this emerging technology and its applications to industry and to resource management," Pickering said. "The Remote Sensing Technologies Center at Mississippi State will expand both its research projects and its transfer of the technology to the end users."
MSU President Malcolm Portera said the new NASA investment will expand a program that is establishing innovative approaches to agribusiness, conservation and transportation planning.
"Research under way at Mississippi State has involved nearly 70 faculty members in projects ranging from satellite-prediction of crop yields to detecting insect infestations in forests," Portera said. "The technology has tremendous potential to enhance economic and environmental well-being and to create new market opportunities for Mississippi."
The university's Remote Sensing Technologies Center supports NASA's larger effort to enhance U.S. economic competitiveness and NASA's earth science program, said Roy Estess, director of the Stennis Space Center.
"NASA is pleased to partner with Mississippi State University to take advantage of the substantial knowledge and research capability of the university," Estess said. "We believe our collective efforts could rapidly grow into a $10 billion industry for the United States."
Enhanced collaboration between Mississippi State's center and other agencies will increase the quality of remote sensing research and the use of technologies by both the private and public sectors, Pickering said.
"This effort will move the technology from data to a usable product that will improve the quality of life for all Mississippians," he said.