The MineSeeker Foundation and the International Astronautical Federation

16th October 2009, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

During the 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Daejeon,
Korea, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the Mineseeker
Foundation announced a collaborative effort in the field of landmine
stand-off detection using both Space and Airborne systems integrating
remote-sensing, telecommunication and geo-localisation technologies.

A preliminary concept of this integrated application was elaborated by the
International Astronautical Federation (IAF), in collaboration with the
Mineseeker Foundation (MF). The IAF has contacted several potential partners
among the Federation member organisations. It is now important to involve
all relevant expertise to elaborate the system and thoroughly assess its
feasibility, on both a technical and an economic standpoint. At last the
study will pave the way to subsequent phases of development, prototyping and
testing, prior to commercially launching the service. The feasibility study
is expected to last about five months, starting in January 2010. A first
operational commercial service is planned by August 2011. An enhanced
service enabling reliable detection of individual mines is expected to be
mature enough for operations by mid-2013.

Landmines still kill or maim civilians every day, even long after conflicts
are over. Each year these weapons claim between 15,000 and 20,000 new
victims. Because resources (arable land, infrastructure, water, etc.)
located within areas suspected of mine contamination cannot be exploited,
landmines dramatically hinder the recovery of economies wounded by a
conflict. At the current rate, and assuming no additional mines are laid
from now on, the UN estimates that it will take 600 years to find and clear
the 100 million landmines around the world. Strikingly, a large fraction of
suspected lands investigated by traditional methods prove mine free. In
other words, the scarce resources of mine action are expended on checking
sound land instead of clearing contaminated land. A means to reliably
discriminate between mine-contaminated zones and mine-free zones is
critically needed. Stand-off detection can be immensely useful to this
purpose.

The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) is an international
non-governmental and non-profit organisation, founded in 1951.


The IAF is composed of space agencies, space companies, societies,
associations and institutes. There are currently over 200 members in 47
countries.


The Federation encourages the advancement of knowledge about space and the
development and application of space assets for the benefit of humanity. It
plays an important role in disseminating information, and in providing a
significant worldwide network of experts in the development and utilisation
of space.


The IAF organises seminars, symposia and events throughout the year. The
focus of activities during 2009 is the management of climate change. The
most visible product of the IAF is the International Astronautical Congress
(IAC).


IAC 2009 gathered more than 4000 space professionals in Daejeon, Republic of Korea between 12-16 October 2009. The IAC exhibition this year dedicated a special focus on Small and Medium companies working in the space field.


The Mineseeker Foundation had developed a skillful airborne landmine
detection system, with the objective of commercially delivering services to
demining companies and governmental bodies. The value of those services can
be significantly enhanced by exploiting space assets. In fact, relevant
space borne Earth Observation data can help determine the best times in the
year to operate the airborne system, for optimal detection capabilities.
They also help focus the airborne survey on priority zones, thereby
increasing the value and cost efficiency of the service. In addition,
navigating the aircraft on investigated zone would be significantly easier,
more accurate, and in turn more cost-efficient if supported by a dedicated
navigation application. At last, the transfer of collected data to a remote
processing center via satellite communication would enable a global
deployment of the system.

The Mineseeker Foundation’s vision, based on large area reduction and
climatic and geological prioritisation, using satellite-based remote sensing
from space, and aerial surveying from rotary and fixed wing aircraft, is to
reveal the location and nature of real threats, prioritise clearance
activities, and release land to agriculture. Vast land areas can be mapped
and returned to production, relatively quickly and economically,
regenerating economic activity. The areas identified as mined or having
unexploded ordinance, requiring clearance, can be dealt with in the optimum way on a case-by-case basis.


For further information please contact: Philippe Willekens, International
Astronautical Federation, 94 bis, Avenue de Suffren 75015 Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 45 67 42 60

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