Published on Wednesday4thSeptember2013
Taoiseach opens Ireland's first Earth Observation ground station at National Space Centre
Taoiseach Enda Kenny with David Stanton TD and Rory Fitzpatrick, National Space Centre Chief Executive Officer
Taoiseach Enda Kenny today visited Cork based space services provider, National Space Centre (Ltd) in Midleton, to officially open Ireland’s first and only Earth Observation ground station, commissioned by Canadian based company, exactEarth.
The new ground station, completed in April 2013, downloads data from exactEarth’s satellites up to 6 times a day. ExactEarth’s network records every point of the planet during a 12 hour period, and data gathered is used to improve freight management efficiency, maritime policing and environmental protection globally.
The Taoiseach welcomed exactEarth’s decision to locate in Ireland, and unveiled a plaque to officially open the new ground station. He said:
Ireland is a maritime nation with a key location on the northwest frontier of Europe. We have an important role to play in the increasingly significant area of maritime surveillance. The location of a global player such as exactEarth is a positive move and a first step into this domain, reflecting increased international confidence in Ireland as a location and its ability to deliver. Critically, it provides an opportunity to capitalise on this advantage in the creation of high tech and sustainable jobs in the maritime environment.