NPA Group

NPA Group
NPA provide world-leading expertise in earth observation, remote sensing and digital cartographic information. Supported by highly skilled staff and powerful digital processing technologies, NPA offer comprehensive services from satellite data acquisition and image processing, through interpretation and validation, to production of derived maps and reports.

NPA acquire process and distribute image data including Landsat (ETM/TM/MSS), SPOT (Pan/XS/XI), IRS, RADARSAT, ERS-1/2, Russian imagery and data from all other optical and radar satellites. With the capacity to search against world-wide satellite data archives as well as their own extensive collections, NPA's order desk routinely provide rapid and comprehensive 'quick-look' answers to data enquiries. NPA are well positioned to exploit the new opportunities that are arising from the launch of the new generation Very High Resolution sensors and are a distributor for 1m resolution imagery from the IKONOS-2 satellite.

Covering a spectrum of remote sensing applications, NPA specialise in extracting useful information from satellite imagery. This includes advanced terrain modelling services such as the production of low cost Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and the rapid mapping of landcover. These derived data serve as a critical input into a wide range of applications world-wide, including use in the modelling of radio signal propagation and as a key input into environmental studies. In addition, NPA are able to use multiple satellite images over time to monitor a host of changes in our environment, whether it be subtle vegetation stress in a small but remote field or the wide ranging changes in human activity over a region that result from development of infrastructure.

NPA are particularly noted for expertise in geological and oceanographic studies for hydrocarbon exploration. NPA are a market-leader in space-based natural oil seep detection, having pioneered the technique of Offshore Basin Screening and the new Thermal Basin Screening, both developments part-funded by the British National Space Centre (BNSC), the oil industry, and consortia of academic expertise.

With growing involvement in disaster and risk management, NPA are at the forefront in the application of satellite SAR interferometry (InSAR) for ground displacement and subsidence detection. NPA are leading an EC Centre for Earth Observation Framework IV project with Oxford University and two Greek partners to demonstrate the utility of InSAR for seismic risk assessment. As one of Europe's largest users of satellite radar data (ERS-1/2 and RADARSAT-1), NPA are recognised as an established authority on the systems and processes enabling high-volume, custom SAR processing.

Developing diverse commercial applications is core to NPA's business plan. For example NPA's terrain mapping data can be used to produce computer-generated overflights which can be used to visualise terrain and geology for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration, promote a specific tourist destination, or even to generate real-world terrain for use in computer games software. Products from NPA are used in a great variety of industry applications such as: natural resource management, civil and transportation engineering, defence, telecommunications, agriculture and water resources.

NPA is placing a growing emphasis on internet GIS. Satellite imagery from around the world can now be previewed and purchased from NPA's website. NPA supplies a range of image processing and GIS software to enable the use and visualisation of satellite imagery and include: TNTmips, Desktop Mapping System and World Construction Set.