Wednesday June 16, 1:18 pm
Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Boeing and Earth
Search Form
Strategic Alliance
Initial Project Will Yield First-of-its-Kind Data From Yellowstone
Initial Project Combines Earth Search Imaging Technology With Boeing Experimental Aircraft
MCCALL, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 1999-- Earth Search Sciences, Inc. (OTC BB:EDIS), today announced
that the company has formed a strategic alliance with the Boeing company Phantom Works (http://www.boeing.com/) to
develop new applications for their cutting edge imaging and aircraft technologies.
''We believe Boeing and Earth Search each have technologies that are superior to our respective competitors,'' said John Peel,
Earth Search chief executive officer. ''By combining these technologies in a unified effort, we believe the future commercial
potential for the Boeing - Earth Search team is significant.''
The partnership's initial commercial project, the first of a series of flights, will yield precise information to scientists on the unique
riparian ecosystems of Yellowstone National Park.
Data to be collected beginning next week is believed by Earth Search Sciences officials to be the world's first commercial
one-meter hyperspectral imagery from an airborne platform. Flying aboard Boeing's experimental heliocourier aircraft, Earth
Search Sciences' Probe-1 remote sensor will collect hyperspectral data from the lands and waters of Yellowstone. Image
pixels will be one meter apart -- the most sensitive and accurate remote sensing data format yet developed for commercial
application.
Under the agreement, Boeing becomes a partner in the NASA-funded Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies project with Earth
Search Sciences and NASA-MSU Techlink. ESSI believes global revenue potential in the near term for analysis of
environmental information may be substantial.
The alliance of Boeing and Earth Search Sciences calls for:
Earth Search Sciences to provide its Probe-1 sensor for surveillance flights with Boeing Phantom Works as project
partner;
Boeing to provide an experimental aircraft, its C-MIGITS(tm) II and DGPS capabilities for global positioning, crews
and technical support;
Collection of hyperspectral data for agricultural and strategic purposes;
-- Sharing of hyperspectral data obtained from the flights; -- Joint technical work to develop algorithms that will deliver the
most accurate information possible to end users; -- Develop concepts for the evolution of new state of the art
hyperspectral sensors; -- Foster a collaborative environment to promote the two companies'
related interests.
Larry Vance, founder and chairman of ESSI, said Boeing has agreed to employ the experimental heliocourier aircraft on data
collection missions over other targets of interest in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington.
''The slow air speed capabilities of Boeing's heliocourier enables our Probe-1 system to produce highly detailed one-meter
data that prevents information gaps in the mapping,'' Vance said. ''That accuracy will give our customers a competitive
advantage.''
Earth Search Sciences is the lead information provider for the Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies project. Earth Search will
deliver hyperspectral images that scientists believe will yield much more in depth qualitative information than any previous
environmental assessment of Yellowstone.
The first Boeing - Earth Search project centers on two important watersheds in Yellowstone National Park's Upper Lamar
Valley -- Soda Butte Creek and Cache Creek. ESSI's Probe-1 technology will help Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies scientists
answer questions such as the long-term impacts of the 1988 Yellowstone fires on stream health and wildlife habitat.
In the series of flights, the partnership will deliver five- to ten-meter data and what ESSI officials believe to be the world's first
commercial one-meter data collection.
Yellowstone is just one of a series of collections under the Memorandum of Agreement with Boeing. Along with the aircraft,
Boeing has agreed to provide all crews and support infrastructure for multiple missions. The missions will include data collection
for various sites in Northern Idaho -- including Lake Coeur d'Alene, Kellogg, and Wallace; various sites in Idaho and
Washington for University of Idaho and Washington State University agricultural and noxious weeds studies; a Wyoming site
for the MSU-Techlink Geosat oil and natural gas deposits study; and portions of Idaho's Clark Fort River for a separate
environmental research study.
Earth Search hopes to make the images taken during the missions available to the public on the Internet through Earth Search's
wholly owned subsidiary, TerraNet, Inc., and its www.general-imaging.com web site. Currently under development, TerraNet
is a direct-channel, multi-media imagery Internet supermarket offering detailed, objective and synoptic earth resource mapping
products.
Earth Search's Probe-1 advanced hyperspectral imaging instrument creates ultra high-resolution images of the earth's surface.
Analysis of these images can determine the presence of target minerals and hydrocarbons in geologic formations.
This news release includes forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some or all of which
may at times be beyond the control of the company. Thus, there can be no assurance that the forecasts will be achieved. Actual
results will vary from those forecasted and the variations may be material.
Contact:
Earth Search Sciences, Inc.
Media Contact: Scott Peyron, 208/388-3800
Investor Contact: Ken Danchuk, 250/712-0356 |
