In December we stopped in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium, now we travel to the other side of the world and check out The Float at Marina Bay in Singapore for this Pléiades 1 Stadium of the Month.

Name & Its Origin: While we cannot independently verify this, it would appear that the name, The Float at Marina Bay (usually seen The Float @ Marina Bay), pays homage to the fact that part of the stadium is floating on water (i.e. The Float); and that it is located in Singapore’s Marina Bay.

Location: The Float is literally located on (and also right next to) Marina Bay in its western appendage that is surrounded by the city-nation of Singapore. The stadium is in the Downtown Core which is a 657-acre planned neighborhood next to the central business district, and is home to many of the nation’s tallest buildings.

Stadium Capacity/Size, Architect & Build Date: The floating structure, and surrounding grandstands located on the shore close by, were designed by Singapore’s Defense Science and Technology Agency. They were built in just 13 months from March 2006 to April 2007. The floating stage structure is about the size of a soccer pitch at 120-meters by 83-meters (m). It was designed to hold 1,070 tons which is the equivalent of 9,000 people, 200 tons of stage equipment and three 30-ton vehicles. The surrounding grandstands hold 27,000 people.

Type of Field Surface: The Float is covered with an artificial turf system but no additional details could be found on its origin and/or installation technique.

Key Sports Teams: Unlikely the stadiums reviewed before The Float @ Marina Bay, there are no sports teams that play here, in fact it seems like it is not a commonly used structure.

A 50-cm color image of The Float @ Marina Bay in Singapore collected on October 1, 2014 by Pléiades 1B. To see this stadium in SPOT 6/7 1.5-meter resolution check out this month’s feature on SPOTMaps. This image has custom processing and color balancing applied by Apollo Mapping. © CNES 2015, Distribution Airbus Defense and Space / Spot Image S.A., France, all rights reserved.

Most Popular Yearly Event: The only event that seems to have been held yearly at The Float since it opened in 2007 is the National Day Parade. It hosted its eighth and likely last parade in 2015 as the event is set to return to the National Stadium once its renovations are completed. The stadium has also hosted various music events, at least one soccer match and is frequently used for Formula One preparations ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Fun Factoids: (1) The Float @ Marina Bay was first envisioned in 2004 by Colonel Teo Jing Siong as an iconic site for the National Day Parade given that Singapore’s skyline would serve as its backdrop. (2) The floating structure is made of 15 interlocking steel pontoons each 40-m x 16.6-m x 1.2-m. The pontoons are connected to the shore with three stabilized but removable bridges. And the entire floating structure is moored to the ground with six steel pylons buried 16 to 20-m into the seabed. (3) The floating stage is able to move with tides and waves as the pontoons surround the six pylons. The stage can move up and down in response to changes in water level as it contacts the six pylons with two large rubber rollers that can also roll up and down the steel surface. (4) It is unclear if the floating stage will be maintained after 2017 as that is when the current contract for the Singapore Grand Prix expires.

The Pléiades 1 High-Resolution Satellite Constellation

The Pléiades 1 constellation (or at least part of it!) has been in orbit since December 2011 and if you have not had a chance to check out any sample imagery, take a few moments and have a look at the gallery on our website. If you work with high resolution imagery, you should consider Pléiades 1 for your next geospatial project.

A variety of Pléiades 1 products are available from both a growing archive and as a new collection, including 50-centimeter (cm) pansharpened imagery and 50-cm panchromatic – 2-meter (m) 4-band multispectral bundles. We are happy to discuss the technical specifications, pricing and tasking options available with this satellite constellation.

Working with Pléiades 1 since the launch of the first twin satellite, P1A, we have noticed that:

• Airbus Defense and Space is able to deliver on their tasking feasibilities.

The Apollo Mapping sales team can answer any questions you might have about the high resolution satellite constellation, Pléiades 1. We can be reached anytime at (303) 993-3863 or sales@apollomapping.com.

More sample images and technical information about Pléiades 1A and 1B can be found on our website here.