Hellmut Schmid

Hellmut H. Schmid (12 September 1914 – 27 April 1998) was Professor of geodesy and photogrammetry on the ETH Zürich (Switzerland), where he emerited in 1985. In the 1950s, he worked on research projects of space exploration in the United States. Between 1968 and 1974, he promoted the first intercontinental network of satellite geodesy.

Not to be confused with Helmut Schmidt.

Focal points of his research in Europa

• Geodetic measurement methods at the V2 projekt in Peenemünde (~1942)
• Beginnings of satellite geodesy 1959
• Theory of analytical photogrammetry and matrix/IT developments (1950s, USA)
• High precision evaluation of photogram (ca. 1965-1978)
• Worldwide Satellite Triangulation Network (1969-1973 (publ. 1974): first regular intercontinental network, 46 stations (3000–5000 km apart), pioneering accuracy (±3m)
• Contributions to the method of least squares, network optimization, Block triangulation
• Optimization of coordinate transformations (~1975)
• Development of 3D intersection methods in analytical photogrammetry

See also

• PAGEOS, balloon satellites, stellar triangulation
• Global reference ellipsoid, "Earth polyhedron", geodetic system, WGS84
• ETH Zürich, Ohio State University, Friedrich Hopfner

Literature

• K.Ledersteger: "'Astronomische und Physikalische Geodäsie (Erdmessung)", JEK Vol.V (870 S., espec. §§ 2, 5, 13), J.B.Metzler, Stuttgart 1968
• H.H. Schmid: "Das Weltnetz der Satellitentriangulation". Wiss. Mitteilungen ETH Zürich and Journal of Geophysical Research, 1974.
• Klaus Schnädelbach et al.: Western European Satellite Triangulation Programme (WEST), 2nd Experimental Computation. Mitteilungen Geodät.Inst. Graz 11/1, Graz 1972
• Nothnagel, Schlüter, Seeger: Die Geschichte der geodätischen VLBI in Deutschland, Bonn 2000
• ZfV 1998: Hellmut H. Schmid † (obituary).