U. S. Department of the Interior U. S. Geological Survey LDCM Landsat Data Continuity Mission UND Space Studies Colloquium Jon Christopherson Principal Engineer, SAIC USGS EROS Data Center

Introduction NASA and USGS partners for LDCM Now in Evaluation/Selection Phase Announcements have been delayed  Originally to have been May 2003  Now will be ??? This necessarily limits this presentation

U. S. Department of the Interior U. S. Geological Survey The Landsat Data Continuity Mission - Continuation of the Landsat Program Bruce K. Quirk and Raymond A. Byrnes - Presented by Jon B. Christopherson ASPRS Conference Technology: Converging at the Top of the World May 5-9, 2003 Anchorage, AK

Resolution Comparison 1 Kilometer Resolution Advanced Very-High Resolution Radiometer State and coast lines added for visual reference. Note: Hurricane Andrew (8/24/92) passing over Florida. *AVHRR imagery is provided by NOAA IKONOS imagery is provided by Space Imaging Inc. 30 Meter Resolution Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus 1 Meter Resolution IKONOS Panchromatic

1966 DOI Earth Resources Observation Systems Program initiated 1972 L1 launched (RBV/MSS) 1975 L2 launched (RBV/MSS) 1978 L3 launched (MSS) 1982 L4 launched (TM/MSS) 1984 L5 launched (TM/MSS) 1985 Commercial operator selected  Operate L4/5 & build/operate Landsat 6/ Commercial viability of L7 rejected 1992 Land Remote Sensing Policy Act  Commercial operation of L4/5/6  NASA/DOD to build/operate Landsat 7  Landsat Program Management (LPM) Team 1993 Landsat 6 launch failure (ETM) 1994 LPM redefined (NASA/NOAA/USGS) 1999 L7 launched (ETM+) on April LPM redefined (NASA/USGS) 2000 L7 Flight operations assumed by USGS 2001 L4/L5 returned to Govt.; L4 decommissioned years of global L7 data acquisitions Landsat Program History Thematic Mapper (TM) Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS)

Global mission Global archive Open data policy Govt. owned & operated Int. cooperators ETM+ 5 year mission Launched 4/15/99 Landsat 7 EO-1 LDCM Technology demo scenes Open data policy Govt. owned & operated Bridge mission ALI (ETM+ follow on) 1 year mission Launched 11/21/00 Global mission Global archive Open data policy Data buy Int. cooperators ALI+ (ALI follow on) 5 year mission + option Launch 2006 Landsat Evolution Landsat 5 Landsat 7 LDCM Projected end of Landsat 7 mission (2011) EO-1 Guesstimated end of Landsat 5 mission (2009)

Landsat Program Background The Landsat Program has continuously acquired synoptic images of the Earth’s land surfaces for 30 years DOI/USGS preserves this record in the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive and distributes public-domain data to users worldwide Landsat Program vision:  Acquire multispectral imagery affording global, synoptic, repetitive coverage of the Earth's land surfaces at a scale where natural and human- induced changes can be detected, characterized, and monitored over time

Rodeo-Chediski Wildfires Landsat 7 June 21, 2002 Landsat 5 June 29, 2002 Landsat 7 July 7, 2002 These images show the Rodeo fire, which began on June 18th, and the Chediski fire which began on June 20th. When they merged together, the combined Rodeo-Chediski fire became the largest wildfire in Arizona history. Together these wildfires have destroyed over 468,000 acres in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and Fort Apache reservation. 400 homes have been destroyed, and over 30,000 people have been evacuated. It has cost the state of Arizona more than $2 million a day, a total of over $32 million, to fight the Rodeo-Chediski fire. 10 km 10 miles

Landsat Program Background Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (P.L ) Directs Landsat Program Management (NASA/DOI) to study Landsat 7 successor options that:  “adequately serve the civilian, national security, commercial, and foreign policy interests of the United States”  “maintain data continuity with the Landsat system”  “incorporate system enhancements…” Lists four study options:  Private sector funding and management  International consortium  U.S. Government funding and management  U.S. Government-private sector cooperative effort

Landsat Program Background Commercial Space Act of 1998 (P.L ) Addresses “Promotion of Commercial Space Opportunities” including commercialization of Space Station, acquisition of space science data and Earth science data, and commercial launch services Directs NASA and other Federal agencies to “…acquire, where cost-effective…remote sensing data, services, distribution, and applications from commercial provider.” Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) was conceived as a bridge to true Government “scientific data buys” in the future

LDCM Background In June 1999, NASA and the USGS released a request for information (RFI) to private industry regarding plans to acquire Landsat-like data Results:  No respondent considered the commercial market for 30m data sufficient for private funding of a Landsat 7 follow-on system  No respondent had plans to develop a system to acquire 30m data  Respondents favored Government procurement of 30m data from a privately-owned system  Innovative funding strategies were suggested

LDCM Strategy NASA and the USGS intend to procure LDCM data from a privately-owned and privately-operated remote sensing system NASA and the USGS are implementing a two-phase procurement process based on an LDCM Data Specification and Data Policy  Phase I: Formulation  “Study phase” for various technical and trade studies  Two bidders selected for funding: Digital Globe and Resource 21 (DG and R21)  Culminated in preliminary system design  Phase II: Implementation  Selection of LDCM contractor through new round of proposals  Final design, fabrication, launch, and checkout  On-orbit data delivery

Procurement Strategy The procurement DOES NOT  Specify spacecraft, instrument(s), ground system, or operational concepts or designs  Require Government oversight  Require the Government to “take title” to the system  Require the Government to operate the system The procurement DOES  Specify data and its delivery to the Government’s archives  Establish a policy for the distribution of LDCM data products  Specify March 2007 start date for 5 years of operational data delivery (plus 5-year option)  Require Government insight and data validation  Encourage commercial approaches for servicing the International Cooperator market  Facilitate sharing of cost, risk, and rewards in a Government- private sector cooperative effort

LDCM Data LDCM data are described by the LDCM Data Specification  Specifies the quantity and qualities of the LDCM data to be procured by the Government (radiometry, geometry, products, bands, resolution)  Specifies seasonal coverage of global land surfaces  16 day repeat coverage required for U.S.  250 global scenes per day (average) to an active archive at the USGS EROS Data Center Addition of a Coastal / Aerosol band (.443  m and 30m GSD) and Cirrus band (1.33  m or 1.88  m and 120m GSD) No Thermal Infrared bands included Unenhanced data products to be derived and distributed by the USGS from the LDCM data in the active archive

Landsat 7 vs. LDCM Band Comparison Wavelength in Micrometers (µm) Pan Band ( ) Sharpening ( ) Coastal ( ) Band 1 ( ) Blue ( ) Band 2 ( ) Green ( ) Band 3 ( ) Red ( ) Band 4 ( ) NIR ( ) Band 5 ( ) SWIR 1 ( ) Band 7 ( ) SWIR 2 ( ) Cirrus ( ) or ( ) Visible Light Band 6 (10.4 – 12.5) Landsat 7 LDCM

Draft Data Policy Similar to Landsat 7 data policy  Ensures non-discriminatory access to Level 1 data products derived from Government-procured LDCM data  No restrictions on the use, resale, distribution or sharing of LDCM data products  Timely delivery  Data product pricing is critical issue; striving towards $50/scene products Distribution of Level 0 data products may be restricted Protects LDCM contractor’s commercial rights to data exceeding quantity or specifications of the procured LDCM data. Government will not restrict:  Value-added products derived from LDCM data  Marketing of data acquired and generated in excess of Government data buy

“Native” Sensor Data (high resolution, extra commercial bands, etc.) Derived LDCM Data USGS/EDC LDCM Contractor End Users, Value Added Resellers, Int’l Cooperators Commercial and Value Added LDCM Products (All Rights Reserved) LDCM L1 Data Products (Public Domain: No Rights Reserved) All Sensor Data 250 Scenes Per Day LDCM Data Policy

DigitalGlobe Overview Business Approach  Complements existing QuickBird hi-res business l Wide-area coverage, frequent revisits & additional spectral bands  Augments QuickBird and SPOT in supporting world-wide agricultural market l Also supports environmental monitoring, disaster relief, etc. Space Segment Overview  “M5” system l 4 satellite constellation  Multispectral l 7.5m resolution – Off-nadir capability l 185km swath width  Constellation operational Q Team Syst e m Concept DigitalGlobe M5 Satellite Concept

Resource21 Overview Space Segment Overview  1 or more satellites  Multispectral l 5+ bands l 10m/20m resolution  International Cooperator support Team Mississippi CPF Fairbanks RGT Bangor RGT EDC Kent, WA BCCF System Concept Business Approach Central Processing Facility DEALER GROWER Complementary Markets (Government and other Customers) Multi- spectral Satellites Blue Green Red NIR SWIR Other Data Collection Data Download Information Products to Customers

Two Step Procurement Formulation Implementation RFP Digital Globe Implementation Contractor Resource 21 RFP TBD 3 rd Party ?

LDCM Schedule Formulation Phase Contracts Awarded March 2002 Preliminary Design Reviews Due November 2002 Implementation Phase RFP Release December 2002  Preceded by a draft release Oct Implementation Phase Proposals Due February 2003 Implementation Phase Award June 2003 Satellite Launch Late 2006 LDCM Data Delivery Begins March 2007

Summary LDCM is on schedule for a late 2006 launch Selected Resource21 and DigitalGlobe for Formulation Phase Reviewing Implementation Phase proposals For detailed information and reference documents, see:

U. S. Department of the Interior U. S. Geological Survey End of “Official” Presentation Now some questions……

What Does the Gov’t Want? Solicitation Objectives: 1. Implement a process to acquire Landsat compatible data and produce products required to meet the research and operational needs of the Government. 2. Reduce the Government’s cost and risk by partnering 3. Encourage the expansion of the remote sensing industry 4. Fulfill these objectives through the Government’s procurement from an Industry-owned system

Criteria (In decreasing importance:) Mission Suitability > Price > Past Performance The price factor is significantly less important that the combined importance of the Mission Suitability Factor and the Past Performance Factor. As individual Factors, the Price Factor is less important that the Mission Suitability Factor but more important than the Past Performance Factor.

Risks Upside:  Each side “shares” risk?  Contractor can get insurance, i.e. risk mitigation for both sides? Downsides  Now gov’t has to deal with business risk – not just technical risk  (Will the company be there?)

The “Hard Questions” Is it “Continuity”?  Missing/changed/added spectral bands  Perhaps it is “continuity”, although not perfect “fidelity” Can both sides benefit?  Will gov’t (i.e. constituents) get all the data wanted?  Will Business still have profit potential?  How closely can they work together?

The International Scene Landsat has a

The International Scene Landsat has a huge network of International Cooperators (ICs) A long-lived partnership in space since 1972! LDCM very noncommittal on ICs  Will gov’t abandon this long-running international relations coup?  Will industry support it?

Is There a Market? Market has never been there for 30m data, still not there.  But that’s what the gov’t wants Both formulation phase vendors proposed significant technological advances to improve data marketability.  Those technical advances increase complexity, add technical challenges, increase costs and raise risks.

The Big Question: Will the Landsat Mission ever find a home?  Or will it forever be a “nomad” mission?

Answers? USGS Director and NASA Administrator for Earth Science to meet soon  (Delayed by Isabela) Decision coming soon? Stay tuned….

Questions?