1. WGISS-24, DLR, 16 October 2007, CNES/J.P.Antikidis A Roadmap for WGISS support to Land Surface Imaging Constellation jean-pierre.antikidis@cnes.fr WGISS-24, DLR jean-pierre.antikidis@cnes.fr Constellation definitions and reminders WGISS to help Virtual Constellation creations Some potential avenues A vision or future Further works

2. Constellations definitions and reminders Real Constellations Create a set of satellites missions carrying a set of coordinated instruments. Can be managed by one operator or be organized as a co-ordinated definition of satellites to be launched, This has been achieved for example in the Meteo domain with the co-ordinated definition of Geostationany Met satellites in the 70s (eg: GOES,METEOSAT,JMS). Virtual Constellation: Virtual Constellation: Can we recreate out of a set of heterogeneous satellites systems the equivalent of the information that could derive from a constellation of satellites having the same technical characteristiccThis was far to be up to now an easy to reach possibility for three main reasons: - Number of existing satellites to be combined was rather limited (Landsat, Spot, IRS, AVHRR were among the few available some 10 years ago) - Processing capabilities while steadily increasing was still not that cheap and the quantity of information to be digested quite high - Unification and standards were not much mature and most of the time associated to a given satellite series (eg: Landsat and SPOT reference projections were not equivalent)

3. Recommendations from the GEO TASK AG-07-03 Community of Practice (extract) Image: NASA, ASTER Science Team Minnesota Kansas Germany Bolivia Thailand Brazil Future EO systems/data continuity Data Integration Data Standards/Quality Data Policy/Dissemination agricultural monitoring famine early warning Food security

4. WGISS-24, DLR, 16 October 2007, CNES/J.P.Antikidis Secure operational status for fine resolution sensing systems (10m-50m) extending the 35 years of dynamic data continuity from Landsat and SPOT Develop and implement within the next 5 to 10 years the next generation of fine resolution sensing systems, to provide an integrated system, acquiring and providing global coverage of 10m cloud free imagery every 5-10 days Put in place systems to provide moderate resolution data (1km-250m) delivery in near real time or at a minimum within 24 hours of acquisition Development of an international moderate (30m) resolution data initiative, providing a global data set for the 2009-2011 period, from the available international assets. Encourage a reduction in price of very fine resolution (1m-10m) data especially for targeting agricultural lands in regions where food security is a priority issue Help minimize delays in data access, foster wide spatial and temporal data availability of data, promote data sharing and collaboration, and enable integration of earth observations and in situ data SYSTEM RECOMMENDATIONS (GEO TASK AG-07-03 )

5. WGISS-24, DLR, 16 October 2007, CNES/J.P.Antikidis It is recommended that CEOS WGISS provide guidance on: =>> The necessary acquisition strategy, =>> Metadata standards and product interoperability and availability =>> Coordinate with CEOS WGISS for moderate/fine resolution data exchange protocols and metadata standards DATA INTEGRATION RECOMMENDATIONS (GEO TASK AG-07-03 )

6. Any future for virtual constellations ? Is the Virtual Constellation concept a way to bridge the advent of real constellations by first making use of the existing expensive flying hardware while trying to get the best of it? OR Is it a process that could constitute a long term and clever way to maximise the use of satellites to come? -Should any thematic require a comprehensible set of continuous information for which a real constellation is needed this will automatically multiply the number of needed satellites by several orders of magnitude and we all know the financial limitations we will have then to face. -Should any thematic require a comprehensible set of continuous information for which a real constellation is needed this will automatically multiply the number of needed satellites by several orders of magnitude and we all know the financial limitations we will have then to face. -A given satellite can exhibit properties that can be used for he benefit of several thematic not belonging he the same constellation definition. Creating virtual constellations is also a way to de-multiply the richness of a given satellite onto several constellation thematic (e.g.: Landsat serving land application as well as atmosphere research etc..) -A given satellite can exhibit properties that can be used for he benefit of several thematic not belonging he the same constellation definition. Creating virtual constellations is also a way to de-multiply the richness of a given satellite onto several constellation thematic (e.g.: Landsat serving land application as well as atmosphere research etc..) A new given thematic may appear needing a new constellation. This could be achieved ad be tested much quicker by having a virtual product (constellation) be produced out of existing means A new given thematic may appear needing a new constellation. This could be achieved ad be tested much quicker by having a virtual product (constellation) be produced out of existing means

7. Role of WGISS in LSI Constellation WGISS has been given a mandate to give support and its role need some first comment: WGISS is by essence an advisory body not supposed to operate any satellite of its own which mean it cannot put into force any of the recommended actions WGISS is by essence an advisory body not supposed to operate any satellite of its own which mean it cannot put into force any of the recommended actions WGISS expertise is System and Services and not specifically connected to legal or administrative rules definitions WGISS expertise is System and Services and not specifically connected to legal or administrative rules definitions => But WGISS is the right body to investigate on promising and low cost solutions to Virtual Constellations creation while sugesting appropriate specifications. Basic logic is to start and live with existing or soon to come Land Satellites systems while trying to use them as a virtual constellation. This is possible in case we can derive from different satellites the same product and consider it as generated by a virtual satellite constellation.

8. WGISS-24, DLR, 16 October 2007, CNES/J.P.Antikidis Payload processing Thematic application Theme 1 Theme 2Theme 3 …….. Real Constellation

9. Virtual constellation by final products standardisation (LSI) (Thematic standards) In such a case the merging of all of the satellite information is achieved by creating a common template for a given user product (e.g.: vegetation index). This implies a clear definition of the needed product(s) and a set of agreements to be reached in between the many involved satellite operators. Involved operational cost can be significant since any agency has to create a relevant operational service associated to a given product. The proposed FCDR (climate record) is a typical scenario of such an approach

10. WGISS-24, DLR, 16 October 2007, CNES/J.P.Antikidis (Theme 1) Agency commitment Virtual Thematic Constellation

11. Virtual Constellation by original product standardisation (Engineering standards) This situation is to some extend connected to the specificity of the Land Imaging paradigm in which most of the information can be described as physical measurement of the Earth emission in different wavelength (even by active illumination as in radar based systems) with a given ground resolution and identified spectral channels. Instead of trying to harmonize final products, could be interesting to analyse how one may create a pseudo constellation providing standardised measurements. Any user may then apply any process of his own while the same original data set could be used for an infinite number of applications. To some extend this is the way Google-Earth works by patching together a large number of different sources, while users just mash-up their application on a Virtual Google planet. => Need a common effort with WGCV since reference products need to be standardised in geometry as well as radiometry

12. The Google -like approach Construct by ground process a product having standardized characteristics and joining the resulting images sets in a unified set of information equivalent to the one that would have been produced by the given virtual constellation. Many different "virtual constellations" having different performances and properties can be created (since only a matter of ground process) so to experience their properties some form of simulator can be created. Resulting products will never be perfect but could easily improve versus time.

13. WGISS-24, DLR, 16 October 2007, CNES/J.P.Antikidis Data emulation Virtual LSI satellites data Constellation Theme 1Theme 2 …

14. Longer term : Intelligent agent use Even by choosing the Google-like approach the effort required rom each of the participating agencies can be rather substantial. A promising approach would be to create "background taks able to continuously browse into existing archives and continuously creating the needed constellation product. Looks a like the "Virus" principle (not supposed to reproduce or propagate) but working in the background without need for much human intervention. This may allow rather simplified and automated way to create "Virtual Constellation" and make them sustainable (even on the long term)

15. WGISS-24, DLR, 16 October 2007, CNES/J.P.Antikidis Virtual constellation Intelligent agent Virtual LSI satellites Constellation creation by background agent Automated archive browse and background transcoding

16. LSI Constellation WGISS work avenues At the occasion of WGISS24 following suggestions are made for the sake of a WGISS roadmap in support to the GEO endeavour and could constitute the kernel of WGISS specific support say: i)Clear definition of each of the 4 here-above described approaches (may be others) and their suitability to CEOS-LSI plans ii)Analysis of the main technical issues and operational consequences allowed by newly introduced WGISS technologies applied to LSI (Connection with WGCV, simulation tools dvt ?) =>Possible prototyping of demonstration case (not thematic like FCDR but generic to Land applications) => Introduction of new concept able to ease and speed up practical implementation of a LSI virtual Constellation. => Evaluation of possible prototyping or demonstration illustrating the possible approaches and their consequences in term of cost and effort (WGISS team to report to LSI team) => Cross-analysis of induced proposals with agencies view (report to LSI team and CEOS/GEO under Martha & Bryan umbrella)

17. Synthesis Virtual Constellations may become common use in the years to come and may save enormous expenses to the price of rather complex ground operations. Virtual Constellations may become common use in the years to come and may save enormous expenses to the price of rather complex ground operations. WGISS work may become very effective by sugesting easy solutions minimizing the operational burden on paticipating agencies. WGISS work may become very effective by sugesting easy solutions minimizing the operational burden on paticipating agencies. The LSI case is quite favorable since allowing rather automated solutions The LSI case is quite favorable since allowing rather automated solutions A close coordination in-between WGISS and WGCV in view of sharing the same "vision" is to be encouraged A close coordination in-between WGISS and WGCV in view of sharing the same "vision" is to be encouraged This may require: Analyis of potential virtual constellation definition (simulator ?) Analyis of potential virtual constellation definition (simulator ?) Experimenting on translating software modules suited to a given set of satellites Experimenting on translating software modules suited to a given set of satellites Showing the possibility to create virtual world mosaics Showing the possibility to create virtual world mosaicsQuestions: Room for a WGISS LSI task team ? Room for a WGISS LSI task team ? Any-one is most welcome to join Any-one is most welcome to join Thanks to Martha, Brian Bailey, S.Ward for theit most useful help preparing this material