Optimization of the Earth Observation Upstream Segment through an Analysis of User Requirements at National Level

Abstract:

The use of data obtained from space missions has found several applications in the academic field and for the management of complex phenomena. The optimization of observational requirements should therefore be associated to a bottom-up approach involving national and international user communities. The evolution of the upstream sector and technological investment is in fact increasingly driven by user needs. To steer the offer of downstream services, producers shall identify the demand of users: such analysis is crucial for market uptake and the development of the next generation of earth observation products and services. This is the approach adopted by the Copernicus Market Place where downstream services represent an anchor tenancy for the new High Priority Sentinel Satellite Missions. In this context we have elicited the needs of the users communities for both optical and radar technologies. The user pool first identifies a list of key operational needs that can be fulfilled using satellite derived information under the different European Copernicus application domains. The methodology associates user operational needs to existing European and national legislation and prioritizes key technical requirements for the evolution of observational capacities. The survey includes information about spatial resolution, revisit time, geographical cover, type of bands, parameters, and type of existing algorithms or to be developed, for each application domain. Results of this interactive model characterize the sectors that will benefit the most from the use of radar and optical earth observation derived information. Moreover, through a gap analysis, we identify areas of investment for future satellite missions and for the optimization of the upstream sector given user driven downstream applications. The findings are validated through a case study assessing the vulnerability of the aquifers using both optical and radar data. This user driven approach can be applied at the reginal, national, and international scale depending on the market and services under consideration. The main outcome of this study has been the creation of a flexible and scalable international language to facilitate the alignment of service-oriented users’ needs with earth observation technology through a survey-based methodology.