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  • All Categories (24)
  • Data (2)
  • News (16)
  • Missions (1)
  • Events (3)
  • Activities (2)
  • News - Events and Proceedings

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    Featuring the power of Earth observation data at EGU

    The European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2024 brings together geoscientists from all over the world, aiming to provide a forum where scientists and early career researchers can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts, in all fields of geoscience.

  • News - Thematic area articles

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    How to use space data to probe humankind’s ancient past

    Data disseminated by ESA’s Third Party Missions (TPM) programme are enabling archaeological investigations that could help to unravel the mysteries of past societies and cultures.

  • News - Infographics

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    Overview of the Aeolus Level-1B wind product

    Learn about the Aeolus Level-1B wind product, which supports applications for the weather, atmospheric processes and climate research, in our latest infographic.

  • News - Success Stories

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    TPM data help advance plastic litter detection from space

    Several innovative ESA Discovery element projects exploring remote sensing of plastic marine litter lean on commercial satellite data disseminated via the Agency’s Third Party Mission programme.

  • News - Thematic area articles

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    Remote sensing data map impacts of natural hazards

    As climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters, remote sensing data can warn about extreme events and help tackle emergency situations.

  • News - Spotlight on EO community

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    An overview of the Aeolus mission

    In this overview video, ESA's mission manager, Tommaso Parrinello, describes the successes and challenges of this amazing mission, whose impacts will live long beyond its lifetime in space.

  • News - Thematic area articles

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    Satellites investigate Earth’s terrestrial hydrosphere

    ESA’s Earth observation satellites are playing a leading role in furthering our understanding of how Earth’s water cycle is being influenced by humankind.

  • News - Thematic area articles

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    How satellite data help to shape society

    Data from ESA’s Earth observation archives are improving understanding of the interactions between human activities and the environment, helping to power green economic development and boosting prosperity in Europe and beyond.

  • Event - Conference

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    Living Planet Symposium 2022

    Learn about the 2022 edition of ESA's Living Planet Symposium.

  • News - Data Release news

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    Two new ESA archive collections have been opened for PlanetScope and SkySat

    PlanetScope ESA archive and SkySat ESA archive collections are available through ESA’s Third Party Missions programme via Fast Approval Registration.

  • News - Data Release news

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    PlanetScope and Skysat data available through ESA’s Third Party Missions Programme

    Through ESA’s Third Party Missions Programme, researchers, scientists and companies from around the world can apply to access Planet’s high-frequency, high-resolution satellite data for non-commercial use.

  • News - Success Stories

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    Predicting crop yield using Planet data

    The world’s population continues to grow, while the climate crisis is raising Earth’s temperatures and increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events – all of which affect food security.

  • News - Infographics

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    PlanetScope and SkySat - The high-resolution nanosatellite constellation

    Find out more about the PlanetScope and SkySat missions in our new infographic.

  • News - Success Stories

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    New open-source Python library improves rapid mapping services

    In emergency services, rapid response is paramount. ICube-SERTIT’s Rapid Mapping Service provides near real-time delivery of geo-information to help emergency services respond quickly to disasters such as flooding, fires and landslides. A new Python open-source library, called EOReader, speeds up this mapping response by enabling the easy opening of imagery from multiple satellite sensors, both optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

  • Activity - Projects

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    Dragon 2 Cooperation Programme

    The Dragon 2 Programme focussed on the exploitation of ESA, ESA's Third Party Missions and Chinese Earth observation data for science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications.

  • Event - Workshop

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    Space and the Arctic 2009 Workshop

    Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at an unprecedented rate. This workshop looked at the needs and challenges of working and living in the rapidly changing Arctic and explore how space-based services might help to meet those needs.

  • News - Infographics

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    An overview of ESA's Third Party Missions programme

    ESA’s Third Party Missions programme consists of almost 50 satellite missions, which are owned by organisations around the world. ESA has agreements with these organisations to acquire, process, and distribute data from their missions

  • Activity - General activities

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    EO Science for Society

    ESA's Earth Observation Science for Society programme aims to promote scientific exploitation of satellite data, forges new scientific discoveries and pioneers new services, stimulating downstream industrial and economic growth.

  • Data - Announcement of Opportunity (Restrained)

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    Announcement of Opportunity for Aeolus Cal/Val

    An Announcement of Opportunity call is open for the Aeolus mission. Scientists, new groups and individuals are invited to participate in Aeolus Cal/Val throughout the mission lifetime.

  • Data - Fast Registration with approval (Restrained)

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    PlanetScope Full Archive

    The PlanetScope Level 1B Basic Scene and Level 3B Ortho Scene full archive products are available as part of Planet imagery offer. The Unrectified Asset: PlanetScope Basic Analytic Radiance (TOAR) product is a Scaled Top of Atmosphere Radiance (at sensor) and sensor corrected product, without correction for any geometric distortions inherent in the imaging processes and is not mapped to a cartographic projection. The imagery data is accompanied by Rational Polynomial Coefficients (RPCs) to enable orthorectification by the user. This kind of product is designed for users with advanced image processing and geometric correction capabilities. Basic Scene Product Components and Format Product Components Image File (GeoTIFF format) Metadata File (XML format) Rational Polynomial Coefficients (XML format) Thumbnail File (GeoTIFF format) Unusable Data Mask UDM File (GeoTIFF format) Usable Data Mask UDM2 File (GeoTIFF format) Bands 4-band multispectral image (blue, green, red, near-infrared) or 8-band (coastal-blue, blue, green I, green, yellow, red, Rededge, near-infrared) Ground Sampling Distance Approximate, satellite altitude dependent Dove-C: 3.0 m-4.1 m Dove-R: 3.0 m-4.1 m SuperDove: 3.7 m-4.2 m Accuracy <10 m RMSE The Rectified assets: The PlanetScope Ortho Scene product is radiometrically-, sensor- and geometrically- corrected and is projected to a UTM/WGS84 cartographic map projection. The geometric correction uses fine Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) with a post spacing of between 30 and 90 metres. Ortho Scene Product Components and Format Product Components Image File (GeoTIFF format) Metadata File (XML format) Thumbnail File (GeoTIFF format) Unusable Data Mask UDM File (GeoTIFF format) Usable Data Mask UDM2 File (GeoTIFF format) Bands 3-band natural colour (red, green, blue) or 4-band multispectral image (blue, green, red, near-infrared) or 8-band (coastal-blue, blue, green I, green, yellow, red, RedEdge, near-infrared) Ground Sampling Distance Approximate, satellite altitude dependent Dove-C: 3.0 m-4.1 m Dove-R: 3.0 m-4.1 m SuperDove: 3.7 m-4.2 m Projection UTM WGS84 Accuracy <10 m RMSE PlanetScope Ortho Scene product is available in the following: PlanetScope Visual Ortho Scene product is orthorectified and colour-corrected (using a colour curve) 3-band RGB Imagery. This correction attempts to optimise colours as seen by the human eye providing images as they would look if viewed from the perspective of the satellite. PlanetScope Surface Reflectance product is orthorectified, 4-band BGRN or 8-band Coastal Blue, Blue, Green I, Green, Yellow, Red, RedEdge, NIR Imagery with geometric, radiometric and corrected for surface reflection. This data is optimal for value-added image processing such as land cover classifications. PlanetScope Analytic Ortho Scene Surface Reflectance product is orthorectified, 4-band BGRN or 8-band Coastal Blue, Blue, Green I, Green, Yellow, Red, RedEdge, NIR Imagery with geometric, radiometric and calibrated to top of atmosphere radiance. As per ESA policy, very high-resolution imagery of conflict areas cannot be provided.