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  • All Categories (17)
  • Data (4)
  • News (7)
  • Missions (1)
  • Events (4)
  • Campaigns (1)
  • News - Events and Proceedings

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    Celebrating ESA’s first small satellite with science success

    Scientists and data users gathered at a special workshop to celebrate the end of PROBA-1’s CHRIS sensor and discuss the results of this overachieving mission.

  • News - Success Stories

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    Commercial and international data for fire monitoring

    As climate change sparks a surge in the frequency and intensity of wildfires, satellite data disseminated through ESA’s Third Party Missions (TPM) programme are helping scientists to track and investigate these potentially damaging natural events.

  • News - Thematic area articles

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    Global understanding of Earth's land surfaces greatly boosted by satellite data

    ESA perform land surface monitoring with a range of instruments onboard satellites acquiring optical and radar data. Collections of data from these missions are freely available for research purposes.

  • News - Infographics

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    The COSMO-SkyMed series - Two generations of SAR satellites

    Learn about the COSMO-SkyMed (Constellation of small Satellites for the Mediterranean basin Observation) series in our latest infographic.

  • News - Thematic area articles

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    Space helps monitor Earth’s changing biosphere

    Earth’s biosphere is continually changing. Through its pioneering Earth observation missions, ESA is making critical contributions to monitor these changes and their impacts on Earth’s water and carbon cycles.

  • News - Infographics

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    PROBA-1 - From technology demonstration to long-term Earth observation

    Learn about ESA's PROBA-1 (Project for On-Board Autonomy) mission in our new infographic.

  • News - Thematic area articles

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    Satellite data boost global understanding of land surface

    Understanding our changing land surface is essential in the study of climate change. Satellites are used to monitor changes to the material that covers Earth’s surface, so-called land cover, such as vegetation and water.

  • Data - Data Description

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    PROBA-1 CHRIS Level 1A

    CHRIS acquired a set of up to five images of each target during each acquisition sequence, these images were acquired when PROBA-1 was pointing at distinct angles with respect to the target. CHRIS Level 1A products (supplied in HDF data files, version 4.1r3) include five formal CHRIS imaging modes, classified as modes 1 to 5: Mode Name Swath Spectral Bands/Ground Resolution Mode 1 Aerosols 13 km 62 at 34 m (773 nm / 1036 nm) Mode 2 Water bands 13 km 18 at 18 m Mode 3 Land channels 13 km 18 at 18 m Mode 4 Chlorophyll band set 13 km 18 at 18 m Mode 5 Land channels 6.5 km 37 at 18 m Spatial coverage: Check the spatial coverage of the collection on a map available on the Third Party Missions Dissemination Service.

  • Data - Data Description

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    PROBA-1 HRC

    The HRC Level 1A product is an image with a pixel resolution of 8m. The data are grey scale images, an image contains 1026 x 1026 pixels and covers an area of 25 km2. HRC data is supplied in BMP format. All PROBA-1 passes are systematically acquired according to the current acquisition plan, HRC data are processed every day to Level 1A and made available to ESA users. Spatial coverage: Check the spatial coverage of the collection on a map available on the Third Party Missions Dissemination Service.

  • Data - Project Proposal (Restrained)

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    COSMO-SkyMed full archive and tasking

    The archive and new tasking X-band SAR products are available from COSMO-Skymed (CSK) and COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) missions in ScanSAR and Stripmap modes, right and left looking acquisition (20 to 60° incidence angle). COSMO-SkyMed modes: Acquisition Mode Single look Resolution [Az. X. Rg, SCS] (m) Scene size [Az. X. Rg] (km) Polarisation Scene duration (seconds) Number of looks Multilook resolution (m) Geolocation accuracy ±3 s (m) [DGM, GEC, GTC] Stripmap Himage 2.6 x 3 40 x 40 Single: HH, HV, VH, VV 7 3 5 25 Stripmap PingPong 9.7 x 11 30 x 30 Alternate: HH/VV, HH/HV, VV/VH 6 3 20 25 ScanSAR Wide 23 x 13.5 100 x 100 Single: HH, HV, VH, VV 15 4 - 9 30 30 ScanSAR Huge 38 x 13.5 200 x 200 Single: HH, HV, VH, VV 30 25 - 66 100 100 COSMO-Skymed Second Generation Modes: Acquisition Mode Single look Resolution [Az. X. Rg, SCS] (m) Scene size [Az. X. Rg] (km) Polarisation Scene duration (seconds) Number of looks Multilook resolution (m) Geolocation accuracy ±3σ (m) [DGM, GEC, GTC] Stripmap 3 x 3 40 x 40 Single (HH, VV, HV, VH) or Dual (HH+HV, VV+VH) 7 2 x 2 4 x 4 6 x 7 11 x 14 3.75 Stripmap PingPong 12 x 5 30 x 30 Alternate (HH/VV, HH/HV+VV/VH) 6 1 x 2 2 x 5 12 x 10 23 x 26 12 QuadPol 3 x 3 40 x 15 Quad (HH+HV+VV+VH) N/A 2 x 2 4 x 4 6 x 7 11 x 14 3.75 ScanSAR 1 20 x 4 100 x 100 Single (HH, VV, HV, VH) or Dual (HH+HV, VV+VH) 15 1 x 3 1 x 5 2 x 8 20 x 14 23 x 27 35 x 40 12 ScanSAR 2 40 x 6 200 x 200 Single (HH, VV, HV, VH) or Dual (HH+HV, VV+VH) 30 1 x 4 1 x 7 3 x 16 40 x 27 47 x 54 115 x 135 12 Following Processing Levels are available, for both CSK and CSG: SCS (Level 1A, Single-look Complex Slant): Data in complex format, in slant range projection (the sensor's natural acquisition projection) and zero doppler projection, weighted and radiometrically equalised; the coverage corresponds to the full resolution area illuminated by the SAR instrument DGM (Level 1B, Detected Ground Multi-look): Product obtained detecting, multi-looking and projecting the Single-look Complex Slant data onto a grid regular in ground: it contains focused data, amplitude detected, optionally despeckled by multi-looking approach, radiometrically equalised and represented in ground/azimuth projection GEC (Level 1C, Geocoded Ellipsoid Corrected): Focused data, amplitude detected, optionally despeckled by multi-looking approach, geolocated on the reference ellipsoid and represented in a uniform preselected cartographic presentation. Any geometric correction derived by usage of terrain model isn't applied to this product by default GTC (Level 1D, Geocoded Terrain Corrected): Focused data, fully calibrated with the usage of terrain model, amplitude detected, optionally despeckled by multi-looking approach, geolocated on a DEM and represented in a uniform preselected cartographic presentation. The image scene is located and accurately rectified onto a map projection, through the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM); it differs from GEC for the use of the DEM (instead of reference ellipsoid) for the accurate conversion from slant to ground range and to approximate the real earth surface. The list of available data can be retrieved using the CLEOS COSMO-SkyMed products catalogue. User registration is required to use the catalogue. As per ESA policy, very high-resolution data over conflict areas cannot be provided.

  • Data - Project Proposal (Restrained)

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    COSMO-SkyMed ESA archive

    The COSMO-SkyMed archive collection consists of COSMO-SkyMed products requested by ESA supported projects over their areas of interest around the world. The dataset regularly grows as ESA collects new products over the years. The following list delineates the characteristics of the SAR measurement modes that are disseminated under ESA Third Party Missions (TPM). STRIPMAP HIMAGE (HIM): Achieving medium resolution (3 m x 3 m single look), wide swath imaging (swath extension ≥40 km). STRIPMAP PINGPONG (SPP): Achieving medium resolution (15 m), medium swath imaging (swath ≥30 km) with two radar polarization's selectable among HH, HV, VH and VV. SCANSAR WIDE (SCW): Achieving radar imaging with swath extension of 100 x 100 km2 and a spatial resolution of 30 x 30 m2. SCANSAR HUGE (SCH): Achieving radar imaging with swath extension of 200 x 200 km2 and a spatial resolution selectable of 100 x 100 m2. Processing Levels: Level 1A - Single-look Complex Slant - (SCSB and SCSU): RAW data focused in slant range-azimuth projection, that is the sensor natural acquisition projection; product contains In-Phase and Quadrature of the focused data, weighted and radiometrically equalised.The processing of the 1A_SCSU product differs from that of the 1A_SCSB product for the following features:a non-weighted processing is performed, which means that windowing isn't applied on the processed bandwidth; radiometric equalisation (in terms of compensation of the range antenna pattern and incidence angle) is not performed; hence only compensation of the antenna transmitter gain and receiver attenuation and range spreading loss is applied. Level 1B - Detected Ground Multi-look (DGM): Product obtained detecting, multi-looking and projecting the Single-look Complex Slant data onto a grid regular in ground. Spotlight Mode products are not multi-looked. Level 1C - Geocoded Ellipsoid Corrected (GEC) and Level 1D - Geocoded Terrain Corrected (GTC): Obtained projecting the Level 1A product onto a regular grid in a chosen cartographic reference system. In case of Lev 1C the surface is the earth ellipsoid while for the Lev 1D a DEM (Digital Elevation Model) is used to approximate the real earth surface. Spatial coverage: Check the spatial coverage of the collection on a map available on the Third Party Missions Dissemination Service. As per ESA policy, very high-resolution data over conflict areas cannot be provided.

  • Mission - Third Party Missions

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    PROBA-1

    PROBA-1 is a technology demonstration satellite that later became an operational Earth observation mission.

  • Campaign

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    SPARC

    ESA's SPectra bARrax Campaign (SPARC) activity was part of the preparatory study for a proposed ESA Earth Explorer mission called SPECTRA. The objective was to collect a CHRIS/PROBA reference dataset for SPECTRA-related studies.

  • Event - Workshop

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    POLinSAR 2019

    ESA organised POLinSAR 2019, the 9th International Workshop on Science and Applications of SAR Polarimetry and Polarimetric Interferometry.

  • Event - Meeting

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    VH-RODA and CEOS SAR workshop

    The workshop provided an open forum for the presentation and discussion of current status and future developments related to the calibration and validation of space borne very high-resolution SAR and optical sensors and data products.

  • Event - Workshop

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    4th CHRIS PROBA Workshop

    Workshop on the treatment of Compact High Resolution Images Spectrometer (CHRIS) data.

  • Event - Workshop

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    2nd CHRIS PROBA Workshop

    This 2004 workshop was on the treatment of Compact High Resolution Images Spectrometer (CHRIS) data.