Coordination within the remote sensing payload on the Solar Orbiter mission

Context. To meet the scientific objectives of the mission, the Solar Orbiter spacecraft carries a suite of in-situ (IS) and remote sensing (RS) instruments designed for joint operations with inter-instrument communication capabilities. Indeed, previous missions have shown that the Sun (imaged by the RS instruments) and the heliosphere (mainly sampled by the IS instruments) should be considered as an integrated system rather than separate entities. Many of the advances expected from Solar Orbiter rely on this synergistic approach between IS and RS measurements. Aims. Many aspects of hardware development, integration, testing, and operations are common to two or more RS instruments. In this paper, we describe the coordination effort initiated from the early mission phases by the Remote Sensing Working Group. We review the scientific goals and challenges, and give an overview of the technical solutions devised to successfully operate these instruments together. Methods. A major constraint for the RS instruments is the limited telemetry (TM) bandwidth of the Solar Orbiter deep-space mission compared to missions in Earth orbit. Hence, many of the strategies developed to maximise the scientific return from these instruments revolve around the optimisation of TM usage, relying for example on onboard autonomy for data processing, compression, and selection for downlink. The planning process itself has been optimised to alleviate the dynamic nature of the targets, and an inter-instrument communication scheme has been implemented which can be used to autonomously alter the observing modes. We also outline the plans for in-flight cross-calibration, which will be essential to the joint data reduction and analysis. Results. The RS instrument package on Solar Orbiter will carry out comprehensive measurements from the solar interior to the inner heliosphere. Thanks to the close coordination between the instrument teams and the European Space Agency, several challenges specific to the RS suite were identified and addressed in a timely manner.

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Prisma: A New Space Mission For Stellar Physics

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100018960 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 137 ◽

pp. 812-819

Author(s):

T. Appourchaux ◽

D. Gough ◽

P. Hyoyng ◽

C. Catala ◽

S. Frandsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Space Agency ◽

Real Space ◽

Space Mission ◽

Economic Conditions ◽

X Ray ◽

Space Agency ◽

New Space

PRISMA (Probing Rotation and Interior of Stars: Microvariability and Activity) is a new space mission of the European Space Agency. PRISMA is currently in a Phase A study with 3 other competitors. PRISMA is the only ESA-only mission amongst those four and only one mission will be selected in Spring 1993 to become a real space mission.The goal of the Phase A study is to determine whether the payload of PRISMA can be accommodated on a second unit of the X-ray Multi-Mirror (XMM) bus; and whether the budget of the PRISMA mission can be kept below 265 MAU (’88 Economic conditions). The XMM mission is an approved cornerstone and is in a Phase A together with PRISMA.

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On the Use of Tri-Stereo Pleiades Images for the Morphometric Measurement of Dolines in the Basaltic Plateau of Azrou (Middle Atlas, Morocco)

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13204087 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (20) ◽

pp. 4087

Author(s):

Maria Teresa Melis ◽

Luca Pisani ◽

Jo De Waele

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Satellite Image ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Morphometric Study ◽

Stereo Images ◽

Space Agency ◽

Middle Atlas ◽

Mapping Techniques ◽

Remote Sensing Techniques ◽

Basaltic Plateau

Hundreds of large and deep collapse dolines dot the surface of the Quaternary basaltic plateau of Azrou, in the Middle Atlas of Morocco. In the absence of detailed topographic maps, the morphometric study of such a large number of features requires the use of remote sensing techniques. We present the processing, extraction, and validation of depth measurements of 89 dolines using tri-stereo Pleiades images acquired in 2018–2019 (the European Space Agency (ESA) © CNES 2018, distributed by Airbus DS). Satellite image-derived DEMs were field-verified using traditional mapping techniques, which showed a very good agreement between field and remote sensing measures. The high resolution of these tri-stereo images allowed to automatically generate accurate morphometric datasets not only regarding the planimetric parameters of the dolines (diameters, contours, orientation of long axes), but also for what concerns their depth and altimetric profiles. Our study demonstrates the potential of using these types of images on rugged morphologies and for the measurement of steep depressions, where traditional remote sensing techniques may be hindered by shadow zones and blind portions. Tri-stereo images might also be suitable for the measurement of deep and steep depressions (skylights and collapses) on Martian and Lunar lava flows, suitable targets for future planetary cave exploration.

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The Rosetta Mission to Primitive Bodies of the Solar System

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900046660 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 160 ◽

pp. 381-394

Author(s):

Yves Langevin

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Solar System ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Time Span ◽

Main Belt ◽

Space Agency ◽

Rosetta Mission ◽

One Year ◽

Definition Of

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Rosetta as the next cornerstone mission, to be launched in 2003. The goal is to perfom one or more fly-bys to main belt asteroids, followed by a rendez-vous with an active comet. Advanced in situ analysis, both in the coma and on the surfaces of the nucleus, will be possible, as well as monitoring by remote sensing instruments of the nucleus and of the inner coma for a time span of more than one year, until perihelion. This paper outlines the scientific and technological choices done in the definition of the mission.

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Remote sensing of snow and atmosphere properties using Ocean and Land Colour Instrument on board Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-21774 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Kokhanovsky ◽

Jason Box ◽

Baptiste Vandecrux ◽

Michael Kern

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Atmospheric Correction ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Satellite Observations ◽

Snow Properties ◽

Retrieval Technique ◽

Space Agency ◽

Correction Technique ◽

Cloud Screening

<p><span>In this work we propose a simple technique to derive snow and atmosphere properties from satellite top-of-atmosphere spectral reflectance observations using asymptotic radiative transfer theory valid for the case of weakly absorbing and optically thick media. The following snow properties are derived and analyzed: ice grain size, snow specific surface area, snow pollution load, snow spectral and broadband albedo. The developed retrieval technique includes both atmospheric correction and cloud screening routines and is based on Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) measurements on board Sentinel-3A, B. The spectral aerosol optical thickness, total ozone and water vapour column are derived fitting the measured and simulated OLCI-registered spectral reflectances at 21 OLCI channels.</span></p><p><span>The derived results are validated using ground - based observations. It follows that satellite observations can be used to study time series of spectral and broadband albedo over Greenland. The deviations of satellite and ground observations are due to problems with cloud screening over snow and also due to different spatial scale of satellite and ground observations (Kokhanovsky et al., 2020).</span></p><p>Acknowledgements</p><p>The work has been supported by the European Space Agency in the framework of ESRIN contract No. 4000118926/16/I-NB &#8216;Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions (SEOM) Sentinel-3 Snow (Sentinel-3 for Science, Land Study 1: Snow&#8217;) and ESRIN contract 4000125043 &#8211; ESA/AO/1-9101/17/I-NB EO science for society &#8216;Pre-operational Sentinel-3 snow and ice products&#8217;.</p><p><span>References</span></p><p>Kokhanovsky, A.A., et al. (2020), The determination of snow albedo from satellite observations using fast atmospheric correction technique, Remote Sensing, 12 (2), 234, &#160;https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12020234.</p>

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ERS-1: its payload and potential

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.1984.0054 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 312 (1519) ◽

pp. 103-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Technological Advance ◽

International Project ◽

Marketing Activity ◽

Space Agency ◽

Remote Sensing Satellite ◽

Potential Customers

European Remote Sensing Satellite Number 1 (ERS-1) is a truly international project promoted by the European Space Agency (E.S.A.) and involving 10 countries. The decisions about what should be the aims of the satellite have been reached as the result of lengthy discussions between E.S.A. and potential customers, and of course have also had to take into account the budgetary limitations imposed by the participating countries. The major objectives of ERS-1 are set out in the paper together with a very brief outline of the capabilities of the instruments required to meet these objectives. The paper concludes by suggesting areas in which there is a need for technological advance, which combined with concentrated marketing activity will ensure a commercial future for the remote sensing capability that will be demonstrated by ERS-1.

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Icarus: In-situ monitoring of the surface degradation on a near-Sun asteroid

10.5194/epsc2021-768 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mikael Granvik ◽

Tuomas Lehtinen ◽

Andrea Bellome ◽

Joan-Pau Sánchez

Keyword(s):

Near Infrared ◽

Low Cost ◽

Bulk Composition ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Space Mission ◽

In Situ Monitoring ◽

The Sun ◽

Spacecraft Design ◽

Cost Constraints ◽

Space Agency

<div class="page" title="Page 1"> <div class="layoutArea"> <div class="column"> <p>Icarus is a mission concept designed to record the activity of an asteroid during a close encounter with the Sun. The primary science goal of the mission is to unravel the nontrivial mechanism(s) that destroy asteroids on orbits with small perihelion distances. Understanding the destruction mechanism(s) allows us to constrain the bulk composition and interior structure of asteroids in general. The Icarus mission does not only aim to achieve its science goals but also functions as a technical demonstration of what a low-cost space mission can do. The proposed space segment will include a single spacecraft capable of surviving and operating in the harsh environment near the Sun. The spacecraft design relies on the heritage of missions such as Rosetta, MESSENGER, Parker Solar Probe, BepiColombo, and Solar Orbiter. The spacecraft will rendezvous with an asteroid during its perihelion passage and records the changes taking place on the asteroid&#8217;s surface. The primary scientific payload has to be capable of imaging the asteroid&#8217;s surface in high resolution using visual and near-infrared channels as well as collecting and analyzing particles that are ejected from the asteroid. The payload bay also allows for additional payloads relating to, for example, solar research. The Icarus spacecraft and the planned payloads have high technology readiness levels and the mission is aimed to fit the programmatic and cost constraints of the F1 mission (Comet Interceptor) by the European Space Agency. Considering the challenging nature of the Icarus trajectory and the fact that the next F-class mission opportunity (F2) is yet to be announced, we conclude that Icarus is feasible as an F-class mission when certain constraints such as a suitable launch configuration are met (e.g., if EnVision is selected as M5). A larger mission class, such as the M class by the European Space Agency, would be feasible in all circumstances.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Fires Monitoring by Means of Spectral Indices from Sentinel-2 Data: the Case Study of the Vesuvius and Lattari Mountains, Campania (Italy)

10.20944/preprints202009.0069.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Domenico Antonio Giuseppe Dell'Aglio ◽

Carmine Gambardella ◽

Massimiliano Gargiulo ◽

Antonio Iodice ◽

Rosaria Parente ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Forest Fires ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Fire Risk ◽

Fire Detection ◽

Spectral Indices ◽

Active Fire ◽

Space Agency ◽

Repeat Time ◽

Sentinel 2

Forest fires are part of a set of natural disasters that have always affected regions of the world typically characterized by a tropical climate with long periods of drought. However, due to climate change in recent years, other regions of our planet have also been affected by this phenomenon, never seen before. One of them is certainly the Italian peninsula, and especially the regions of southern Italy. For this reason, the scientific community, as well as remote sensing one, is highly concerned in developing reliable techniques to provide useful support to the competent authorities. In particular, three specific tasks have been carried out in this work: (i) fire risk prevention, (ii) active fire detection, and (iii) post-fire area assessment. To accomplish these analyses, the capability of a set of spectral indices, derived from spaceborne remote sensing (RS) data, is assessed to monitor the forest fires. The spectral indices are obtained from Sentinel-2 multispectral images of the European Space Agency (ESA), which are free of charge and openly accessible. Moreover, the twin Sentinel-2 sensors allow to overcome some restrictions on time delivery and observation repeat time. The performance of the proposed analyses were assessed experimentally to monitor the forest fires occurred in two specific study areas during the summer of 2017: the volcano Vesuvius, near Naples, and the Lattari mountains, near Sorrento (both in Campania, Italy).

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The AQUI Soil Moisture Network for Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing Validation in South-Western France

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs10111839 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1839 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

A. Al-Yaari ◽

S. Dayau ◽

C. Chipeaux ◽

C. Aluome ◽

A. Kruszewski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Soil Moisture ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Microwave Remote Sensing ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Space Agency ◽

Satellite Microwave

Global soil moisture (SM) products are currently available thanks to microwave remote sensing techniques. Validation of these satellite-based SM products over different vegetation and climate conditions is a crucial step. INRA (National Institute of Agricultural Research) has set up the AQUI SM and soil temperature in situ network (composed of three main sites Bouron, Bilos, and Hermitage), over a flat area of dense pine forests, in South-Western France (the Bordeaux–Aquitaine region) to validate the Soil Moisture and Ocean salinity (SMOS) satellite SM products. SMOS was launched in 2009 by the European Space Agency (ESA). The aims of this study are to present the AQUI network and to evaluate the SMOS SM product (in the new SMOS-IC version) along with other microwave SM products such as the active ASCAT (Advanced Scatterometer) and the ESA combined (passive and active) CCI (Climate Change Initiative) SM retrievals. A first comparison, using Pearson correlation, Bias, RMSE (Root Mean Square Error), and Un biased RMSE (ubRMSE) scores, between the 0–5 cm AQUI network and ASCAT, CCI, and SMOS SM products was conducted. In general all the three products were able to reproduce the annual cycle of the AQUI in situ observations. CCI and ASCAT had best and similar correlations (R~0.72) over the Bouron and Bilos sites. All had comparable correlations over the Hermitage sites with overall average values of 0.74, 0.68, and 0.69 for CCI, SMOS-IC, and ASCAT, respectively. Considering anomalies, correlation values decreased for all products with best ability to capture day to day variations obtained by ASCAT. CCI (followed by SMOS-IC) had the best ubRMSE values (mostly < 0.04 m3/m3) over most of the stations. Although the region is highly impacted by radio frequency interferences, SMOS-IC followed correctly the in situ SM dynamics. All the three remotely-sensed SM products (except SMOS-IC over some stations) overestimated the AQUI in situ SM observations. These results demonstrate that the AQUI network is likely to be well-suited for satellite microwave remote sensing evaluations/validations.

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Around Gaia Alerts in 20 questions

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921312001305 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (S285) ◽

pp. 425-428 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Łukasz Wyrzykowski ◽

Simon Hodgkin

Keyword(s):

Data Stream ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Space Mission ◽

Proper Motions ◽

Space Agency ◽

Large Numbers ◽

Formation History ◽

The Galaxy ◽

Optical Wavelengths ◽

Astrometric Data

AbstractGaia is a European Space Agency (ESA) astrometry space mission, and a successor to the ESA Hipparcos mission. Gaia's main goal is to collect high-precision astrometric data (positions, parallaxes, and proper motions) for the 1 billion brightest objects in the sky. Those data, complemented with multi-band, multi-epoch photometric and spectroscopic data observed from the same observing platform, will allow astronomers to reconstruct the formation history, structure, and evolution of the Galaxy.Gaia will observe the whole sky for 5 years, providing a unique opportunity for the discovery of large numbers of transient and anomalous events such as supernovæ, novæ and microlensing events, GRB afterglows, fallback supernovæ, and other theoretical or unexpected phenomena. The Photometric Science Alerts team has been tasked with the early detection, classification and prompt release of anomalous sources in the Gaia data stream. In this paper we discuss the challenges we face in preparing to use Gaia to search for transient pheonomena at optical wavelengths.

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