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The Earth Observation market and the Geospatial information services are continuously growing and changing following the evolution of satellite missions, the new very high resolution image acquisition technologies both Radar and Optical and the proliferation of geospatial information sources.

Satellite data availability is changing thanks also to the Copernicus open-data approach. Following the EU indication related to the data policy, indeed, in the next future the access to the images will be part of the data mining problem more than a cost per se.

e-GEOS is a European hub for geospatial data and application, developed specific and proprietary satellite data management tools that support the customer operators during the satellite data collection, image preparation, data-fusion, interpretation and results dissemination.

The e-GEOS Matera Space Centre represents today one of the space hub for Copernicus/Sentinel and Landsat8 data together with the COSMO-SkyMed commercial radar Images.

e-GEOS in Europe is going to became a point of excellence for operational activities based on the new quantity of data today available and on the customer request to obtain near real time results, derived also from the integration with the IoT technologies.

Besides the continuation of the operational provision of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service – Rapid Mapping, during the 2016 e-GEOS awarded two important Copernicus operative contracts that represents the state of the art of geospatial data exploitation:

Copernicus Global Land Hot Spot Mapping

In April 2016 the consortiumi headed by e-GEOS was awarded an operational contract from JRC for the provision of on demand high resolution land cover products over several Protected Areas mainly in Africa. The scope of the activity is to provide actors involved in biodiversity conservation actions (e.g. DG DEVCO) with reliable mapping products describing how land cover has been changing in the past 20 years, since land cover transitions from natural to semi-natural or artificial classes may have relevant effects on ecosystems fragility, animal and plant species and, more in general, on biodiversity conservation.


LCCS product sample

Land cover mapping products are based on the well-known Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) approach and they heavily rely on the automated classification of Dense Multitemporal Time Series (D-MTS) of both optical and SAR data to deal with prominent seasonality effects of certain land cover classes in tropical and sub-tropical areas. In view of efficiency improvements, e-GEOS has developed and operates a fully owned and automated processing chain that deals with the collection of relevant satellite EO data  (mostly Sentinel and Landsat series), the pre-processing (including rigorous atmospheric correction), the selection of suitable multi-yearly and multi-seasonal scenes based on pre-defined quality parameters (e.g. cloud coverage) and, finally, the application of automatic classification methods to generate the land cover products. This processing chain is designed to easy scale up and now ready to serve and support also other mapping initiatives in the era of big satellite EO data.

Copernicus Emergency management Service

In 2016 e-GEOS has successfully continued the operational provision of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service – Rapid Mapping. Until now 20 Rapid Mapping activations have been serviced, covering among others the widely known flood events in UK and Ireland (January) and in France (May/June).


http://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/list-of-components/EMSR169

Evolution of Copernicus services H2020

In the perspective of future service evolution, e-GEOS has coordinated the preparation of an H2020 proposal (E2mC) concerning the operational use and exploitation of crowdsourced and social media data within the framework of the Copernicus Emergency management Service overall (Mapping and Early Warning) with a potential extension also to other emergency mapping initiatives or other Copernicus services.  e-GEOS, as E2mC proposal coordinator, has now been invited by the Research Executive Agency (REA) to the grant agreement preparation.

The purpose of the new Copernicus Witness Service Component is to improve the timeliness and accuracy of geo-spatial information provided to Civil Protection authorities, on a 24/7 basis, during the overall crisis management cycle and, particularly, in the first hours immediately after the event. This will result in an early confirmation of alerts from running Early Warning Systems as well as first rapid impact assessment from the field.

Heterogeneous social media data streams (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,… and different data: text, image, video, …) will be analysed and sparse crowdsourcing communities will be federated (crisis specific as Tomnod, HOT, SBTF and generic as Crowdcrafting, EpiCollect,…).

Copernicus in situ component

In May 2016 the consortiumii headed by e-GEOS has been awarded a contract by the EEA to provide support to Copernicus Services in terms of in situ data access, limited to the INSPIRE spatial data themes. Therefore e-GEOS is leading a multi-faceted team to understand which are the current requirements of Copernicus Services in terms of in situ data, which are the in situ data they currently exploit and which are the gaps, obstacles and barriers which prevent am better and more satisfactory exploitation of such data within the full operation service workflow. The activities also aims at identifying in situ related best practices and data that could be shared among different Copernicus Services to improve the overall result.

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AARSE, the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment in cooperation with EARSC published an inventory of the African private EO and Geospatial industry. We wish to thank the European Commission and Spacetec Partners for their support to this work.

General inventories of organisations involved in remote sensing applications are available for some countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A survey targeting the African private sector involved in EO and geospatial sciences specifically, however, was never done before. This study is the first of its kind on the continent and a beginning to understand how companies in Africa operate, capture their expertise and assess their state and health.

AARSE and EARSC have analysed the data of the survey. It was conducted between February and April 2016.

The executive summary and the final report can be found at EARSC website

The results of the study will be presented at the AARSE2016 Conference on 25 October 2016 during the plenary session focused on Private sector in EO and GI.

More information at EARSC secretariat

The Joint Research Center of the European Commission (JRC) published the latest MARS Bulletin: “Crop monitoring in Europe”. This report analyses the period from 1 May until 15 June, so when many regions in Europe were experiencing heavy rains and extreme weather conditions.

Despite that, the crop situation in Europe is fairly good on average. Good conditions prevailed in Romania, Hungary, and especially in Spain, but unfavourable weather conditions at the end of May and early June constrained crop development in large parts of western Europe. Besides, dry conditions persisted in parts of Poland and Germany.

The report was prepared based on agro-meteorological overview, observed canopy conditions by remote sensing. It includes also country analysis and crop yield forecasts. Yield prospects at the EU-28 level remain clearly above the five year average.

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There is growing evidence that urban sprawl is having an increasingly negative effect on the environment and on the quality of life across Europe. Existing actions to prevent, contain or control such development have had limited results. Better targeted measures are necessary. That is the main conclusion of a joint European Environment Agency (EEA) and Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) report published today.

This report provides a comparable measurement of urban sprawl for 32 European countries at three levels (the country level, the NUTS-2 region level and the 1-km2 cell level) and for two years (2006 and 2009).

The analysis is based on the Copernicus system which monitors the Earth and collects data by different sources. This data provides information about a number of thematic areas, including land. Under land a pan-European component delivers information about various areas, including the level of sealed soil (imperviousness), through high resolution layers taken from satellite imagery.

The analysis uses new urban sprawl metrics taking into account the way built-up areas are laid out and how they are used. It also looks at the factors which contribute to an increase or decrease in urban sprawl.

The results confirm the conclusions of earlier EEA reports namely that in many parts of Europe current levels of urban sprawl have contributed to detrimental ecological, economic and social effects. This gives cause for concern and such effects may increase alongside planned urban development.

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A new open web map portal was created to present Sentinel 2 data in a 1.1 million km² / 17.2 gigapixel image of Europe, to be updated every month. The idea behind is to make available for everyone the best possible cloud-free mosaic of Sentinel-2 images, based on free data from Sentinels Scientific Data Hub.

The Sentinel Map tiles available in the portal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The maps are planned to be improved in the next months and grew in terms of coverage.

Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a high-resolution, multi-spectral imaging mission, which consists of two twin satellites: Sentinel-2A, launched on 23 June 2015, and Sentinel-2B that will follow. In line with EU law, the Copernicus programme provides users with free, full and open access to Sentinels data.

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The European Union’s Copernicus programme is a boon for analysts and researchers around the world since it provides all of the imagery taken by its Sentinel earth observation satellites for free.

SpaceWatch Middle East interviewed Andreas Veispak, the acting Head of Unit for Space Data for Societal Challenges and Growth at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, about the Copernicus programme and what it means for the Middle East.

Tell us about the Copernicus programme and its Sentinel satellites – what are your goals?

The Copernicus programme is a cornerstone of the European Union’s efforts to monitor the Earth and its many ecosystems, whilst ensuring that its citizens are prepared and protected in the face of crises and natural or man-made disasters. Building on the foundations of deeply rooted scientific knowledge and on decades of EU investment in research and technological development, the Copernicus programme is exemplary of European strategic cooperation in space research and industrial development.

The programme entered its operational phase with the launch of Sentinel 1A in 2014 and its governance is based on the Copernicus Regulation adopted the same year which establishes the Commission as the Programme manager owning the infrastructure and data rights on behalf of the Union.

Copernicus services are based on information from a dedicated constellation of satellites, known as “Sentinels”, as well as tens of third-party satellites known as “contributing space missions”, complemented by “in situ” (meaning local or on-site) measurement data. On the basis of this data, its analysis and processing, , Copernicus brings together communities from across the geoinformation and environmental scientific spectrum, and delivers operational services, which range from Arctic sea ice monitoring to emergency response, through oil spill detection and monitoring of urban sprawl. Copernicus has 6 core services, which support a broad range of environmental and security applications, including climate change monitoring, sustainable development, transport and mobility, regional and local planning, maritime surveillance, agriculture and health.

The Copernicus programme places a world of insight about our planet at the disposal of citizens, public authorities and policy makers, scientists, entrepreneurs and businesses on a full, free and open basis. The programme is able to support various policy areas important for the EU and its Member States such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, biodiversity and environmental protection, climate and energy, civil protection and humanitarian aid, public health, tourism, transport and safety, as well as urban and regional planning.

By making the vast majority of its data, analyses, forecasts and maps freely available and accessible, Copernicus contributes towards the development of new innovative applications and services, tailored to the needs of specific groups of users, which touch on a variety of economic and cultural or recreational activities, from urban planning, sailing and insurance to archaeology.

Copernicus marks the beginning of a new era in Earth observation and will represent the most sophisticated and advanced civil Earth observation system in the world. Sentinel satellites are being launched, operational Copernicus services are available, and the first green shoots of the “Copernicus Economy” are starting to be seen in the form of value-added (“downstream”) applications.

Are there opportunities for international cooperation in the Copernicus program beyond EU and ESA member states?

Copernicus has a global dimension, and therefore offers opportunities for international cooperation. We are keen on sharing the benefits of Copernicus with partners abroad. The data policy of the Copernicus programme supports an open, full and free of charge access to data that is in line with the data sharing principles of the Group for Earth Observation (GEO). The European Commission is one of GEO Members and has been co-chairing the initiative since its creation. Copernicus will be a major European contribution to GEO.

The European Commission is also a member of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). This international coordinating mechanism is tasked with coordinating international civil space-borne missions designed to observe and study planet Earth. CEOS is recognized as the major international forum for the coordination of Earth observation satellite programmes and for interaction of these programmes with users of satellite data worldwide. The Copernicus team supports the important tasks of CEOS, such as exchange of data, interoperability and the establishment of international standards. CEOS has a recognised role for the coordination of tasks related to the Space Component in GEO.

Several countries around the world have expressed their strong interest in accessing Sentinel data. We have recently signed cooperation arrangements on Sentinel data sharing with Australia and key U.S. agencies (such as NOAA and NASA), which are based on the principle of reciprocity. The United States is providing full, free and open access to their civilian Earth observation satellites and Australia will provide in-situ data of the Australian continent to be included in the Copernicus data architecture. This will make our global products better. In addition, Copernicus will contribute to Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Africa by providing data and know-how to enhance the capacity of African countries to deliver meaningful information for informed decision-making – for instance to secure the stability of livelihoods and ecosystems.

What advantages and opportunities might Middle East countries, institutions, and universities gain from the Copernicus program, and in turn, how would Middle East participation help Copernicus?

The Copernicus programme offers the data from its Sentinel satellites free of charge and the products of the Copernicus services to everyone: this includes universities, institutions and government in Middle East countries. So there is no need to be a ‘participant’ in Copernicus to draw benefits from the programme. Anyone in the Middle East can go online and download what they need from our dedicated website for the Copernicus programme. I invite you to look at http://www.copernicus.eu where you find the data portal for all operational Sentinel satellites and also links to the products of the Copernicus services. It is an opportunity for Middle East researchers to use Copernicus data for their research projects and to participate in the European Union’s Research and Innovation Programme (H2020) in the area of space and Earth observation. Policy makers in the Middle East countries could use the products of the Copernicus services or develop tailored products for their region to support smart decision-making. Let me give you two examples: Copernicus Sentinel 2A is monitoring in particular changes in land surface conditions, such as those of vegetation and cultures during the growing season. This supports food security monitoring, agricultural production estimation, crop area monitoring for agricultural statistics. It also focuses on water monitoring for water stress assessment and water scarcity forecasting, Information on the extent and impact of water scarcity and drought is indispensable for decision-making at national and continental scale. Our Copernicus Emergency Management service supports responses to major disasters in the shortest possible time, assisting in the identification of priority areas for humanitarian and financial aid and providing essential geographical information for remote areas where the information is absent or inaccurate (e.g. following flooding or earthquakes). So Middle East countries would benefit if they become users of Copernicus programme. It’s free, just use it!

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Two R&D projects funded by the European Commission, EuMon and EU BON, collected the large database on programmes, data and metadata on biodiversity monitoring in Europe and now the initiative calling out to monitoring programs across Europe and beyond, to join in, provide information about their schemes and share their expertise for the caus

The data will make a comprehensive European Biodiversity Portal. The service will provide all interested parties with a professional database platform with information about related monitoring programs in different countries. Initiatives could integrate their data and compare the trends and status across different countries and regions.

The ultimate goal is to build a comprehensive European Biodiversity Portal that will then feed into a Global Portal currently developed by GEO BON. This initiative will provide a completely new holistic way for analysing global trends and processes.

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The European Commission recently released two videos presenting the Copernicus programme.

The first video (5’38”) provides an overview of the Copernicus programme. It describes the objectives of the programme, how the systems works, the services offered to users and their effective areas of application.

The second one (1’06”) illustrates the wide range of opportunities for business development offered by Copernicus.

Both videos exist in 6 different versions (English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish

Videos

The European Space Agency (ESA) released the first Sentinel-1 satellite images sent via the European Data Relay System (EDRS), also known as the SpaceDataHighway.

The two radar images were taken over La Reunion Island and its coastal area.

Sentinel-1A, circling the globe at 28,000 kilometers per hour, transmitted the images to the EDRS-A node in geostationary orbit via a laser beam at 600 MB/second. The laser terminal is capable of working at 1.8 GB/second, allowing EDRS to relay up to 50TB per day. EDRS immediately beamed the data down to Europe.

Transfer between the two satellites was fully automated: EDRS connected to Sentinel from more than 35,000 kilometers away, locking on to the laser terminal and holding that link until transmission was completed.

“With today’s first link, EDRS is close to becoming operational, providing services to the Copernicus Sentinel Satellites for the European Commission,” noted Magali Vaissiere, ESA director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications

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[Via Satellite 06-08-2016] Two U.S. congressmen from the House of Representatives — Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Brian Babin, R-Texas — have submitted a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) lack of decision on granting DigitalGlobe a license to fully operate its WorldView 3 remote sensing system.


“According to recent press reports, commercial satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe is still awaiting a license approval to sell high-definition infrared imagery data from its Worldview 3 satellite almost three years after submitting the initial request, well beyond the 120 day requirement,” the letter states.

The Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 requires Pritzker to review and make a determination on any space-based remote sensing system license applications or inform the applicant of any pending issues. Smith, who is chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and Babin, chairman of the Space Subcommittee, are requesting NOAA provide communications and documentation confirming DigitalGlobe’s application date, a timeline of the application review process, names of NOAA employees involved in the application approval process, and an explanation of why NOAA has taken this much time.

“NOAA regulations state that the agency must give a reason for the delay and an estimate of when its review will be completed. While the law states that applicants shall be informed of any pending issues and of actions required to resolve them, the committee would also like to know what has caused the delay in this application and when NOAA anticipates this licensing action will be closed out,” the letter states.

The letter is part of the committee of science, space, and technology’s ongoing oversight of NOAA’s licensing of private space-based remote sensing systems.

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