On April 1st, 2015, DEIMOS-2 joined the fleet of Copernicus Contributing Missions in the new Data Warehouse phase of the Copernicus Space Component Data Access (CSCDA), coordinated by the European Space Agency (ESA). Copernicus is the new name for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme, previously known as GMES. This initiative is headed by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with ESA. The programme is designed to provide accurate, timely and easily accessible information, to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change, ensure civil security and support effective policy-making for a more sustainable future. Copernicus offers a unified system through which vast amounts of data are supplied into a range of thematic information services. These services fall into six main categories: land management, marine environment, atmosphere, emergency response, security and climate change.
DEIMOS-2, with a mass of 300 kg and over 2 meters long, is a very-high resolution (VHR) multispectral satellite which produces pan-sharpened images with a resolution of 75 cm per pixel. Its advanced imaging camera acquires panchromatic and 4-band multispectral images over a 12-km swath (which can be increased to 24 km in its wide-area mode), with a sustained production capacity in excess of 150,000 km2/day. DEIMOS-2 is also capable of acquiring single-pass stereo pairs, which allows creating 3D models of the imaged area. Launched in June 2014, it is the first Spanish Earth Observation VHR satellite, and it is owned and operated by Elecnor Deimos
On February 27, the Copernicus GIO Emergency Mapping Service EMS-Mapping) was activated following the Ebro River flooding events, near the town of Zaragoza, Spain. Elecnor Deimos delivered DEIMOS-2 acquisitions from February 25 and 26 over the affected area, less than 4 hours after the emergency activation, at a resolution of 75 cm. Elecnor Deimos fast response and reactivity, along with the agility capabilities of DEIMOS-2 satellite, demonstrated the suitability of the mission for Copernicus users.
The Copernicus GIO Emergency Mapping Service provides all actors involved in the management of natural disasters, man-made emergencies and humanitarian crises, with timely and accurate geospatial information derived from satellite imagery and complemented by available in-situ and open source data. The emergency service has a worldwide coverage and is provided only upon activation by authorized users, in all phases of the emergency management cycle.
Elecnor Deimos
Elecnor Deimos is Elecnor’s technological area that specialises in engineering solutions in the aerospace, information systems and telecommunications sectors. Its main business areas are remote sensing, aerospace and defence systems, air and maritime navigation, satellite systems.
www.elecnor-deimos.com
Elecnor
Elecnor develops projects involving infrastructure, renewable energies and new technologies. It has 12,500 employees and operates in over 40 countries.
www.elecnor.com
Figures:
Ebro River flooding, Zaragoza, Spain. DEIMOS-2 75cm pansharpened image acquired on March 2, 2015.
Detail of the Ebro River flooding, Zaragoza, Spain. DEIMOS-2 75-cm pansharpened image acquired on March 2, 2015.
Detail of snow covered skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan, New York, USA. DEIMOS-2 75cm pansharpened image acquired on February 24, 2015.