Project description
Solution for Copernicus Sentinel missions
Copernicus Sentinels are a new family of missions including a range of technologies, such as radar and multi-spectral imaging instruments for land, ocean and atmospheric monitoring, providing robust data for Copernicus Services. Although Sentinel calibration and validation (Cal/Val) activities are instrumental to each mission, they face some limitations. To overcome these, the EU-funded CCVS project will define a comprehensive solution for all Copernicus Sentinel missions. The project will propose an updated specification of Cal/Val requirements as well as an overview of existing Cal/Val sources and means and a gap analysis identifying missing elements and required developments. Focusing on responsibility, cost and schedule aspects, CCVS will also design a roadmap for implementation of the Cal/Val solution.
Objective
The objective of the Copernicus Cal/Val Solution (CCVS) is to define a holistic solution for all Copernicus Sentinel missions (either operational or planned) to overcome current limitations of Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) activities. Operational Cal/Val is required to ensure the quality of and build confidence in Copernicus data. However, these activities are currently limited by the following considerations:
• The requirements and objectives need to be revisited to consider new usage of Copernicus products, inter-operability requirements, and to anticipate the needs of future Copernicus missions
• Current Cal/Val activities are constrained by programmatic and budgetary requirements and do not necessarily follow scientific priorities
• Cal/Val activities depend on the operational availability of high-quality Fiducial Reference Measurements (FRM) which are today mostly provided by external entities without strong commitment to the Copernicus program
• Synergies within Copernicus and with other national and international programs are not systematically explored.
To address these limitations CCVS will propose:
• An updated specification of Cal/Val requirements for the Sentinel missions, taking into account inter-operability needs
• An overview of existing Calibration and Validation sources and means
• A gap analysis identifying missing elements and required developments in terms of technologies and instrumentation, Cal/Val methods, instrumented sites and dissemination service.
• A comprehensive Copernicus Cal/Val Solution to organize the long-term provision of FRM for Sentinel missions
• A roadmap documenting how the Cal/Val Solution can be implemented, highlighting responsibility, cost and schedule aspects. This plan will be elaborated in concertation with all stakeholders through four Working Groups gathering European Space Agencies, Copernicus Services, measurement networks and International partners.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
06904 Sophia Antipolis Cedex Biot
France
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.