Diego Fernández Prieto European Space Agency

Transcription

1 Diego Fernández Prieto European Space Agency

2 Background In 2006, ESA has published The Changing Earth, which represents the main new driver for the ESA EO Science Strategy. The document highlights a list of 25 scientific challenges related to the different elements of the Earth System where EO technology can play a key role. ESA contributes to this process through Its missions and Its EO exploitation programs. However, achieving the challenges in The Changing Earth will require a long-tem effort and a dedicated support to the scientific community. STSE will contribute to this need;

3 Support To Science Element Needs More and more, Earth science results are becoming instrumental for policies, decision making and human lives; The international scientific community is requiring novel geo-information products and improved data sets; The international EO panorama is changing opening a new era with unprecedented multi-mission observation capacity; Imminent launch of the ESA s Explorer series; Scientific potential of coming Sentinels series; Response Reinforcing the scientific component of the Living Planet Program; Complementing existing elements of the EOEP to provide a end-to-end approach to science; Scientific preparation for the next generation of scientific missions and EO products; Maximise the scientific return of ESA missions within the Earth Science community; Enhance scientific capacity in members countries to address the coming challenges derived from the new international EO and scientific scenario;

4 Support To Science Element The Support To Science Element covers scientific support for both future and on-going missions, by taking a proactive role in the formulation of new mission concepts and the development of their scientific agenda, by offering a multi-mission support to the scientific exploitation of ESA EO assets and promoting the achieved results STSE will pursuit four main categories of results: Support the development of a scientifically sound portfolio of future mission concepts in preparation for the next generation of ESA scientific missions; Support the development of a solid portfolio of novel and improved products beyond ESA missions baseline objectives in preparation for the next generation of geo-information data sets, applications and future services; Enhance the use of ESA data by the Earth Science Community to advance towards the achievements of the New Scientific Challenges for the Living Planet Programme; Contribute to the development and evolution of the ESA EO science strategy.

5 STSE Action Lines STSE Action Lines Future Mission Concepts Novel Observations & Products Support To Earth Science Strategic Actions Expected impacts Portfolio of novel scientifically sound mission concepts in preparation for the next generation of Explorers. Portfolio of novel and enhanced products beyond ESA missions baseline objectives setting a sound basis for new applications. Enhanced scientific return of ESA EO data promoting their use by the Earth Science Community. Evolution of EO science strategy, ensuring ESA contribution to key scientific initiatives, fast response to key priorities;

6 Development Strategy ESA Explorer Selection and Development Process Future Mission Concepts Proposals from Scientific Community Candidate EE Feasibility (EOPA) Selected EE Development Mission scientific principles; Preliminary data processing; Impact assessment; ESA GS and Service Demonstration Process Novel Observations & Products Novel/improved algorithms; Novel multi-mission products; Validation/cross-comparison Service Demonstration (DUE) Ground Segment Development Service Operations ESA GS Operations

7 The Work Plan 2008 Future Mission Concepts Novel Algorithms and Products Support to Earth Science Strategic Actions IRDAS (LIO) ICAROHS (HSRL) DAME (Doppler Radar) SnowRadiance ConstellationSAR WaterRadiance COASTALT-GNSS S&AS (SST and Altimeter Study) WACMOS (ESA-GEWEX collaboration) EO-LDAS (Land Data Assimilation Scheme) ESA-Truth (ESA contribution to CEOS BELMANIP) ITT issued (or project kicked-off) ITT in preparation

8 STSE Action Lines STSE Action Lines Future Mission Concepts Novel Observations & Products Support To Earth Science Strategic Actions Supported activities: Exploratory Actions: Exploring new areas for space to improve our understanding of the Earth System. (e.g., new observables not addressed before by EO, assimilation of novel and/or non space technologies, observation gaps); Consolidation Action: Targeted studies focused on the consolidation of promising but scientifically immature mission concepts (e.g., following ESAC recommendations) and Explorer concepts evolution; Future Mission Concepts Toolboxes: development of a series of Toolboxes (including models, simulation tools, spectral libraries, algorithms) to stimulate the development of future mission concepts;

9 Support To Science Element IRDAS: Differential Absorption Spectroscopy in the SWIR for Greenhouse Gas Monitoring using Coherent Signal Sources in a Limb Sounding Geometry. This project responds to a direct recommendation from ESAC to further develop the scientific grounds of the rejected ACURATE explorer proposal. The project focus on the active occultation in the SWIR spectral region by application of the differential absorption method in limb sounding geometry in the μm spectral band (LEO-LEO Infrared Laser Occultation). Consortium: University of York (UK) Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (WEGC) (AUT) Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) (DK). Budget: 210K Other planned Actions ICAROHS: Inter-Comparison of Aerosol Retrievals and Observational Requirements for multi-wavelength HSRL Systems; ITT issued (300K); DAME: contributing to develop the capability in ESA member states for modelling Doppler signals from convective systems; ITT in preparation (350K) ;

10 STSE Action Lines STSE Action Lines Future Mission Concepts Novel Observations & Products Support To Earth Science Strategic Actions Supported Activities: Preparatory Actions: Focus on future mission, provides scientific support to the early development of advanced methods and products that fully exploit the novel features and synergies of planned ESA missions in preparation for a faster scientifically sound start-up exploitation phase; Development Actions: Focus on on-going missions, aims at developing and validating novel and enhanced products beyond current ESA missions baseline objectives exploiting the increasing multi-mission observation capacity and establishing a sound scientific basis for novel applications; Toolboxes: Develop a set of multi-mission based scientific tools to support scientist in member countries to enhance the scientific exploitation of ESA data.

11 Support To Science Element Novel features (UV to TIR multi-spectral and multi-angular imagers) on board of Sentinel-3 may allow to infer key biophysical parameters (snow/ice properties, water quality) with unprecedented detail and accuracy; The exploitation of such novel potential required a dedicated scientific effort; SnowRadiance: Aims at exploring the potential of the novel features of S3 to retrieve advance snow/ice properties (e.g., grain size). An advanced Radiative Transfer Model will be develop characterising the spectral and bidirectional properties of snow / ice a a basis for a potential future product on snow/ice. Consortium: Brockmann Consult (Prime) (D); Ins. of Envi. Physics, Un. of Bremen (D); Finnish Meteorological Institute (FIN). Budget: 250K Other planned Actions WaterRadiance: Aims at exploring the new spectral futures in S3 to develop solid scientific grounds for the improvement of future water quality products: Improve characterisation of the optical properties of water in the NIR-SWIR; UV signal to retrieve colour dissolved organic matter (CDOM); ITT issued (300K);

12 STSE Action Lines STSE Action Lines Supported Actions: Innovative Mission Concepts Novel Observations & Products Support To Earth Science Strategic Actions Objective Changing Earth: The initiative aims at supporting scientists in member countries (young scientist at post-doctoral level) to undertake research activities specifically dedicated to the challenges of the Living Planet Program by exploiting and maximizing the use of ESA EO data: The initiative is a direct response to the request made by the ESA Earth Science Advisory Committee (ESAC) to enhance the ESA scientific contribution towards the achievement of the new scientific challenges of the Living Planet Program.

13 Objective Changing Earth The main two elements of the initiative are: Contribute to the scientific advance in member countries towards the achievement of the new 25 strategic challenges of the Living Planet Program. Foster the use of ESA EO data by the Earth science community maximising the scientific return (in terms of scientific results and publications) of ESA EO missions; Objective Changing Earth will also: Contribute to consolidate a critical mass of young scientist in Europe with a good scientific and operative knowledge of ESA EO assets and programs with special attention to the coming Explorer missions; Enhancing interaction, exchanges and cross fertilisation between ESA and leading edge Earth science labs, research centres and universities in member countries.

14 STSE Action Lines STSE Action Lines Innovative Mission Concepts Novel Observations & Products Support To Earth Science Strategic Actions Supported Actions Earth Science Partnerships: dedicated actions contributing to establishing and consolidating strategic links with major scientific groups, ensuring ESA contribution to major international scientific initiatives as well as the setting up of joint projects and coordination structures; Small Fast Actions: timely support to leading scientists in innovative initiatives that will exploit ESA missions providing a rapid response to strategic needs that may bring an innovative and/or significant contribution to ESA missions scopes. Strategic studies: aimed at developing and consolidating the overall scientific strategy for EOP.

15 Earth Science Partnerships: ESA-GEWEX Water Cycle Multi-mission Observation Strategy: This action is developed in close collaboration with the GEWEX project of the WCRP with the main objective to advance towards the development of robust global and regional multi-mission geo-information data products, which are critical to characterise and model the water cycle: Evapotranspiration; Soil-moisture; Clouds; Water vapour; A scientific consultation workshop was organised by ESA and GEWEX in April 2008 hosted y the Vienna University of Technology. Contribution from more than 40 participants set up the scientific basis for the project. The project will set up a solid scientific and user basis for potential further scientific activities within STSE or large demonstration actions via Data User Element (DUE).

16 Earth Science Partnership Process Establishing long-term alliances with major international scientific programs: The collaboration with WCRP GEWEX has started (2008); Discussions with IGBP ileaps have started (possible joint activity in 2009); Additional activities planned jointly with the ESA IGBP Projects Office and WCRP; STSE Earth Science Partnership Process Preliminary Scientific Requirements Scientific Consultation Workshop Final Scientific Requirements STSE ITT STSE Project Towards Operations (e.g., via DUE) Scientific Roadmap Expected benefits: Enhancing exploitation of ESA EO assets by major international scientific (Earth Science) Programs; Stimulate scientific results in Earth Sciences based on ESA EO assets; Establishing a continuous feedback mechanism between ESA and the major scientific international programs (programmatic coordination in both senses);

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