Future Spanish Earth Observation Satellite System
- Paper number
IAC-08.B1.2.5
- Author
Mrs. Monica López, Centro Para el Desarrollo Technologico Industrial (CDTI), Spain
- Year
2008
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the new earth observation space missions started by the Spanish government in the last years. The Earth observation sector has traditionally been a target of major institutional investments all over the world due to its unquestionably utility in a number of fields including environmental management, control of natural risks and security and defense applications. The currently available infrastructure has mainly been developed through public funds and this will continue to be the case over the next few years. This is because private initiative alone cannot meet all requirements in this field due to the high investments that are required to gain access to a market that is still immature but has enormous potential. In recent years Spanish government has financed various feasibility studies that have provided an analysis of the user needs at national and international level, as well as, an a analysis of the international scenario in the coming years. It is envisaged that ESA and the EU will take responsibility for developing medium-low resolution satellites. This leaves room in the European scenario for developing high-resolution satellites, an area that is to be covered by national initiatives. In the light of such analysis and with the aim of covering most of the user needs, the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade and the Minister of Defense signed and agreement last year for the development of a “Spanish Earth Observation Satellite System” based, in first instance, on two satellites, a high resolution optical satellite, called Ingenio, and a radar satellite based on SAR technology. The Ministry of Industry has entrusted the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) with carrying out the Ingenio Programme. In July 2007 the Agency and CDTI signed and Assistance Agreement for the implementation phase of Ingenio. According to such Agreement CDTI retains the overall programmatic and financial responsibility while ESA is in charge of the technical and contractual management of the Programme. Ingenio is based on an Earth Observation Satellite devoted to providing high resolution multi–spectral land optical images in first instance to different Spanish civil, institutional and governmental users, and potentially to other European users in the frame of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative (GMES), and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). In order to define the most appropriate design of the future system, along the phases A/B of the Programme, many instrument conceptual designs have been traded to finally make a selection among the most promising concepts. Selected concept is based on a PAN/MX (RGB+NIR) high resolution instrument (2.5 m PAN, 10m MX) with a swath around 60 Km which ensures a revisit period of less than 3 months and offers accessibility within less than 3 days to any point on Earth in emergency situations. The satellite is a 3-axis stabilised polar orbiting satellite of the 500 kg / 500 W class. It is an agile satellite with lateral access in the range of ±35 degrees. The primary ground segment will be composed of mission control and data processing units located in Spain. Results and conclusions of the trade-offs carried out within the Programme will be presented. Special emphasis will be done in the following topics: the programmatic and technical description of this new system, as well as, the applications covered by the system and the impact that it has on the market needs.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.B1.2.5.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.