EO Ground Segment Evolution
Reflections by
Kongsberg Satellite Services
Jan Petter Pedersen, Vice President
Workshop 2015, 24th September 2015
ESA/ESRIN Frascati
Company Profile
• Since 2002 (Tromsø Satellite Station, 1967)
–
–
–
–
–
Turnover 2014: ~60 Meuro
Result: +20 %,
Employees: 145, 8 nations
Annual growth rate: ~20 %
Export ~90 %
• Satellite Operations
–
–
–
–
Ground segment & services
Tracking, commanding & control
Data handling
85 satellites/day, 20 000 pass/month
• Energy, Environment and Security
– Multimission NRT data and information
services
– Maritime primary domain
– Land developing
Expertise and activities relevant for future
EO Ground Segments and Services
•
•
•
•
Multimission services infrstructure
One customer point of contact
20years+ space agencies, commercial
Next generation infrastructure (cloud’s)
• Ground segment activities
–
–
–
–
Launch ->Mission end support
Global network S/X/C-band, Tromsø core
Copernicus Ground Segment (core, collab)
Meteorological, SAR, HR optical missions
• NRT(~15min) EO based services
– Agreement for «all» SAR missions
– Additional (Sat)AIS, database, models, ..
– Deliveries for operational/tactical use
–
–
–
–
Oil spill detection (EMSA CSN, global)
Vessel detection
Ice information (-edge, -bergs)
Metocean (Wind, wave, current)
Reflection on Ground Segment
Evolution Reference Paper (1)
• Important to harmonise and standardise the evolution of the
various mission ground segments, to ease
– Multimission service providers working environment
– User’s access to data
• Bridge gap between data and users, i.e. making data available to
users in a technical and programmatic more cost-effective way
• Free and open data focus, but national/commercial and nonEuropean missions important and need to be fully considered.
• Challenge to serve variety of users ranging from need for data
and processing services towards information & decision input
• Industrial capacity and capability exists, investments are being
done. Find roles and responsibilities, e.g. for ESA vs industry
Reflection on Ground Segment
Evolution Reference Paper (2)
• Interoperability
– Simple, clear interfaces towards data sources, processing, etc.
– Not developed by researchers that never worked in an operational setting.
• Enlarge EO data usage by
– Making data easily available: Higher processing levels, no multiple logins, no
explanation why or how to use it.
– Bringing users to the data will result in new innovative applications
– Organisations that deliver data services to be paid for the costs involved.
– Easy to use simple APIs and interoperability to allow "non EO experts" to get
access to data at all levels
• Platforms and technologies.
– Industry will maintain competitive edge and not provide it for free and open.
– Need to balance competitive advantages and IPR on value-adding vs «open
source»
– Example: ESA TEP tender; Industry & public access to competitive knowlegde
Expectations and Recommendations
• Europe has a developing industrial service capacity – not only on
space and mission technolgy. Maintain industry opportunities and
IPR’s versus Core GS’s, public services and in-sourcing.
• Support and stimulate new, innovative and small actors who
want to create new "app’s" – and not brining all “open source”.
• Innovation Europe focus on European advantages e.g
Copernicus, important to include the world outside (likely not
«free and open») because it is needed to serve real operational
customer needs.
• Needs for documentation has increased e.g. in European
projects. Consider necessity of all documents vs use of resources
towards the users.
New and innovative space applications
GSCB Workshop, ESA/ESRIN (Frascati)
18th – 19th June 2009