The Science Mission Objectives of
the ESA Earth Explores EE7 and EE8
Maurice Borgeaud
Science, Applications, and Future Technologies Department
1
18 October 2012
Overview
–  ESA’s Earth Explorers: Overview
–  Earth Explorer 7 Process
–  Earth Explorer 7 Candidate Missions
– 
BIOMASS
– 
CoReH2O
– 
PREMIER
–  Earth Explorer 8 Candidate Missions
– 
CarbonSat
– 
FLEX
–  Mission advisory groups (MAG)
M. Drinkwater | IGARSS'12 | July 2012 | Slide
2
Earth Explorer 7: Candidates
H 
BIOMASS: single satellite carrying a P-band
SAR to provide continuous global
interferometric and polarimetric radar
observations of forested areas
H 
H 
CoReH2O: single satellite with dual frequency
(X, Ku), dual-polarisation SAR to observe snow
and ice at high spatial resolution
PREMIER: 3D fields of atmospheric
composition in upper troposphere and lower
stratosphere with an infrared limb-imaging
spectrometer and a mm-wave limb-sounder
M. Drinkwater | IGARSS'12 | July 2012 | Slide
3
Earth Explorer 7: Process
Step 1:
Call and selection
ESAC Recommendation / PB-EO Selection
Mission Assessment Groups / Phase 0
Step 2:
Mission
Assessment
Reports for Assessment
(Phase 0)
ESAC Recommendation / PB-EO Selection
6
User Consultation Meeting
Step 3:
Mission Advisory Groups / Phase A
Mission
Feasibility
(Phase A)
24
Call for Ideas
Reports for Mission Selection
User Consultation Meeting
ESAC Recommendation / PB-EO Selection
Step 4:
Implementation
Implementation
Latest news!
=> 5-6 March 2013
BIOMASS
CoReH
3 2O
PREMIER
=> 6-8 May 2013
EE7
(Phases B1, B2-C/D-E1)
M. Drinkwater | IGARSS'12 | July 2012 | Slide
4
4
BIOMASS
5
BIOMASS mission overview:
scope and objectives of the mission
BIOMASS aims to
observe forests biomass
and height globally for a
better understanding of
the carbon cycle
6 
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BIOMASS observation concept
Orbit cycle n
H Calibration, Ionospheric correction
Orbit cycle n+1
Polarimetric
Interferometric
Phase
Polarimetric radar
intensity
H HH
H HV
H VV
H Phase
Retrieval algorithm
Forest biomass
Forest height
Forest biomass temporal change
Forest disturbance
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Overview implementation concept mission
Satellite Mass: ~ 1200 kg
Satellite Power Gen.: ~ 1.5 kW
(EOL)
Instrument:
P-band SAR
Operating in
interleaved
stripmap mode
X-Band Receiving
Station: Kiruna
S-Band TT&C Station:
Kiruna
Flight Operation Centre:
ESOC
Processing
Centre:
ESRIN
SUN
Orbit:
Sun Synchronous
LTAN: 18:00
Altitude: ~640 km
Repeat cycle: 25 days Nominal Phase,
4 days for Tomographic Phase
8
Principal Ionospheric Effects
Faraday Rotation
Scintillation
measured by strength of turbulence CkL
balance of polarisation channels
present at any time at any location
9
corrupts impulse response function
post-sunset equatorial hotspot
endemic at high latitudes
Space Object Tracking Station (SOTR)
H 
US DoD recentely decided Biomass cannot operate when in visibility of
the SOTR’s
H 
Minor impact on estimates of tropical land-use fluxes from deforestation
and regrowth as main sources are in tropical forests and boreal forests
H 
Loss of coverage over the US, Canada and Europe of limited impact,
10
mitigated by their existing
highly developed forest inventory systems
CoReH20
I ESA UNCLASSIFIED
– For Official Use
11
CoReH20 Mission Goals
Measurements of Snow Water Equivalent
(SWE) and Snow Extent (SNEX) globally,
with high resolution, high accuracy and
temporal revisit
Objectives:
I 
Quantify fresh water in terrestrial
and glacier snow
I 
Evaluate and reduce uncertainty of
snow water storage and budgets
I 
Validate and improve hydrological
processes in NWP models
I 
Validate snow and ice processes in
global climate models
H Summary of Earth science questions
addressed by CoReH2O
12
CoReH20 Observation Concept
–  Observation concept
– 
X/Ku-band simultaneous SAR observations at VV-VH
polarisations
– 
Snow & Sea Ice areas coverage with wide swath (100 km)
–  Mission profile: highly repeatable and automated mission
– 
Phase 1 (year 1 & 2): 3 days revisit (~666 km altitude)
– 
Phase 2 (year 3+): 15 days revisit (~645 km altitude)
H 15-18% orbit duty cycle
Backscatter contributions:
Volume, surface, and interaction terms
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H Snow & Sea Ice
coverage areas
CoReH2O Overview of Implementation
Mass
1200 kg
Power
~3.5 kW
Peak Power
I Satellite concept A
Size
4.2-4.3 m by 1.8 m
reflector
I Main parameters (both
concepts)
I Satellite concept B
I Launchers & interfaces
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Need of airborne demonstrator
Ku-band mini-SAR
–  Objectives
– 
Fill 17.2 GHz Ku-band gap in
airborne imaging capacity
(CoReH2O frequency)
– 
Document the backscattering
signatures of snow and other
terrain types at X- and Ku-band
– 
Validate theoretical scattering
models/retrievals
– 
Support mission end-to-end
simulation
–  Experiment details
– 
Adaptation of airborne FMCW
SAR system completed by Jan
2011 (6 months after start)
– 
First airborne campaign in March
2011 in Sodankyla, Northern
Finland
ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official
15 Use
Ku-band mini-SAR
Status
–  Processing chain for X- and Ku-band
sensors developed and validated
–  Technical performance of instrument
characterised (suitability for CoReH2O
simulation confirmed)
–  “First-ever” radar images at the
CoReH2O Ku-band frequency of 17.2
GHz acquired
–  First retrievals using SAR data to Level
2 (SWE map on the right in mm) and
comparison to in-situ SWE
measurements (indicated by stars on the
right). The retrieved SWE map meets
the requirements (±30 mm for SWE
≤300 mm)
ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official
16 Use
PREMIER
17
PREMIER Mission overview
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H MIPAS
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PREMIER observation concept
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Overview implementation concepts
Satellite configuration
I Concept
B
I Concept
A
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PREMIER End to End Simulator
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Earth Explorer 7: Future Milestones
–  Phase A (“feasibility study phase”) system level activities to be
completed at end 2012, including supporting scientific and
technology studies
–  To document the results from phase A the Agency produced a
series of Reports for Mission Selection (ESA SP-1324) as an
input to the review and selection process
–  http://www.esa.int/esaLP/
–  Assuming proper subscription at the CMIN-12, results of the
feasibility phase will be presented at a User Consultation
Meeting (UCM) on 5-6 March 2013 in Graz, Autria and
final selection by ESA PB-EO in May 2013
M. Drinkwater | IGARSS'12 | July 2012 | Slide 22
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Earth Explorer 8
Status: Phase A/B1 activities have now started for both mission
candidates
M. Drinkwater | IGARSS'12 | July 2012 | Slide 23
H 
CarbonSat: to quantify and monitor the
distribution of carbon dioxide and
methane -> for a better understanding of
the sources and sinks of these two gases
and how they are linked to climate
change.
H 
FLEX: to provide global maps of
vegetation fluorescence, which can be
converted into an indicator of
photosynthetic activity -> to improve our
understanding of how much carbon is
stored in plants and their role in the
carbon and water cycles
Earth Explorer 8: CarbonSat
CarbonSat: to quantify and monitor the distribution of carbon dioxide and methane
=> better understanding of the sources and sinks of these two gases and how they are linked
to climate change.
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CarbonSat
Scientific and societally-relevant objectives:
H  to quantify magnitudes and spatial and temporal distributions of CO2
and CH4 sources and sinks from regional local scales;
H  to identify the CO2 uptake mechanisms of the terrestrial biosphere and
oceans;
H  to determine the response of CO2 and CH4 sources and sinks to a
changing climate;
H  to contribute to treaty verification of UNFCCC and post-Copenhagen
agreements.
Flux inversion using models in conjunction with measurements of CO2 and
CH4 fields will allow scientists to quantify anthropogenic and natural
sources and sinks of CH4 and CO2 from local to global scale from space
for the first time.
25
Earth Explorer 8: FLEX
FLEX: to provide global maps of vegetation fluorescence, which can be converted into an
indicator of photosynthetic activity => better understanding of how much carbon is stored in
plants and their role in the carbon and water cycles
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FLEX Objectives
Two main scientific objectives:
H  to provide, for the first time, space-based maps of vegetation fluorescence, which can be
converted into a quantitative indicator of photosynthetic efficiency rates of terrestrial
ecosystems;
H  on the strength of evidence that canopy fluorescence is closely correlated with ecosystem
carbon uptake, to provide measurements that can be used to improve models of vegetation
gross primary production
FLEX will take advantage of additional measurements provided by the Ocean and Land Colour
Instrument (OLCI) and the Sea and Land Surface Temperature radiometer (SLST) onboard
Sentinel-3 - the combined information is critical to resolve the large disagreements that exists
between different land models that attempt to simulate future atmospheric CO2 concentrations
through interactive terrestrial carbon balances
Original FLEX concept was proposed as an Earth Explorer Core Mission to the Call for EE-7
and selected for Phase-0 studies, but not retained in the down-selection for Phase-A studies of
the EE-7 candidates => optimized mission concept that takes advantage of information that will
be provided by the OLCI and SLST instruments on Sentinel-3
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Mission Advisory Structures
H 
MAG membership is solicited via open calls for membership (from ESA
Member States) here: http://missionadvice.esa.int
H 
Needs, and terms of reference governed by the kind of expertise and advice
required by ESA – thus depending on the phase of a mission
H 
Earth Explorers (EE) – Science Missions
For candidate scientific EE mission concepts in pre-development:
H 
ESA has MAGs to advise on the consolidation of baseline user
requirements, supporting study and campaign needs, and the
design trade-offs during the Phase 0 Assessment or Phase A
Feasibility phases
H 
MAG membership is recompeted at the end of Ph. 0 (downselection
of Core EE missions) and Phase A (mission selection), respectively
via open calls
For EE Missions selected for development:
H 
MAG’s typically established for Phase B, and then recompeted for
Phases C/D/E1
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Mission Advisory Structures
H 
H 
Sentinels – GMES Operational Missions
H 
GMES Sentinel-1, -2, -3, 5p MAGs already in place for remainder
of development phase
H 
No requirements advice – baseline User Requirements fixed and
originating from GMES Services (e.g Marine Core Service,
Geoland, Atmospheric Service, SAFER etc).
H 
Development phase advice primarily on performance issues,
supporting study and campaign needs, product definition, and
calibration/validation needs
Future MAG membership calls
H 
All forthcoming MAG calls will be notified to the scientific
community via ESA delegation, and via ESA’s Living Planet web
site: http://www.esa.int/livingplanet
H 
Opportunities via future calls for EE7, EE8,EEx, EE9, and S-4/-5
MAG
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Thank you for
your attention
[email protected]
European Space Agency
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