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CONTENTSCommentary
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites(CEOS)---This page
CEOS Working Group Structure
Review of Past Activities: The CEOS Dossier
CEOS Activity Plan for 1993
CEOS Data Exchange Principles
Resolutiom of Satellite Data Exchange Principles in Support of Global Change Research (Draft) 18 May 1993
Summary of CEOS Ad Hoc Data Policy Meeting
Summary of User Requirement Workshop
1993 CEOS Meeting Calender
Committee on EarthObservation Satellite(CEOS)
Linda Moodie
International Relations, NOAA/NESDIS, USA
CEOS was created in 1984 as a result of the international Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations and serves as the focal point for international coordination of space-related, Earth observation activities.
- Policy and technical issues of common interest related to the whole
spectrum of Earth observation satellite missions and data received from
such are addressed. CEOS encourages complementarity and compatibility among
space-borne Earth observing systems through coordination in mission planning,
promotion of full and nondiscriminatory data access, setting of data product
standards, and development of compatible data products,services, and applications.
The user community benefits directly from this international coordination.
Members are those national and international government agencies with funding and program responsibilities for a satellite Earth observation program currently operating or in the later stages of system development. CEOS members include CSIRO(Australia), INPE(Brazil), CSA(Canada), CAST(China), ESA and EUMETSAT (Europe), CNES(France), DARA(Germany), ISRO(India), ASI(Italy), STA(Japan), ROSKOMGIDROMET and RSA(Russia), SNSB(Sweden), BNSC(United Kingdom), NASA and NOAA(United States). Governmental entities with a space-based Earth observation program in the early stages of development or with a significant ground segment activity that supports CEOS member agency programs may be invited to participate as an observer. Current observers are BOST(Belgium), CCRS(Canada), NRSC(China), CEC(Commission of the European Communities), CRI(New Zealand), and NSC(Norway).
Affiliate status for other international satellite coordination groups and for international scientific and intergovernmental bodies was approved by CEOS members in November 1990. The intention was to strengthen interaction with these organizations and to foster the presentation of scientific and other user requirements to satellite and instrument providers. To date, the Global Climate Observing System, Global Ocean Observing System, International Council of Scientific Unions and its International Geosphere-Biosphere Program(IGBP), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, U.N. Environment Programme, World Climate Research Program, and World Meteorological Organization have affiliated with CEOS and have begun to participate in CEOS plenary and working group meetings.
CEOS Plenary meets at least once a year to pursue coordination, make consensus decisions on matters that can be carried out across agency programs, and provide direction to its technical working groups, which each meet up to three times a year. There are currently two working groups, each with four active subgroups.
The Working Group on Calibration and Validation(Cal/Val) was reorganized in 1991 under Canadian chairmanship. Work includes coordination of calibration/validation campaigns, exchange of technical information, and optimizing and sharing of available facilities, expertise and resources, as appropriate. The working group has a long-standing Synthetic Aperture Radar Calibration Subgroup, which continues to hold annual workshops, the next one scheduled for September 20-24, 1993 at Noordwijk, The Netherlands. In 1992 three new subgroups were created: Infrared and Visible Optical Sensors, Passive Microwave Calibration, and Terrain Mapping. Also in 1992, the working group established a newsletter, an electronic bulletin board(CEOS.WGCV.NEWS/OMNET), and a library. The first issue of the Cal/Val newsletter, which will be published twice a year, was distributed in December 1992. A calibration/validation section of the CEOS Ground Segment Dossier is underway.
The CEOS Working Group on Data(WGD) was established at the initial meeting of CEOS in 1984 to facilitate the use of data from Earth observations missions by coordinating and standardizing aspects of data management where possible. WGD now has four technical subgroups to address specific issues in detail: Data Product Format; Catalog; Network; and Auxiliary Data. In addition, WGD has established a mechanism for sharing information among its members on ground system technologies.
The primary goal of the WGD Data Product Format Subgroup is to develop and support standard data formats for digital user products from all Earth observations sensors. CEOS-compliant formats have been developed and accepted by CEOS WGD, and member agencies has agreed to incorporate them into ongoing data management planning. To further such coordination, a library of accepted formats is maintained.
The goal of the Catalog Subgroup(CS) is to promote international catalog system interoperability. Such a system allows users to determine what data of interest exist, how they can be obtained, and how other information supporting the utilization of the data can be acquired. CS coordinated the development of the CEOS International Directory Network with Coordinating Nodes in the Western Hemisphere, Asia, and Europe and drafted a document that presents guidelines and recommendations for developing internationally interoperable catalog systems. The Network Subgroup is addressing issues of user-to -user communication using ground-based networking to deliver a variety of data, including catalog(Directory, Guide, and Inventory) information,browse, and quick-look imagery, as well as raw data sets or derived data sets.
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