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CONTENTSCommentary
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites(CEOS)
CEOS Working Group Structure
Review of Past Activities: The CEOS Dossier---This page
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
Review of Past Activities:The CEOS Dossier
Huw Hopkins
Manager of Earth Observation Data Policy, ESA
It is generally recognized that there is a need for the international space agencies to provide complementary measurements on different Earth observation missions so that, within financial constraints, the maximum range of measurements can be made in support of environmental and other programmes.
- This requires collaboration between agencies to avoid omissions and
unnecessary duplication of measurements; and interaction with the user
programmes to ensure the correct measurements are made. CEOS provide the
forum for space agencies to interact and coordinate their programmes and
to enter into a dialogue with users.
As part of the ongoing to effort to strengthen dialogue between the satellite data providers and the data users, the fifth CEOS plenary meeting in December 1991 resolved to compile a dossier of satellite missions, instrumentation and the ground segments and to collate information on international environmental programmes-particularly in relation to their satellite data requirements.
Subsequently, the British National Space Centre(BNSC), in its role as the 1992 CEOS Secretariat, commissioned the production of a series of documents to set out the current and future plans of CEOS members, and their relation to the needs of the observers and affiliates. After a series of revisions, the final set of draft documents produced during 1992 comprised three volumes-as shown below. In addition, an edited version of Volumes I & II was issued in support of the June 1992 UNCED conference in Rio, presenting the contribution of EO missions towards addressing global environmental problems.
The draft dossiers were all well received at the 1992 CEOS Plenary meeting in London and the concept of 'the CEOS Dossier' was accepted as a success- due mainly to the enthusiastic co-operation of all contributing members and affiliates. It was agreed at the meeting that the true value of the dossier would be as a 'living' document-updated annually to take account of the evolving nature of both the plans of the space agencies and the requirements of the affiliate users.
At the 1992 Plenary it was decided to establish a multiparty distributed secretariat to share the administrative functions of CEOS. Under this arrangement the European Space Agency(ESA) accepted responsibility for updates to the 3 volumes of the CEOS Dossier, and to consider the requirement for future versions of the UNCED 'yearbook'. ESA has since commissioned the production of the 1993 version of the CEOS Dossier and progress is well underway in collating the updated plans from both members and affiliates. The 3volumes will be re-issued in good time for the Tokyo plenary in November.
Volume II of CEOS Dossier was entitled "The Relevance of Satellite Missions to Global Environmental Programmes" and might be regarded as the 'applications' volume of the current dossier. As key users of satellite data, global environmental programmes were the focus for the first CEOS applications volume. Future volumes of the dossier could feature applications of concern to other key users groups. Such a suggestion has already been made to CEOS by the Canadian Space Agency(CSA) which has proposed that the plenary investigate the production of a 'CEOS Dossier on Resource Management'. The CSA plans to submit a detailed proposal for the dossier at the seventh CEOS Plenary in November. The CEOS Working Group on Calibration and Validation has also proposed a 'Cal-Val Dossier' detailing the capabilities of member agencies and the procedures involved for different types of instrument.
Further work leading from the CEOS Dossier is being undertaken by the CEC, which is producing a document comparing the availability of data from satellites with the data requirements for environmental monitoring and research programmes for Europe. The CEC plans to present a draft paper on the work to the November plenary.
The 1992 CEOS Dossiers
Volume I
A statement of satellite missions of CEOS members
* a list of missions, status, launch date, orbit, instruments &
applications
* alphabetical list of all instruments
* a detailed description of each mission and its instrumentation (Draft
pub. June 1992)
Volume II
The Relevance of Satellite Missions to Global Environmental Programmes
* a description of international environmental programmes and agencies
and their data requirements
* a correlation of satellite measurements with environmental programme
requirements
* an analysis of the adequacy of data provision (Draft pub. June 1992)
Volume III
Space Agency Ground Segment Infrastructure
* >the role and achievements of CEOS working groups with regard to
data management
* space agency data reception, processing and archiving facilities
* full details of all space agency products
* space agency catalogues and distribution mechanisms (Draft pub. December
1992)
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