This is Earth Observation [link]
As COP 28 unfolds, ESA prompts us to reflect on the Earth's ongoing transformation.
"From above, we see it all"
Level-2 News
Successful launch of GNOMES-4 [link]
"PlanetiQ has launched its fourth generation Radio Occultation (RO) measurement satellite, GNOMES-4, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellite was successfully deployed into Low-Earth Orbit at 10:36 am PT on December 1, 2023.
GNOMES-4 is equipped with a PlanetiQ-proprietary technology sensor called Pyxis, which enables PlanetiQ to offer the highest quality GNSS-RO data for enhanced weather forecasting and atmospheric research to both government and commercial customers, such as airlines, insurance, energy, agriculture and financial services.
The data produced are temperatures, pressures and water vapor readings, similar to what a weather balloon would produce, but adds the critical capability of obtaining data over the entire globe, not just land, for better initialization of the global weather forecasting models."
Happy Birthday ICEYE-X2 [link]
"5 years ago today ICEYE launched its second satellite, ICEYE-X2. In that time it has travelled around 1.2 billion km around the earth and each day it is baked and frozen 15 times as it moves from direct sunlight into the planet's shadow. Yet it still functions as a critical part of ICEYE's satellite Fleet."
Capella to use SpaceX for two Acadia satellite launches [link]
"Capella Space will launch two radar imaging satellites on SpaceX rideshare missions after an Electron launch failure disrupted its deployment plans.
Capella announced Dec. 5 that it had arranged to fly two of its Acadia satellites on SpaceX rideshare missions in the first half of 2024."
NRO signs agreements with five commercial suppliers of electro-optical imagery [link]
"The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) announced Dec. 5 it has signed agreements with five commercial providers of electro-optical satellite imagery, including four startups that are just starting to build out their constellations.
Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Albedo Space, Hydrosat, Muon Space and Turion Space were selected for the NRO’s Strategic Commercial Enhancements program, which seeks new and emerging types of electro-optical imagery beyond what the agency already procures from Maxar, BlackSky and Planet Labs under a 2022 contract known as the Electro-Optical Commercial Layer."
ESA Entrusts Airbus for Earth Observation Standard Reference TRUTHS Mission [link]
"Airbus has been awarded the latest phase in the European Space Agency (ESA) TRUTHS mission as part of ESA’s Earth Observation Earth Watch programme.
The contract is worth €109.3 million including options and was signed at COP28 in Dubai.
The TRUTHS satellite mission will measure the Sun’s radiation and the sunlight reflected off Earth’s surface relative to an accurate reference, which will then be used to improve the climatological data sets and calibrate the observations of other satellites.
This space-based climate and calibration observing system will enable data from other satellites to be compared more easily providing greater standards of data harmonisation for even more accurate climate change forecasts."
COP28: NICFI and Bezos Earth Fund to Provide Free Satellite Images [link]
"Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) and the Bezos Earth Fund announce a new partnership to continue providing the world with free access to high-resolution satellite data to support efforts to stop the destruction of the world’s rainforests.
The partnership adds to the USD 43 million previously granted by NICFI to establish the NICFI Satellite Data programme and complements the Bezos Earth Fund’s investments in protecting tropical forests and enhancing data, monitoring and accountability."
Airbus Selected as Basemap Provider for Netherland’s Ministry of Defence [link]
"Airbus Defence and Space and the Dutch Ministry of Defence have signed a four-year agreement to provide worldwide, sharp, fresh, and up-to-date satellite imagery via the OneAtlas Basemap.
This new contract will extend the Dutch Ministry of Defence access to Airbus’ exact, curated global imagery base map layer by providing 30cm, 50cm, and 1.5m resolution imagery to support mission needs. The imagery layer will be embedded into their collaborative environment and help supply complete and consistent coverage over land surfaces."
The EarthCARE mission in ESA’s highlights in 2024 [link]
The EarthCARE mission is in ESA’s highlights for next year, expected to launch in May 2024!
"The Earth observation satellite EarthCARE (Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) is a joint venture between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The satellite will investigate the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping the infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface to better understand the evolution of Earth's temperature."
Life beyond the leak for ESA’s CryoSat [link]
"On 21 November 2023, ESA’s CryoSat satellite swapped to its back-up propulsion system after a fuel leak threatened to bring the mission to an end in 2025.
The swap has the potential to extend the life of the satellite by as much as 5 to 10 years."
Developer’s Orbit
Analyzing large vector datasets on Source Cooperative with DuckDB [link]
Check out this Jupyter Notebook on Google Colab. The notebook showcases the analysis of the 75 GB National Wetlands Inventory.
Data
NASA, Partners Launch US Greenhouse Gas Center to Share Climate Data [link]
"NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, and other United States government leaders unveiled the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center Monday during the 28th annual United Nations Climate Conference (COP28).
The center’s data catalog includes a curated collection of data sets that provide insights into greenhouse gas sources, sinks, emissions, and fluxes."
Related:
Climate TRACE is the most comprehensive and granular ghg emission dataset ever created [link]
"395075 emissions sources from hundreds of millions of data points. Climate TRACE is the most comprehensive and granular ghg emission dataset ever created.
Live now at https://climatetrace.org/"
The CO2M mission; Tracking human emissions from space [link]
"The Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (CO2M) mission will be the first satellite mission to measure how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through human activity."
Snapshots
Unrest at Anak Krakatau [link]
"Anak Krakatau is a small, unimposing volcanic island between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. However, its frequent blasts and explosions serve as a reminder of its mighty—and occasionally menacing—power."
Interesting reads
The 2023 edition of the Earth Observation (EO) Handbook by CEOS is out [link]
"Using an easy to understand language, case studies and examples, the handbook is your 101 guide to Earth Observation data and how we can use satellites to study what's happening on Earth"
Understanding climate tipping points [link]
"As the planet warms, many parts of the Earth system are undergoing large-scale changes. Ice sheets are shrinking, sea levels are rising and coral reefs are dying off.
While climate records are being continuously broken, the cumulative impact of these changes could also cause fundamental parts of the Earth system to change dramatically. These ‘tipping points’ of climate change are critical thresholds in that, if exceeded, can lead to irreversible consequences."
Minding the gap on tropical forest carbon [link]
"Tropical forests are clearly critical to Earth’s climate system, but understanding exactly how much carbon they absorb from the atmosphere, store and release is tricky to calculate, not least because measuring and reporting methods vary. With these measurements paramount for nations assessing the action they are taking to combat the climate crisis, new research shows how differences in estimates of carbon flux associated with human activity can be reconciled."
COP28 Set to Highlight Earth Observation in Climate Action [link]
"As COP28 propels global climate discussions, satellite-based Earth Observation continues to play a crucial role in the global effort against climate change. Amid technological strides, overcoming challenges in data interpretation, accessibility, and affordability is paramount. Addressing these challenges is imperative to unlock its full potential, ensuring an integral role in shaping effective strategies for environmental sustainability."
Learning
What recent developments in deep learning can we use in coregistration? [link]
Follow this recent blog post by Elise Colin on integrating deep learning into the coregistration function.