|
CVB |
| Center for Image Processing |
| Keywords |
SPOT-VEGETATION, METOP-AVHRR, data processing &
distribution centre, worldwide data dissemination |
Project Objectives
The CVB projects frame in the international Earth observation programme of SPOT-VEGETATION. In May 1994 a cooperation agreement was signed between the European Union, the "Centre national français d'Etudes spatiales" (CNES, France), the Swedish and Italian space agencies and the Belgian Federal Science Policy. Within this program Belgium was and is responsible for the development and the exploitation of the processing and archiving facility of all SPOT-VEGETATION data; both the VEGETATION-1 data captured on board SPOT-4 and the VEGETATION-2 data from SPOT-5.
The first contract (“CTIV - Centre de Traitement d’Images VEGETATION”) between VITO and the Belgian Science Policy was signed in 1998 and lasted until 2003. It was followed by a second contract (CVB-1) for the period 2003-2010. Today, the third contract is running (CVB-2) in the framework of SPOT-VEGETATION; it started on April 1, 2009 and lasts till December 2013.
The CVB contracts covers the following activities:
- Operational Processing and Archiving Facility (PAF) service for VEGETATION-1, VEGETATION-2, METOP-AVHRR: data archiving, production and distribution
- VGT-proxy: coordination of the VGT ground segments
- APEX: Operational exploitation of the imaging spectrometer APEX (Airborne Prism Experiment) and processing and archiving of all acquired data
- Common System: the design and exploitation of a common earth observation system as a basis for future global land observation missions
- Commercial operator for SPOT-VGT products.
Methodology
CVB originated from the CTIV PAF, designed mainly by CNES and implemented mainly by an industrial partner (Trasys Space), with VITO as operator of the system.
Over the years, VITO took over the design and implementation roles as well and is preparing the future by the development of a common system for earth observation.
APEX: the dedicated APEX PAF has been integrated into the common system. An APEX operations team has been set up to offer operational services to the user community.
(Expected) Results
The CVB activity is aimed at consolidating the VITO position in the European Earth observation community and prepares a VITO role for future global land monitoring services (possibly in a GMES context).
APEX is operational and offers hyperspectral data to the broader science community. The APEX Processing and Archiving Facility (PAF), as part of the common system, is used to process the huge amount of data.
VITO Contribution
The CTIV takes care of the operational processing, archiving and distribution of VEGETATION products. This includes provisioning a long term archive for the VEGETATION imagery and products. VITO introduced a scientific framework around the VEGETATION programme comprising time-series analysis.
APEX: VITO is responsible for the flight operations, imaging acquisitions and processing (radiometric, geometric, atmospheric) and strongly involved in the calibration.
Partners
The CVB project is entirely executed by VITO (and it’s subcontractors, mainly Trasys Space). It is a project in the frame of the international Earth observation programme of SPOT-VEGETATION. Its partners consist of the European Union, the "Centre National français d'Etudes Spatiales" (CNES, France), the Swedish and Italian space agencies and the Belgian Federal Science Policy.
APEX: while VITO is the main responsible for the APEX operations and processing, the Remote Sensing Laboratories (RSL, University of Zurich, CH) focus more on the scientific aspects of the project.
Illustration
VEGETATION sample images
Left: Mountains and fog in China - Right: Typhoon Melor in China
The APEX internet portal
