GMES Preparatory Activities Architecture

To address the range of issues that these requirements represent, ESA is starting four parallel activities to define different aspects of the overall GMES space segment architecture. These are

• Elaboration of a long term (2015-2030) scenario for implementation of the GMES EO component

  The conception and implementation of the GMES Space component must be driven by a long term perspective on what the EO system may look like in 2030, what the operational service portfolio will be, how these services will be delivered and what will be the pattern for evolving from currently available and planned European space assets to the system envisaged for the 2030 timeframe. The analysis will be based on scenarios that consider both trends within the space segment as well as political, economic, technology and organisational issues driving the context within which GMES services will be operated and delivered.

• Analysis of Services Evolution in the period to 2015

  The overall aim of this work is to analyse the evolution of GMES services over the next decade, assess the requirements arising from this evolution and formulate designs for operational implementation of service production, delivery and use.

  The prime objective is to generate clear and convincing answers to the following questions:

  • ­

  • What is the full portfolio of GMES services in 2015 and who are they delivered to?

    ­

  • How can operational delivery and use of GMES services be organised?

     

  • What are the key steps and required developments to progressively roll-out GMES services ?

   

  There are two starting points for this analysis:

• A detailed specification of the service segment architecture and implementation design for a few selected services based on current capabilities and developments already underway

   

• A future outlook assessing factors driving the evolving context in which GMES services will be provided.

   

  The service segment architecture specification will include consideration of interfaces to space and ground segments for EO data access, interface to in-situ data gathering systems and consider the organisational structure and division of responsibilities within the various user communities.

  The future outlook shall encompass as wide a vision of GMES as possible beyond direct environment policies presently addressed by on-going activities (such as GMES Services Element contracts and Integrated Projects). This shall be ensured by the participation of different dedicated teams of specialists within the contract. Each group of specialists shall rapidly explore a particular area with respect to new perspectives that may have significant impact on the evolution of GMES services in the mid-term (2008 - 2015) and beyond. Example perspectives to be addressed include the citizen, security and global change. These perspectives shall be integrated into a coherent framework to elaborate more specific implications, requirements and constraints on how services shall evolve and what are the associated requirements to support this evolution.

  This shall provide the following outputs:

  • requirements for implementation of all aspects of GMES in the next phase, including infrastructure (eg data collection, processing, assimilation, modelling, service delivery and utilisation), capabilities, critical technologies and interfaces with third parties.

     

  • a specification of the GMES service portfolio in 2015 and a set of scenarios for service production, delivery and use.

     

  • identified conditions for evolution of services to operational status,

     

  • basic requirements (in the longer term) for the overall architectural structure of the GMES implementation.

   

• Ground Segment definition for the period 2005-2015

  This activity shall define the technical specifications and implementation plans to incorporate the Sentinel satellites in the Multi-Mission and distributed Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) infrastructure on the 2005-2015 timescale. Two main lines of activity are being executed:

  • Interoperability analysis – detailed analysis and definition of an operational concept and harmonised interface for the multi-mission EO data provision of GMES Services users to build up a flexible and cost effective GMES environment with multiple EO data providers and satellite segment owners and building on experience gained under the Oxygen Initiative.

     

  • Detailed Payload Data Ground Segment architecture studies – this will define the multi-mission PDGS architecture to be applied to the GMES Sentinels, specifying the modules and interfaces. This will include consideration of impact on current and planned ground systems, review of the PDS operational concept and definition of the system development, maintenance and enhancement concept.

   

• Analysis of GMES Space Missions Status and Evolution in the period to 2015

  Considering the five Sentinel families to be initially implemented (as continuity missions in the wider landscape of European EO missions) the study will address the main architecture issues for the space segment.This will include consideration of possible trends in the overall mission design and studying the impact of different satellite and instrument concepts. To identify the interfaces and interface requirements, the processing chain shall be analyzed and its elements identified and characterized and the resulting operation / utilization concept will be derived. This will allow the derivation of high-level functional specifications on the system, its elements and its interfaces. Specific ways to reduce cost and to improve adequacy for the satellite and for the whole space mission will be identified.

  The tools to achieve this will include commonality in instrumentations and/or platform, use of emerging technologies, allocation of tasks to the right elements, identification of existing elements able to fulfill the requirements and alternative launch philosophies and procurement procedures. Design to cost approaches and the resulting impact on quality or quantity of delivered data will be also investigated. All the cost reduction exercise will be done within the overall constraints provided by the need for a long lasting operational system. At the end realistic cost reduction alternatives for the different type of missions will be identified. These alternatives will be projected in time to identify different time horizons associated to different cost reduction levels.