ESA EO Operations Framework (EOF)
– CSC –
Ground Segment Architecture
APPROVAL
Title | ESA EO Operations Framework (EOF) – CSC – Ground Segment Architecture | |||||
Issue Number | 1 | Revision Number | 5 | |||
Author | CSC GS System Architect | |||||
Approved By | ||||||
Head Copernicus Ground Segment Services, H/EOP-GCS | ||||||
Head Copernicus Ground Segment Systems, H/EOP-GCY | ||||||
Head Copernicus Ground Segment and Data management Division, H/EOP-GC | ||||||
CHANGE LOG
CSC Operations ESA Framework Ground Segment Architecture | Issue Nr | Revision Number | Date |
First Issue | 1 | 0 | 2019-10-20 |
First update after 2019 Checkpoint | 1 | 1 | 2020-03-11 |
Update for 2020 Checkpoint | 1 | 2 | 2021-01-18 |
Intermediate update for Data Access scope | 1 | 3 | 2021-11-04 |
Update for 2022 Checkpoint | 1 | 4 | 2022-09-13 |
Update for 2024 Checkpoint | 1 | 5 | 2024-03-22 |
CHANGE RECORD
Issue Number | 1 | Revision Number | 5 | |
Reason for change | Date | Pages | Paragraph(s) | |
Addressing comments from 2022 Checkpoint and updates from CSC GS Operations Team | many | many | ||
DISTRIBUTION
Name/Organisational Unit |
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Table of Contents
2.3. Purpose of this document 11
2.5. Applicable and Reference Documents 12
2.5.1. Applicable Documents 12
2.6. Acronyms and Definitions 13
4.1. EOF Architecture Principles 18
4.2. EOF High Level Architecture 20
4.3. EOF Ground Segment Architecture components 23
4.3.2.1. X-Band Acquisition 27
4.3.2.3. Ka-Band Acquisition 34
4.3.2.4. Mission Data Acquisition Service (MDAS) for CO2M 38
4.3.3. Production and routine quality control 38
4.3.3.1. Systematic Production 39
4.3.3.2. On-Demand Production 46
4.3.4. Auxiliary Data Gathering 51
4.3.5. Instrument data processing algorithm and Operational Processor maintenance 54
4.3.6. Calibration and Validation 56
4.3.7. Precise Orbit Determination 58
4.3.11. Operations Traceability service 75
4.3.12. End-to-End Operations Performance Monitoring 76
4.3.13. Services Operations Coordination 80
4.3.14. Security Monitoring 81
4.3.15. Benchmarking Service 82
4.3.16. Flight Operations Services 83
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The overall system architecture for the Copernicus Space Component (CSC) and its evolution have been defined on the basis of user requirements coordinated by the European Commission. The Long-Term Scenario (LTS) describes the main elements of this architecture and is maintained and evolved in an iterative process in close interaction with the European Commission (COM), EUMETSAT and Copernicus Participating States.
ESA needs to guarantee the continuity of the on-going operations with the maximum level of performances for the flying Copernicus Sentinels while facing the technical and financial challenges to adapt to the evolutions of the CSC architecture.
A transformation process for the CSC GS was established in 2018 in based on a clear set of principles and a target architecture. The principles (management and architectural) are referred hereafter as the ESA EO Operations Framework (EOF).
The EOF encompasses all the activities necessary to successfully deliver the expected level of CSC operations entrusted to ESA (i.e. establishment and maintenance of the new baseline, procurement actions, operations management, reporting, etc.).
The EOF is documented throughout a complete package describing and specifying the applicable operational concepts as well as the architecture and procurement evolutions to be adopted for establishing the future CSC operations baseline (in particular with respects to the future Expansion Missions, associated with the necessary cost information to size the proposed approach and potential trade-offs).
The EOF implementation is based on service architecture with well-identified components that exchange data through Internet respecting defined interfaces. A service presents a simple interface to its consumer that abstracts away the underlying complexity. Combined with deployments on public cloud infrastructure, the service approach shall offer large adaptability to evolution of the operational scenarios in particular for what regards scalability.
Since 2019, the Copernicus ground segment operations have been transferred to cloud based environments (in anticipation of the enlargement of the Copernicus Sentinel missions and in response to the ever-increasing demand for Copernicus data) and the service-oriented approach for each component of the CSC ground segment operations has been strengthened to enhance competitiveness, prevent industrial and technical lock-in and introduce the necessary operational flexibility and transparency to allow the adaptation of the Copernicus Ground Segment to future challenges.
Within this context, this document outlines the Ground Segment Architecture as targeted and as implemented following the Ground Segment transformation phase during the period 2019-2022. This transformed architecture is referred as EOF Copernicus Space Component GS Architecture in this document or simply as EOF CSC GS Architecture.
This Architecture is a representation of the overall CSC Operations in terms of functional decomposition and operational data flows views. The high level architecture corresponds to the first layer of implementation and supports the implementation and the execution of all the activities related to the corresponding operational services and related procurements. The architecture reflects the fundamental principles supporting all aspects of the system, making it robust, scalable, efficient in cost and sustainable for the next 10 years without relying on unknown technological progress whilst being sufficiently flexible to benefit from any relevant future evolutions.
Introduction
Background
The Copernicus Space Component has been established as one of the largest and most proficient Earth Observation infrastructure in the world. With seven high-performance satellites put in orbit the system has evolved at a breath-taking pace.
The Copernicus operations have generated more than 70 PBytes of data. Central to the programme, the current CSC fuels the operational Copernicus Services but also provides a reliable and growing data stream for numerous new applications and services.
The current CSC has also triggered large application oriented technological developments, such as in the domain of Big Data management, as exemplified by the Data and Information Access Services (DIAS) and further evolved in Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem (CDSE).
The intense use and increased awareness for the potential of Copernicus have generated great expectations for an evolved Copernicus system.
User and observation requirements have been identified, structured and prioritized in a continuous reflection process led by the EC. Future missions have been discussed in the context of four observational capability families:
- Microwave Imaging Family,
- Optical Imaging Family,
- Topographic Measurement Family
- Spectroscopic Atmosphere Measurement Family.
Two sets of missions have emerged, that correspond respectively to the enlargement of the present measurements through the introduction of new missions and to a more progressive improvement of the current measurement capabilities, mostly by means of new generation of similar instrumentation compared to the ones currently deployed.
The CSC operations entrusted to ESA for Sentinel-1, -2, -3 A&B and Sentinel-5P deliver outstanding results, with more than 700 PB of delivered Sentinel data to registered users around the globe (2024/03).