Canadian Space Agency contributions to R&D Support strategy (Element 3)

Yves Crevier

Canadian Space Agency

The Canadian Space Agency overarching objectives in support of the GFOI Element 3:• To support our National Forest community (government, academic

and private sectors) • To enable end-users to exploit the large amount of SAR data that is

now or will soon be available in support of their programs for forest management, ecosystem protection, carbon accounting, etc.

• Focusing our investments• Supporting and providing access to missions that meet user

requirements• Investing in operationally focused science and ensuring transition

towards operationalisation • Going beyond the science into Societal benefits

Canadian Space AgencyEngagement

Acquisitions over GFOI R&D Study Sites• Due to the commercial nature of the RADARSAT 2

mission, the CSA is restricted to supporting science related activities as identified and endorsed by the GFOI science framework under the Element 3.

• Mostly interested in the following topics:• Use of Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) for the monitoring of

forest related attributes;• Interoperability and complementarity between SAR and optical

datasets;• SAR/SAR mission interoperability;• Development of SAR-based approaches, algorithms, and

methods that are viably sustainable to support local, regional, national, continental and global forest monitoring and carbon accounting .

Canadian Space Agency

New and Archive data over GFOI R&D Study Sites

• Unprocessed and “globally distributed” RADARSAT 1

archive of limited coherent use for forest monitoring – to assess;

• Archive collected under the FCT framework – documented in support slides;

• Willingness to develop dense time series over punctual sites to support key science and demonstration activities.

Canadian Space Agency

Data provision for R&D • The CSA express its willingness to contribute new RADARSAT 2 data in the

context of Element 3;• Moving from a SOAR-based data dissemination approach to an open

sharing process as defined within a potential data service element à la GEOGLAM – assuming a secured cloud computing and data repository environment;– Require a thorough a priori identification of image products and certification of data user

organizations and individuals;– Number of scenes and access is project dependant and is to be determined;

• Operating under background mission framework;• As a counterpart, we are assuming open sharing of ground data, methods,

and derived results; • No cost to users – all processing and data costs will be covered by CSA;• Data products and processing level to be agreed with PIs;• Open to a coordinated AO on GFOI key science questions.

Canadian Space Agency

• CSA contribution to GFOI science plan can generate better understanding on issues related to SAR only, SAR/SAR and SAR/Optical data interoperability.

• As such, it is expected that the key science requirements, articulated in the context of Element 3, represent the position of the Global federated community under GFOI.

• In this context, the CSA Earth Observation programs (for data, science and demonstration) will remain available to support innovative development of solutions.

• Data requests will need to comply to the Canadian Remote Sensing Space System Act (RSSSA) and underlying Master Agreement principles between the Crown and MDA

Canadian Space AgencySummary

Support slides

Acquisition Between Feb 2011 to end of Sept 2011 (NDs)

• Full or partial wet and dry coverage for the following NDs (details next slide) :– Borneo, Cameroon, Columbia, Mexico, Sumatra,

Tanzania– Continued planning for 2 national coverages– Total number of images acquired: 727– No data processing or data distribution during

this period– Currently addressing data processing and

specific acquisitions for Tasmania and Tanzania

National Coverages StatusND Ordered by VS (in situ 2011) Dry season Wet season RADARSAT-2

Mexico Fernando Paz MEX-1, MEX-5, MEX-4, MEX-7, MEX-3

Jan-May/June Jun/Jul-Nov/Dec  

Colombia Josef Kellndorfer   Dec-March or July/August

may/June or October/Novembe

r

Dual-pol, Quad-pol,

Peru ?        

Brazil Julio Dalge        

Guyana Dirk Hoekman GUY-1, GUY-2 Jul-Sep Jan-Feb Quad-pol

Cameroon Gernot Ramminger CAM-3, CAM-4, CAM-5, CAM-6

Nov-Mar Apr-Oct  

DRC -        

Tanzania Line SteinbakkAmani ( -5.13,

38.63), Liwale (TBD)

Dec-Mar, Jun-Oct Mar-May Dual-pol, Quad-pol

Indonesia Dirk Hoekman BOR-3, SUM-2 Jul-Sep Jan-Feb Quad-pol

Australia/Tasmania Tony Milne AU-1, AU-2, AU-3      

Nepal ?        

Xingu Special Experiment Site

Josef Kellndorfer BRAX-2 jul/aug jan/feb  

Completed  Partially Completed  

Ongoing  Not covered  

Acquisition Between Feb 2011 to end of Sept 2011 (VSs)

• Acquisitions over verification sites planned on every cycles– Ten 24-day cycles during the reporting period– acquisitions performance around 85% (Details

next slide) – All acquisitions in Fine Quad (polarimetric mode)– Continued planning for VS over the next year– Total number of images acquired: 366 scenes– No data processing or data distribution during

this period– Currently addressing a request from Tanzania

Verification Sites Status

Country Verification sites Number of cycles covered (asc or desc)

MEXICO Chiapas-1 7/10

Chiapas-2 8/10

Campeche 6/10

Oaxaca 8/10

Hidalgo 3/10

Nuevo Leon 8/10

Michoacan 7/10

COLUMBIA Andes-Huila 9/10

Choco-Cajambre 8/10

Pacifico-Bajo_Mira 7/10

Amazonia-Tinigua 7/10

Andes-Antioquia 10/10

PERU Bosques de Pomac 9/10

Alpahuayo Mishana 7/10

Manglares de Tumbes 10/10

San Matias San Carlos 9/10

Cordillera Azul 8/10

Cuenca baja del VRAE 8/10

Ambito de Barranquita 9/10

BRAZIL Xingu-1 9/10

Xingu-2 10/10

GUYANA WUR-FRA-SAR-1 0/10GFC-1 10/10GFC-2 7/10GFC-3 10/10Fairview 9/10Crashwater-N. Rupununi

9/10

Apoteri 7/10CAMEROON East Region (Ndelele) 8/10

Adamawa Region (tibati)

7/10

Adamawa Region (Mbakaou)

7/10

TANZANIA FAO_FRA-1 8/9FAO_FRA-2 8/9FAO_FRA-3 8/9Nilo Forest Reserve 8/9

BORNEO E-Kalimantan/Sbh 10/10SW- Kalimantan 9/10SE- Kalimantan (KFCP REDD)

10/10