CBERS Program: An Overview

Earth Observation DirectorateSeptember 2004

Prepared by José Carlos Epiphanio (CBERS Application Program Manager) and Gilberto Câmara (Director for Earth Observation)

CBERS: China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite

Brief History Initial agreement signed in July 6th, 1988, covering CBERS-1

and 2. In 2002, both governments decided to expand the initial

agreement by including CBERS-3 and 4.

Program objectives Build a family of remote sensing satellites to support the needs

of users in earth resources applications Improve the industrial capabilities of space technology in Brazil

and China

CBERS Program Timeline

Launch Date

Operation 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

CBERS-1 1999 4 years

CBERS-2 2003 4 years

CBERS-2B 2006 4 years

CBERS-3 2008 5 years

CBERS-4 2011 5 years

CBERS Satellite Platform

Total Weight: 1500 Kg

Dimension: 1,8 x 2,0 x 2,2 m

Power: 1100W

AOCS: 3 axis stabilization

Compatible with Long March-4 launch vehicle.

Payload bit rate:

53 Mb/sec x 2 (CBERS-1,2)150 Mb/sec x 2 (CBERS-3,4)

Design already qualified in CBERS-1 and 2,

will be improved for CBERS-2B, 3 and 4

CBERS Orbit

Sun synchronous Height: 778 km Inclination: 98,48 degrees Period: 100,26 min Equator crossing time: 10:30 AM Revisit: 26 days Distance between adjacent tracks: 107 km

CBERS-2

Work Share (70% China, 30% Brazil)

Service Module

Structure BrasilThermal Control

ChinaAttitude and Orbit Control ChinaPower supply BrasilOn-board computer ChinaTelemetry Brasil

Payload Module

CCDChina

IRMSSChina

WFI BrasilData Transmission ChinaData collection Brasil

CBERS-2 being put into Long March-4B

Long March-4B

Height: 44 meters

3 stages, liquid fuel

Capacity of launching 2800 kg in sun-synchronous orbit (900km)

Total weight: 250 tons (232 tons of fuel)

Launched 6 times with success since May 1999

CBERS-2 Launch(21 October 2003)

CBERS-2

CBERS-2 Orbits

CBERS 1,2, 2B Sensor Configuration

m0.4 2.50.

71.10.

90.5 1.5 1.7 2.3

WFI 260 m (890 km)

MSS 80 m (120 km)CCD 20 m (120 km)

Built by China Built by Brazil

CBERS-1,2, 2B Sensor ConfigurationSensor Bands (m) Swath (km) Resolution (m)

CCD 0.45-0.52 120 20

0.52–0.59 120 20

0.63–0.69 120 20

0.77–0.89 120 20

0.51-0.73 120 20

IRMSS 0.76-1.10 120 80

1.55–1.75 120 80

2.08–2.35 120 80

10.4–12.5 120 160

WFI 0.63–0.69 890 260

0.77–0.89 890 260

Image CBERS-2 WFI

CBERS2-WFI – 157/124, 18/01/2004, São Paulo

WFI sensor

CBERS2-WFI – 157/124, 10/03/2004, São Paulo

WFI sensor

CB2-IRM-157/123, 18/01/2004 10/03/2004

CB2-CCDCB2-CCD

CBERS-2 IRMSS (Rio Preto, Brazil)

CB2-IRM-157/124, 24/3/2004, Catanduva (Brazil)

IRMSS sensor

CBERS2 - IRMSS x CCD (Maringá, Brazil)

CB2-IRM-159/126, 30-03-2004 CB2-CCD-159/126, 30-03-2004

CBERS-2 CCD, Minas Gerais, Brazil

CB2 – CCD 156/121- 4/11/2003 – Brazil

CBERS-2 CCD Sobradinho Dam, Brazil Dez 2003

CBERS-2 CCD, Parnaíba River Delta, Nov 2003

CBERS-2 CCD Manaus, Brazil, Dec 2003

CBERS-2 CCD, Pradópolis, Brazil, Nov 2003

CBERS 3 – 4 Sensor Configuration

m

0.4 2.30.7

1.10.9

0.5 1.5 1.7 2.1

WFI 73 m (860 km)

MSS 40 m (120 km)CCD 20 m (120 km)MUX 10 m (60 km)

PAN 5 m (60 km)

Built by China Built by Brazil

Launch Date

Res (m)

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

LANDSAT5 1984 30

LANDSAT8 2008? 25

HRV/SPOT4 1998 10/20

HRV/SPOT5 2002 20

CCDCBERS-2

2003 20

CCDCBERS-2B

2006 20

CCDCBERS-3

2007 20

LISS-3IRS-P6

2003 23

Optical Sensors (Medium Resolution, Global Coverage)

Swath (km)

Res (m)

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

MODIS (TERRA AQUA)

2500 250 2001

VEGETATION (SPOT-4/5)

2500 1000 2003

MERIS (ENVISAT) 1100 300 2002

WFI (CBERS2 CBERS2B)

890 260 2003

AWFIS (IRS) 700 65 2003

AWFI (CBERS-3) 750 70 2008

Optical Sensors (Large Swath, High Temporal Resolution)

CBERS 3/4 x LANDSAT-8

m0.4 2.30.

71.10.

90.5 1.5 1.7 2.1

CCD 20 m (120 km)MUX 10 m (60 km)

PAN 5 m (60 km)

PAN 15 m (180 km)

TM 30 m (180 km)

MSS 40 m (120 km)

WFI 73 m (860 km)

CBERS 3/4 x IRS-P6 e IRS-P5

m0.4 2.30.

71.10.

90.5 1.5 1.7 2.1

CCD 20 m (120 km)MUX 10 m (60 km)

PAN 5 m (60 km)

PAN 2.5 m (30 km - stereo)

LISS 23 m (140 km)

MSS 40 m (120 km)

WFI 73 m (860 km)

MSS 5.8 m (24 km)

AWFIS 70 m (700 km)

CBERS Ground Station

Reception &Recording System

Quality Control System

Product Generation System

Catalogue Browse System

Order Management System

Acquisition Planning System

CBERS Ground Station in Brazil

Developed by Brazilian company and INPE Major cost saving

User-centered design User requests products in a web interface Products are generated automatically User can download products via FTP

Efficiency and scalability Based on low-cost Linux PCs Totally automated, no operator intervention

Ground Station Design Principles

Low-cost hardware Standard PCs

Open software and standards Linux, GCC, Apache, PHP, MySQL, HDF, GeoTIFF, XML

Scalability and automation Modules, distributed processing

Use of Internet technology Scripting languages, Web browser

CBERS Image Distribution in Brazil (May to August 2004)

Total number of full CCD scenes distributed (145 Gb/scene)

22,460

Number of users 4960

Number of scenes produced per week 2115

Average time to process a user request 12 min

Production environment 8 PCs/Linux

FTP area for User

Data Policy for CBERS

Three different situation

Case 1: Distribution of data received at China and Brazil

Case 2: Use of on-board data recorder

Case 3: Data reception and distribution by other ground stations

Case 1 Imagens received by Brazil/China ground stations

These ground stations have unlimited access to all data collected within their footprint.

The policy for distribution of data collected by those ground stations will be decided by each operator. CRESDA can distribute all data collected by the Urumqi,

Guangzhou and Beijing ground stations according to its best interests

INPE can distribute all data collected by the Cuiaba ground station according to its best interests

CASE 2 - Images obtained by OBDR

INPE and CRESDA have exclusive rights for use of on-board data recorder for CBERS-2 and CBERS-2B

CASE 3 – Distribution of Images Outside Brazil/China

CRESDA and INPE will license a third party company that will sell access time to CBERS for international ground stations

CBERS is marketed as a LANDSAT-class satelite Access fee covers full downlink to data on ground station

footprint

Software and hardware for CBERS ground stations is provided by a company licensed by INPE and CRESDA