Sentinel-1 Collaborative Ground Segment: Concept and Examples
Potin, Pierre; Monjoux, Eric; Bargellini, Pier; Kohlhammer, Gunther; Hoersch, Bianca; Mecklenburg, Susanne
ESA, ITALY

The concept of Sentinel Collaborative Ground Segment of the GMES Space Component (GSC) has been defined to allow implementing complementary capabilities in data and data access services, not covered by the Core Ground Segment. This permits to further valorise the development of operational ground segment activities complementing the GSC Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) core elements. The collaboration provides a frame for specialised solutions to further enhance the Sentinels missions exploitation in five identified areas: Sentinels data acquisition and Quasi/Near Real Time production (direct receiving stations); complementary collaborative data products and algorithms definition; GSC data product dissemination and access (e.g. redistribution of Sentinel core data through mirror sites); development of innovative tools and applications; and complementary support to Calibration/Validation activities. The collaboration will start with national activities within ESA Member States and will rely on the set up of formal agreements as well as the technical definition of dedicated operational interfaces. ESA will ensure a guaranteed access to Sentinel data as well as some technical support depending on the collaborative activities.

The paper will describe the above concept in more details, including the process, the types of collaborative activities, the potential technical support from ESA, etc. It will also present a number of examples of planned national collaborative activities related to the use of Sentinels data.