ESRIN hosts working group on calibration and validation of satellite sensors

All the major space agencies were represented at this, the 18th meeting of the Committee for Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Calibration and Validation WGCV. The CEOS was created in 1984, on the recommendation of the Panel of Experts on Remote Sensing from Space, under the aegis of the G7 Working Group on Growth, Technology and Employment, in recognition of the multidisciplinary nature of satellite Earth observation and the value of coordination. The CEOS combined the previously existing groups for Coordination on Ocean Remote Sensing Satellites (CORSS) and Coordination on Land Observation Satellites (CLOS), and established a broad framework for coordinating all spaceborne Earth Observation missions.

The WGCV has five subgroups:

• Infrared and Visible Optical Sensors (IVOS)
• Land Product Validation (LPV)
• Microwave Sensors
• SAR Calibration
• Terrain Mapping

The IVOS subgroup is particularly interested in the importance of intercalibration and comparison of the ground-based instruments used to validate satellite products. ESA partly funded the IVOS workshop, hosted by the University of Miami, from 28 May to 1 June 2001. A report of this meeting was presented to the WGCV, highlighting the importance of these activities.

A well-attended and fruitful meeting of the SAR subgroup was held at NASDA, Tokyo, from 2 to 5 April 2001. This meeting identified an important need for consistent long-term datasets; a need which could be remedied by greater cooperation between the various space agencies.

Immediately after the WGCV, the LPV subgroup met in a meeting hosted by ESA and chaired by NASA. ESRIN will also host the Global Observation of Forest Cover Steering Committee from 12 to 14 June 2001.

As part of the WGCV meeting, participants were taken on a tour of the Envisat processing facilities at ESRIN. Envisat is ESA’s new Earth observation satellite, scheduled for launch in October this year. ESA staff took the opportunity of explaining the calibration and validation of the instruments onboard Envisat to demonstrate ESA’s approach to calibration and validation.

At the 15th CEOS plenary session, to be held in Kyoto in November, ESA will take over the chair of CEOS from MEXT/NASDA.

For further information please contact:

Yves Louis Desnos
Phone: + 39 06 941 80 606
Fax: +39 06 941 80 552
email: Yves-Louis.Desnos@esa.int

Simonetta Cheli
Head of Public and Institutional Relations
Phone: + 39 06 941 80 350
Fax: +39 06 80 352
email: Simonetta.Cheli@esa.int