GSOOS
Generic Simulator of Earth Observation Optical Sensors
Project
Generic tool for the Simulation of Optical Earth Observation Sensors (GSOOS) and generation of L1B products
Skills
Use of radiative transfer models, simulation of synthetic scenes
Date
From 2019 to today
GSOOS project
GSOOS (ESA/ESTEC) is a project to develop a generic tool capable of generating synthetic data for the design and validation of satellite missions in their initial phases. The simulator is capable of producing products representative of the outputs provided by an operational processor.
The E2ES tools
The development of end-to-end mission performance simulators (E2ES) started in the late 1980s with the advent of Earth observation satellite data.
These tools aim to :
1. dimensioning new optical instruments,
2. tracing the link between user and instrument requirements through the flexibility of the parameterisation of geometry, scene and sensor models,
3. develop and test data processing algorithms.
GSOOS, an essential tool
Currently, the implementation of a new satellite mission requires the development of an associated E2ES tool, which is an costly engineering process. In this context, ESA/ESTEC is promoting the development of a generic E2ES tool (GSOOS) capable of generating synthetic data for the design and validation of satellite missions in early phases. GSOOS is capable of producing products representative of the outputs provided by an operational processor.
The role of Magellium
The Earth Observation unit is responsible for the development of the synthetic scene simulator (SS). It’s a key component within an instrument simulator framework as it provides physically-realistic input stimuli of the targets observed by the satellite instruments. Also, this component allows to perform sensitivity assessments on the instrument configuration and Level 1 data processing.
The objectives of GSOOS
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- Development of a generic end-to-end simulator for passive optical missions
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- Synthetic scene generator taking into account BRDF effects, solar glow, environmental effects, reflection and emissivity, etc, for wavelengths from visible (400 nm) to thermal (14 µm)
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- Radiative transfer modelling (MODTRAN) for various atmospheric conditions
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- Integration into the BIBLOS library
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Key partners
GMV Spain, Thalès Alenia Space France, GMV Poland
Key words
tool, data, end-to-end simulator, synthetic scenes, space mission, MODTRAN, BiBLOS
SCIENCE FOR EARTH CARE
The Earth Observation Unit of Magellium is an expert in optical space missions and geophysical and biophysical applications. The EO unit provides high level of expertise and full capacity on the whole processing chain, enabling it to respond to all projects from the greatest space orders such as ESA and CNES.