IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - September 2017 - 20

promising use cases not satisfied by the existing Copernicus infrastructure. To achieve this, different users were
scored according to their market parameters, and an analysis of the technical maturity of the services was performed.
This article presents the quantitative results of the userscoring methodology and provides a service-score (SS)
breakdown divided into different categories, concluding
with the most promising evolutionary paths for the Copernicus infrastructure.
PRIORITIZING OBSERVATION
NEEDS FOR COPERNICUS SERVICES
EO is by now a mature industry with a global infrastructure already deployed in space. Traditional EO systems
relied on large, monolithic satellites, as in the case of the
European remote sensing satellites [1], [2], Envisat [1], [3],
and similar programs. In recent years, EO satellites have
been conceived and planned as a loosely integrated infrastructure. This is the case for the Global EO System of Systems (GEOSS) [4]-[6]. GEOSS aims to create a platform of
interoperable [7], [8] space and in situ measurements, addressing critical gaps in areas such as disaster monitoring
[9], [10], energy [11], climate, weather [12], [13], and water
management [14].
Considering the wide range of possible applications
and the limitations resulting from competitive budgets
and other constraints, having a means to prioritize crossarea observations by considering both technological gaps
and user needs is crucial [15]. Traditionally, needs prioritization has been accomplished through stakeholder
consultations or expert focus groups. For instance, in one
study [16], the authors analyze and rank 152 potential
observations using expert groups from different societal
benefit areas (SBAs). While the use of expert groups is indeed valuable, it could benefit from the introduction of
more structured approaches to evaluate the different layers of the user value chain in depth.
We propose a ranking method to prioritize observed
needs in the evolution of the Copernicus/Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) system, which
is the European Union (EU) contribution to GEOSS [17].
To identify promising evolutionary paths, this article analyzes user needs and expectations for the Copernicus space
infrastructure and determines the maturity of different services within Copernicus. The proposed approach is based
on a knowledgebase of user needs and Copernicus services, codified in a relational database. It evaluates promising
use cases by analyzing the value chain of EO systems. Use
cases are created based on the intersection of user needs
and services. In addition, the proposed method ranks the
use cases to be addressed by the infrastructure in terms of
both user needs and related services. Needs are scored depending on their relative importance to users, while services are scored based on the maturity of the EO products
that are part of the service. The closer the product comes to
meeting user needs, the more mature it is considered to be.
20

This article, which was written in conjunction with
the Horizon 2020 (H2020) Operational Network of Individual Observation Nodes project [18], shows that most
Copernicus services would benefit from higher temporal
resolution. Hence, novel distributed space systems (DSSs)
can play a crucial role in improving infrastructure performance. Examples include fractionated [19] and federated satellite systems (FSSs) [20]. The concept of FSSs is
based on the application of cloud-computing principles
to space systems. FSSs envision an in-space peer-to-peer
network [21], with communication performed through
intersatellite links [22]. In [23], the authors show that, in
a low-Earth-orbit scenario, the average data-delivery latency of such a network can be reduced by a factor of ten.
In a fractionated system, different functions, such as observation and downlink, are distributed among different
spacecraft flying in formation. According to the original
fractionated-system proposals, the distribution of functions among multiple spacecraft is intended to improve
satellite upgradability, flexibility, and reconfigurability,
while reducing programmatic risks [19].
SCOPE OF COPERNICUS SERVICES
GMES/Copernicus represents a joint effort among European national space agencies, initiated at the end of the
1990s: the European Space Agency, the European Commission (EC), and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites [25]. Copernicus aims to
provide the infrastructure for sustainable environmentalmonitoring services by using EO and in situ data to ensure
the delivery of those services to end users and boost private
initiatives of EO value-added companies. The program consists of in situ, space, and service components [25], which
synergistically ensure that the main objectives of the program are achieved.
The Copernicus service component is divided into six
thematic domains. Apart from the three Earth-system
services (atmosphere, land, and marine [26], [27]), Copernicus has three cross-cutting services, namely, the emergency, climate, and security services. All Copernicus services consist of a portfolio of different products that are
derivatives of the data provided by the in situ and space
components. The space component consists of approximately 30 contributing space missions by both European
and non-European agencies, as well as the Sentinel missions
(designed based on user requirements elicited as part of the
GMES activities) [25].
Sentinel-1 is a constellation of two satellites with C-band
synthetic aperture radars; it contributes to emergency response, marine surveillance, ice monitoring, landslide detection, and other applications comprising the Copernicus
emergency, land, and marine services [28]. The mission ensures the continuity of the Envisat mission. The two Sentinel
satellites together can provide a one-day revisit over polar
regions for various products in marine service, such as ice
monitoring [29].
IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - September 2017