Bernard Denore 
  
ON HOW FUTURE LOW-COST REMOTE SENSING SATELLITES COULD MEET THE 
INFORMATION NEEDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS 
Bernard J. DENORE 
GEOSYS,S.L. Madrid, Spain 
bernard denore@ctv.es 
KEY WORDS: Data acquisition, monitoring, remote sensing, sustainability, user requirements 
ABSTRACT 
This paper discusses how a low cost virtual constellation of small satellites could meet the needs of 
environmental managers for timely, reliable and appropriate Earth observation data. Such a constellation 
could be established through multiple national contributions and would address the need for more 
appropriate missions (cost vs performance), easier data access and information service provision. Through 
direct local reception of multi-satellite data, users would obtain greatly improved access to a range of data, at 
much lower cost. By harmonising data reception from different satellites through agreed and appropriate 
common data transmission protocols the key features of continuity, ease of access and timely data will 
become the norm. The virtual constellation would expand as national projects are realised and added, and 
commercial systems would also find a ‘ready to go’ global ground segment in touch with local user needs. 
The feasibility and usefulness of a constellation of small satellites has been assessed through interviews with 
environmental managers and EO professionals, reviews of the uses of EO in environmental applications, and 
a series of workshops and web-based discussion fora 
1 INTRODUCTION 
According to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites over 40 satellite missions are planned for launch in the 
next 5 years promising a huge increase in global data sets of as many as 100 different geophysical variables. But as 
well as these public, global, scientific missions, led mostly by existing space-faring nations, new operators of two types 
will launch many other missions: large aerospace companies operating very high resolution imagers, and emerging 
space nations and others operating small satellites. Whilst the entry of the commercial operators promises to create $3 to 
$8 billion EO industry early in the 21st century, the economic and social value of the numerous and diverse small 
satellite systems is less clear. This paper tries to suggest how these small systems could potentially contribute to a real 
improvement in environment management by providing data direct to local decision-makers. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Satellite system type Examples Operator Objective 
High resolution land SPOT. Large public space Resource mapping 
resources Landsat, agencies 
IRS-1C 
Very high resolution IKONOS Large aerospace Detailed mapping 
companies 
Small satellites, SunSat, Emerging space nations Science 
medium-high resolution | UoSat-12 Univ. start-up companies Technology development 
“A Kitsat SME'Ss, etc Industrial policy 
National pride, etc 
  
  
  
  
Table 1. Earth resource satellite observing systems. 
The space programmes of the developed world have a focus on international scientific issues, especially global change. 
Programmes such as the European Space Agency's Living Planet Programme and NASA's Earth Observing System 
have explicit scientific objectives. Land applications oriented systems like Landsat, SPOT and the Indian IRS series 
provide quality high resolution imagery at highly subsidised prices, fulfilling a need for thematic mapping products at 
scales of around 1:50,000. 
  
70 International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B1. Amsterdam 2000. 
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