Descripció del projecte
The beginning of the 21st century has set the geoinformation society on the challenge to focus and balance their activity on the technology-information knowledge triangle. Therefore, and based on the results of a series of studies carried out during the last 6 years, ICGC has decided to become involved, in depth, in a program for the deployment and exploitation of an Earth Observation (EO) mission based on a small satellite platform of 6units The conclusions and recommendations of previous studies relevant for this document can be summarized as follows:
· The recommended approach for the involvement of Catalonia in space EO activities is based on the use of small satellites, not only in the strict sense of a low-mass spacecraft but also in the use of the “smallsat philosophy”, allowing cost-efficient and short development time missions.
· In addition, a long term EO space program with several focused missions is considered clearly preferable to a one-shot high-profile mission.
· EO space program has been defined as a small satellite mission with a multispectral optical EO sensor, with additional secondary payloads to reinforce the E.O mission in terms of climate change and environmental impact assesment
· Finally, the data processing and distribution segment of MOTS_6U is critical for providing the EO products that constitute the main goal of the mission, and therefore have to be properly designed, organised and funded
The EO program for this industrial Ph.D has been defined with a clear primary and some secundary objectives with the will to boost EO using 6U satellite technologies:
Primary objective
To identify, monitor and map, on a repetitive and stable basis, the vulnerability and changes of our Mediterranean territory.
Secondary objectives
· Boost to the EO activities in Catalonia
· Develop EO based information services for the society
· Team up with other agencies doing similar projects
· Support other countries with similar environmental conditions and problems
This industrial Ph.D. will be driven by the following main technical requirements:
· It should carry a multispectral EO payload with: o GSD between 5 and 10 m o Swath -50km o 5 or more spectral bands in VNIR
· Secondary payload is mandatory to reinforce tha main one on environmental and climate impact assesment
· LEO circular heliosynchronous orbit at a height around 450 – 550 km
· The provider cost for the MOTS_6U system, including flight model, ground station(s), launch, launch insurance and formation of the EO program local team should be around 1.1 M
