Consequently,
Co3d space mission, how map:
Four new generation satellites will leave Kourou, Guyana, July 25, aboard a VEGA-C rocket.
The CO3D mission, devoted to three -dimensional cartography of the globe emerged, is based on many technological innovations. Similarly, His main challenge? Moreover, Cover a considerable surface with a precision of the order of the meter. Therefore, also imagining mobile objects such as vehicles or plumes of smoke, while based on fully automated treatments to reduce production costs.
The CO3D mission. Consequently, developed jointly by the National Center for Spatial Studies (CNES) and Airbus, must provide a mapping of reliefs, which is called in the field “digital surface models”, for well identified needs-whether civil or military-, but also to develop new uses of this 3D information, still unsuspected, whether by research organizations or start-ups.
Why map the earth in 3D?
The data acquired by the CO3D mission co3d space mission, how map will allow the land to be monitored from space. In addition, Thus, scientists can for example follow the variations in the volume of glaciers or snowy coats in the mountains.
They will also be able to study the evolution of the coastline. Consequently, the collapse of the cliffs, and thus simulate the impact of the rise of the level of the seas on the coastal land.
The 3D cartography of biomass also makes it possible to follow on a large scale the deforestation or. However, more locally, the evolution of the vegetation of cities and the management of heat islands.
All of these data. Similarly, which form one of the basic bricks of digital twins, are essential to better understand the impact of climate change on ecosystems and territories.
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Beyond science, precise 3D modeling is an essential tool for public sector players such as communities or civil security. Moreover, The latter use 3D data in the context of regional planning. However, management of spaces such as flood zones or for precise knowledge of land in the event of crisis management following a natural disaster.
For example. in the event of an earthquake, observation satellites are activated to assess large -scale damage in order to help help to prioritize their interventions, but also to assess the reconstructions to be expected. These operations are achievable with classic 2D imaging. but estimating the collapse of a building floor with co3d space mission, how map a simple vertical view is not necessarily suitable, unlike 3D imaging which allows the heights to be directly measured.
In terms of defense. CO3D data will help, for example, prepare airplane or low -altitude drone aircraft or vehicle and troop deployment.
Co3d space mission, how map
How does this new 3D imaging work?
The constellation revolves around four satellites built by Airbus. a mass of 285 kilograms each and an eight -year lifespan, making it possible to acquire color images of a resolution of 50 centimeters – that is to say the necessary resolution to produce digital surface models with an altimetric precision of about one meter.
The four satellites will be grouped into two pairs positioned on the same orbit (502 kilometers above sea level), but in opposition in order to reduce the necessary time for satellites to return to photograph the same site.
The principle of generation of digital surface models from images is the one that allows us to see in. three dimensions: stereoscopic vision. The images of a site on earth are acquired by two satellites with a different angle as do our eyes. The parallax measured between the two images allows. thanks to powerful software, to calculate the third dimension as our brain does.
In addition, the images being acquired with two different satellites that can be temporarily synchronized, it is possible to restore in 3D mobile objects, such as vehicles, plumes of smoke, waves, etc. This capacity. never carried out by previous missions, should improve the quality of digital surface models and open the field to new applications.
The colors available are red. green, blue but also close infrared, which allows you to have natural color images as our eyes see, but also to increase the ability to differentiate materials, beyond what human vision can do. For example. a sports field appearing in green in natural color can be discriminated against in grass or synthetic thanks to the close infrared. Note that the native resolution of 50 centimeters in co3d space mission, how map the close infrared is unequaled to date by other space missions. For example. it will automatically generate precise water and vegetation cards that are automatic production aids from our metric precision digital models.
The satellites each have the capacity to acquire around 6. 500 images per day but despite this, it will take approximately four years to cover all the expected emerged land and produce the associated data; An elementary image with an footprint of 35 square kilometers, it will take approximately 3.5 million couples of stereoscopic images to cover the 120 million square kilometers.
Co3d space mission. how map
A lot of work on the ground to make the most of the data
Many innovations also concern the planning of the mission and the treatments carried out on the ground.
Optical satellites not seeing through the clouds. taking into account the coolest weather forecasts possible is a key element in co3d space mission, how map data collection performance. Indeed, the satellites are very agile and they can be piloted to observe between the clouds. With CO3D, the weather forecast is refreshed with each orbit, namely fifteen times a day.
The volume of data to be generated to cover the world in 4 years is considerable, around 6,000 teraoctets (the equivalent of one million DVDs). The only possible solution to achieve this objective in a constrained period. reduced costs has been for the CNES to develop robust treatment chains, without co3d space mission, how map manual recovery and massively parallelized in a cloud secure.
The CNES also develops an image calibration center. devoted to the CO3D mission, which will be responsible, during the six months following the launch, to make the settings of the satellites, instruments and processing software that will allow the best possible quality of images. After these phases de qualification Satellites. data, 3D maps will be accessible to the institutional partners of the CNES (scientists, local authorities or research and development teams) as they are produced.
Subsequently, after a large-scale production demonstration phase of eighteen months, Airbus will also market data for its customers.
A few days before the launch. the satellite preparation campaign is in full swing in Kourou and all the development and operations teams finalize the latest adjustments to start the stimulating and flight recipe activities, the satellite positioning activities on their final orbit, starting the equipment of satellites co3d space mission, how map and their instruments, then adjusting the parameters of the treatments applied to the ground.
Co3d space mission, how map
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