The document discusses the evolution of the European Space Agency's Earth observation ground segment to support the era of big data. It proposes a network of interconnected exploitation platforms that are open to multiple sources of funding and common governance rules. These platforms would enable large-scale exploitation of Earth observation data, stimulate innovation using this data, and maximize the impact of European Earth observation assets. The platforms would provide hosted processing, collaborative tools, and other resources to move user activities and processing to the location of the data.

1. EO Innovation Europe – Il Segemento di Terra, 20 June 2016 - Slide 1ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use
EO Innovation Europe
la evoluzione del segmento di terra
per sostenere l'era dei 'Big Data
Guenther Landgraf
European Space Agency, EO Directorate, G/S Department

2. EOEP | Page 2 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
ESA EO Ground Segment evolution strategy [September 2015]
The “big” questions:
 how will EO data be used in 5 years and 10 years from now ?
 how can Europe maximise the benefits on its public investments with EO satellites (e.g. in
terms of knowledge/information creation, of socio-economic benefits) ?
How can ESA address the above questions within the ground segment(s) with the other
EO stakeholders in Europe:
- European Commission, in particular through a partnership with DG GROW
- Public agencies in Europe (national space agencies, Eumetsat, others…)
- Industry in Europe
EO Exploitation Platform Programmatic Element

3. EOEP | Page 3 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
“traditional” data access
(pull/push)
Network of
Exploitation
Platforms
“EO Innovation
Europe”
“Big Data”
How:
 Interoperable/interconnected platforms
around a core enabling element
 Open to multi-source funding initiatives
 Common governance rules
Objectives of the network concept:
 Enabling large scale exploitation of EO data
 Stimulating the innovation with EO data
 Maximising impact of European EO assets
and preserving European independence
Heritage EO data
(e.g. Spot-1, Envisat)
Operational public
EO data
(Sentinel, Meteo)
R&D EO data
(e.g. Earth Explorers, SWOT)
Commercial
EO data
The best worldwide
EO data asset
Europe EO
Increasing data
volume & diversity
Airborne &
in-situ data
Vivid global user communities
Users R&D remote
sensing Users profit-making
services
Users
geosciences
Users public
services
5 interconnected user groups
General public,
education, media
Evolving
user expectations
EO Innovation Europe
 a network of exploitation platforms

4. EOEP | Page 4 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
Exploitation platforms
EO data
non-EO data
EO
software
ICT
resources
An innovative operations concept: users access a work environment
containing the data and resources required, as opposed to
downloading and replicating the data ‘at home’.
 A scenario for data intensive exploitation gradually complementing
the traditional operations concept for the ground segment
Exploitation platform (or community platform)
=
Virtual open and collaborative environment
bringing together:
• data centre (EO and non-EO data)
• computing resources and hosted processing
• collaborative tools (processing tools, data mining tools, user tools,
…)
• concurrent design and test bench functions
• application shops and market place functionalities
• communication tools (social network) and documentation
• accounting tools to manage resource utilisation
What is an Exploitation Platform ?
“Move User activities to the Data”

5. EOEP | Page 5 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
Examples of Exploitation Platforms
 Thematic Exploitation Platform (TEP)
https://tep.eo.esa.int

6. EOEP | Page 6 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
EO
outreach
element
=
Thematic expertise
EO
stimulating element
=
Remote sensing
expertise
EO
enabling element
=
Technical
& economic
interoperability
EO-Innovation Europe
“Users (activities) to the Data ”
Copernicus
missions data
Meteo
missions data
National
missions data
Commercial
missions data
Airborne &
in-situ data
Heritage missions
data
EO Innovation Europe
 three elements
ESA
missions data
European
EO data asset
Traditional
data access:
Data pull
Data push
New paradigm: data hosted processing

7. EOEP | Page 7 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
EO
stimulating & outreach elements
=
“value-adding layers”
acting as a front office
EO-Innovation Europe
Copernicus
missions data
Meteo
missions data
National
missions data
Commercial
missions data
Airborne &
in-situ data
Heritage missions
data
EO Innovation Europe
 the components of an exploitation platform
ESA
missions data
European
EO data
asset
Data pull
Data push
Data hosted processing
The typical components of an exploitation platform
EO
enabling element
=
“commodity layer”
acting as a back office
Data
Processing
power
exploitation
platform
front endCo-location of processing
power & data is an asset
common
enabling
elements EO data
tools

8. EOEP | Page 8 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
EO stimulating &
outreach elements
= “value-adding layers”
acting as a front office
EO-Innovation Europe
Copernicus
missions data
Meteo
missions data
National
missions data
Commercial
missions data
Airborne &
in-situ data
Heritage missions
data
EO Innovation Europe
 an architectural framework
ESA
missions data
European
EO data
asset
Data pull
Data push EO enabling element
=
“commodity layer”
acting as a back office
Data
Processing
power
Data
Processing
power
Data
Processing
power
common
enabling
elements
Data hosted processing
Mutualisation of efforts
and investments
Stimulation of science
& business
marketplaces
The mutualisation in the enabling element will
stimulate the existence of many platforms
funded by different public and private entities
in the outreach element
Network of
(few) enabling
infrastructures
Interoperability
& re-use

9. EOEP | Page 9 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
EO stimulating &
outreach elements
= “value-adding layers”
acting as a front office
EO-Innovation Europe
Copernicus
missions data
Meteo
missions data
National
missions data
Commercial
missions data
Airborne &
in-situ data
Heritage missions
data
EO Innovation Europe
 where EU and ESA Member States could act ?
ESA
missions data
European
EO data
asset
Data pull
Data push
EO enabling element
= “commodity layer”
acting as a back office
Data
Processing
power
Data
Processing
power
Data
Processing
power common
enabling
elements
Mutualisation of efforts
and investments
Stimulation of science
& business

10. EOEP | Page 10 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
EO stimulating & outreach
elements
= “value-adding layers”
EO-Innovation Europe
Copernicus
missions data
Meteo
missions data
National
missions data
Commercial
missions data
Airborne &
in-situ data
Heritage missions
data
EO Innovation Europe
 linked with large science networks and ecosystems
ESA
missions data
European
EO data
asset
Data pull
Data push
EO enabling element
= “commodity layer”
Data
Processing
power
Data
Processing
power
Data
Processing
power
platform
common
elements
Science network
#2
e.g. ERA-PLANET
Potential new networks / ecosystems
which may thrive on
EO Innovation Europe

11. EOEP | Page 11 | ESA Unclassified – For Official Use
EO
outreach
element
EO
stimulating
element
EO
enabling
element
EO-Innovation Europe
Core Ground Segments
ASI, CNES, DLR, UKSA, CSA
Core Ground Segment Eumetsat
Core Ground Segment industry
ESA Core Ground Segment
Copernicus Core Ground Segment
National missions
Meteo missions
Industry missions
ESA missions
Sentinel missions
data valorisation & discoverabilityHeritage missions
EO Ground Segment evolution strategy
EOEP-5 Block 4EOEP-5 Block 3
+ Earthnet
LTDP+
The ESA EO GS evolution strategy
 How is it addressed in proposed ESA programmes ?
+ TRP / GSP / GSTP
EC Copernicus
EC Copernicus
+ InCubed

12. ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use EO Exploitation Network of Platforms Architecture, 7 June 2016 - Slide 12
Scientific/Business
Exploitation
Data-driven Platform Layer:
e.g. linked to a mission or measurement type
Orchestration, Tools, Sensor Know-How
Data layer (DaaS)
Infrastructure layer:
standard ICT Cloud Resources
Generic ICT tools
Applications/Users working
in traditional mode
(download & process with
local resources/tools/
know-how)
Applications/Users working
with remote data/processing
using their own
tools/know-how
Applications/Users working
with remote data/
processing/ tools/know-how
integrating
problem-specific data, tools
and know-how
Community-oriented Platform Layer
Community Marketplace (e.g. thematic/regional),
Language, Knowledge Base, Tools,
Datacube, non-space data
Applications/Users using
community platform
data/processing/tools/know-
how, focussing on the
specific “business case” only
Cloud Resource Business Interop. Layer
Federated Cloud Interoperability Layer
Geospatial Resource Business Interop. Layer
Geospatial Interoperability Layer
Data Access Business Interop. Layer
Data Access Tech. Interoperability Layer
EO Mission
Data
High-level
products
Reference
Data Sets
Ancillary
Data
Interoperable Marketplace
Geospatial Marketplace Layer
NETWORK OF PLATFORMS
Network of Platforms Architecture

13. EO Innovation Europe – Il Segemento di Terra, 20 June 2016 - Slide 13ESA UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use
 Scalable processing for satellite data with your algorithm with pay-per-use/revenue
share (TBC) concepts
 Expert support for satellite usage and quality information
 Toolboxes, including pay-per-use/revenue share of commercial tools
 Visualisation environments
 Data Analytic environment to use satellite data in an “Information-as-a-service”
approach
 Conventional and Datacube storage in a community marketplace for pay-per-use
sale to further users
 Business Demonstration activities supported by ESA open call process, including
free processing with Copernicus Data Access Platform (from end 2017)
 Feedback encouraged, see emits.esa.int -> NEWS
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: EO EXPLOITATION NETWORK OF PLATFORMS ARCHITECTURE
Thematic Exploitation Platform
Services offered to GIS Industry