Topographic Correction Module at Storm (TC@Storm)

Different solar position in combination with terrain slope and aspect result in different illumination of inclined surfaces. Therefore, the retrieved satellite data cannot be accurately transformed to the spectral reflectance, which depends only on the land cover. The topographic correction should remove this effect and enable further automatic processing of higher level products. The topographic correction TC@STORM was developed as a module within the SPACE-SI automatic near-real-time image processing chain STORM. It combines physical approach with the standard Minnaert method. The total irradiance is modelled as a three-component irradiance: direct (dependent on incidence angle, sun zenith angle and slope), diffuse from the sky (dependent mainly on sky-view factor), and diffuse reflected from the terrain (dependent on sky-view factor and albedo). For computation of diffuse irradiation from the sky we assume an anisotropic brightness of the sky. We iteratively estimate a linear combination from 10 different models, to provide the best results. Dependent on the data resolution, we mask shades based on radiometric (image) or geometric properties. The method was tested on RapidEye, Landsat 8, and PROBA-V data. Final results of the correction were evaluated and statistically validated based on various topography settings and land cover classes. Images show great improvements in shaded areas

Automatic Near-Real-Time Image Processing Chain for Very High Resolution Optical Satellite Data

In response to the increasing need for automatic and fast satellite image processing SPACE-SI has developed and implemented a fully automatic image processing chain STORM that performs all processing steps from sensor-corrected optical images (level 1) to web-delivered map-ready images and products without operator's intervention. Initial development was tailored to high resolution RapidEye images, and all crucial and most challenging parts of the planned full processing chain were developed: module for automatic image orthorectification based on a physical sensor model and supported by the algorithm for automatic detection of ground control points (GCPs); atmospheric correction module, topographic corrections module that combines physical approach with Minnaert method and utilizing anisotropic illumination model; and modules for high level products generation. Various parts of the chain were implemented also for WorldView-2, THEOS, Pleiades, SPOT 6, Landsat 5-8, and PROBA-V. Support of full-frame sensor currently in development by SPACE-SI is in plan. The proposed paper focuses on the adaptation of the STORM processing chain to very high resolution multispectral images. The development concentrated on the sub-module for automatic detection of GCPs. The initially implemented two-step algorithm that worked only with rasterized vector roads and delivered GCPs with sub-pixel accuracy for the RapidEye images, was improved with the introduction of a third step: super-fine positioning of each GCP based on a reference raster chip. The added step exploits the high spatial resolution of the reference raster to improve the final matching results and to achieve pixel accuracy also on very high resolution optical satellite data

NEMO-HD: High-Resolution Microsatellite for Earth Monitoring and Observation

The Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, in collaboration with the Slovenian Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies (SPACE-SI), is developing a 40 kg microsatellite for earth monitoring and observation that is capable of resolving a Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) of 2.8 m from a design altitude of 600 km. NEMO-HD (Nanosatellite for Earth Monitoring and Observation - High Definition) is the second spacecraft that is based on SFL\u27s high-performance NEMO bus and builds upon the heritage of SFL\u27s flight-proven Generic Nanosatellite Bus (GNB). NEMO-HD will carry two optical instruments: a narrow-field instrument as well as a wide-field instrument. The narrow-field instrument will be capable of resolving 2.8 m GSD in four channels corresponding to Landsat-1, 2, 3, and 4 spectral channels (450-520 nm, 520-600 nm, 630-690 nm, and 760-900 nm). The wide-field instrument will be capable of resolving 75 m GSD or better. Both instruments are capable of recording High-Definition video at 1920 by 1080 pixels. The spacecraft will be capable of performing global imaging and real-time video streaming over Slovenia and other regions where it will be in view of the ground station. In addition, the spacecraft will also be capable of performing remote observations. NEMOHD will include the standard complement of subsystems, sensors and actuators that make up a three-axis stabilized NEMO bus. NEMO-HD will be enhanced to include a 50 Mbps X-band downlink, 128 GB of on-board storage, a high-performance instrument computer, and a power system generating 31 W at end-of-life with a 130 W-h Li-ion battery. The paper provides an overview of the NEMO-HD system design