The Document identifies the gaps in instrumentation technologies for pre-flight characterisation, onboard calibration and Fiducial Reference Measurements (FRM) used for calibration and validation
(Cal/Val) activities for the current Copernicus missions. It also addresses the measurement needs for
future Copernicus missions and gives a prioritised list of recommendations for R&D activities on
instrumentation technologies.
Four types of missions are covered based on the division used in the rest of the CCVS project: optical,
altimetry, radar and microwave and atmospheric composition.
It also gives an overview of some promising instrumentation technologies in each measurement field
for FRM that could fill the gaps for requirements not yet met for the current and future Copernicus
missions and identifies the research and development (R&D) activities needed to mature these
example technologies. The Document does not provide an exhaustive list of all the new technologies
being developed but will give a few examples for each field to show what efforts are being made to fill
the gaps. None of the examples is promoted as the best possible solutions. The selection is based on
the authors' knowledge during the preparation of the Document.
The information included is mainly collected from the deliverables of work packages 1 and 2 in the
CCVS project. The new technologies are primarily from the interviews with various measurement
networks and campaigns carried out in tasks 2.4 and 2.5. Reference documents can be found in section
1.3
