CERSAT

ERS Ground Segment

The ERS Ground Segment was designed by ESA to provide services and to satisfy user requirements for products. CERSAT , as the French Processing and Archiving Facility, is one component of this complex ground segment.

Overview

 The main elements of the ERS ground segment were :

  • Earthnet ERS Central Facility (EECF) in Italy, carries out all user interface functions, including cataloguing, handling of user requests, payload operation planning, scheduling of data processing and dissemination, quality control of data products and system performance monitoring.
  • Mission Management and Control Centre (MMCC) in Germany carries out all satellite operations control and functionnal management, including overall satellite and payload operational scheduling. It also controls the Kiruna ground station.
  • ESA ground stations at Kiruna (Sweden), Fucino (Italy), Maspalomas (Canary Islands, Spain), Gatineau and Prince Albert (Canada). These stations provide the main network for data acquisition and the processing/dissemination of fast-delivery products.
  • National ground stations around the world will receive ERS high rate data by arrangement with ESA, extending the coverage potential of the SAR imaging mission.
  • Processing and Archiving Facilities (PAFs) located in Germany, France, Italy and the UK are the main centres for the generation of off-line precision products and the archiving and distribution of ERS data and products.
  • User centres and individuals, such as national and international meteorological services, oceanographic institutes, various research centres and individual users.

Ground stations

Several ground stations were used for the acquisition of ERS data, listed below. Note that after ERS-2 onboard recorder failure in 2003, additional ground stations were used, on a best effort basis, to acquire complementary sections of orbits.

Kiruna Station

This station was the only one entirely dedicated to the ERS operations. The Kiruna station in northern Sweden played a primary role thanks to its high latitude position providing visibility to 10 out of every 14 daily orbits.

Both instrument real time and on-board recorded data were acquired by the station, with the raw data being stored on High Density Digital Tapes (HDDT). Kiruna station processed and delivered ERS data in near real time. Fast-delivery processing facilities such as the ground stations, comprised two processing chains devoted to SAR processing (image and wave mode) whereas only one chain was used for the other instruments.

Fucino Station

It is located in Italy and could acquire up to 11 orbits of Kiruna Station in case of problem.

This Station was used primarily for the acquisition of SAR image data and real-time low-bit rate data over the Mediterranean Sea.

Maspalomas Station

It is located in Spain (Canary Islands) and acquired one orbit per day.

Both instrument real time and on-board recorded data were acquired by the station, with the raw data being stored on High Density Digital Tapes (HDDT). The station also processed and delivered ERS data in near real time.

Gatineau Station

It is located in Canada and acquired 2 or 3 orbits per day.

Both instrument real time and on-board recorded data were acquired by the station, with the raw data being stored on High Density Digital Tapes (HDDT). The station also processed and delivered ERS data in near real time.

Prince Albert Station

It is located in Canada and acquired 1 orbit per day.

Both instrument real time and on-board recorded data were acquired by the station, with the raw data being stored on High Density Digital Tapes (HDDT). The station also processed and delivered ERS data in near real time.