Satellite Network Bavaria – Mission and Data Processing

Agriculture and silviculture as well as governmental institutions are facing major challenges concerning climate change and species conservation. Intensifying extreme weather events add pressure to establish a sustainable management which requires optical geodata with a high temporal and spatial resolution. This also encompasses new demands in the private sector. Existing missions prove that small satellites can fulfill this demand in an economical manner. Especially the CubeSat standard enables the development of satellites outside of big space agencies and therefore specialized missions that take regional demands into account. To fulfill its sovereign tasks in the aforementioned disciplines with their current and future challenges, the Bavarian state initiated studies to determine the potential of a small satellite mission. The resulting demonstrator mission comprises a formation of five 6U CubeSats, each equipped with a multispectral camera, to monitor state territory with high resolution and frequency. The mission is executed as a research alliance between the Bavarian surveying administration, the Technical University of Munich, and the Center for Telematics Würzburg. It encompasses the entire process chain, from mission design and satellite manufacturing up to data processing. The publication describes the mission concept, focusing on data processing strategies. Further, a simulator for artificial satellite imagery is presented.     «

Agriculture and silviculture as well as governmental institutions are facing major challenges concerning climate change and species conservation. Intensifying extreme weather events add pressure to establish a sustainable management which requires optical geodata with a high temporal and spatial resolution. This also encompasses new demands in the private sector. Existing missions prove that small satellites can fulfill this demand in an economical manner. Especially the CubeSat standard enabl...     »