QinetiQ Support to Ice Services Robert Freeman A presentation to the IICWG Meeting November 2001, Tromso, Norway

3 Contents 1Introduction to QinetiQ 2The West Freugh facility 3QinetiQ ice support activities 4Discussion IICWG Concept Paper 6Summary

Introduction to QinetiQ

5 Who Are We ? QinetiQ is Europe’s largest independent science and technology business with 8,000 of the world’s top scientists. QinetiQ came into existence as a ‘plc’ on 1 July Prior to that, we were DERA, the UK Ministry of Defence’s research and development organisation. Specialist expertise in: –telecommsaerospace / space –transportsecurity –healthcaredefence –electronicsfinance –marine environment Introduction

6 Space service solutions Tailored Service Solution delivery to both civilian and military customers Broad service base including: –Payload communications –EO data services –TT&C –System Design –Consultancy New capabilities drawn from research strength across QinetiQ Introduction

The West Freugh facility

8 Locations West Freugh West Freugh Ground Station Farnborough Operations Centre Defford Ground Station

9 Introduction The West Freugh Satellite Ground Station is owned and managed by QinetiQ through Space Department: part of Knowledge & Information Systems Division The station opened in 1991 and was upgraded in March 1999 when facilities at the Lasham station were moved to West Freugh Thorn (SDS) are contracted to operate and maintain West Freugh 365 days per year 24 hours per day West Freugh

10 Facilities The facility comprises 7 dishes (2.4m - 13m diameter) with associated reception and processing chains including; –13m Datron X-band downlink head (Radarsat, ERS) –12m Marconi S-band down/uplink head Radarsat / ERS SAR processing capability Direct data capture storage and retrieval system 4 Mbits/sec megastream link to Farnborough (Level 0 ISP) Share high bandwidth trans-Atlantic pipe Full data archives (ERS/Radarsat & AVHRR) West Freugh

11 West Freugh

12 West Freugh Station Masks - 5 degree & horizon Theoretical SCWA image coverage

13 Products & services Earth Observation data distribution: –Radarsat 1 –ERS 1 & 2 –NOAA AVHRR –Feng Yun 1c –ENVISAT –Radarsat 2 –MSG –NASA Terra / Aqua Information service provision: –Oil slick detection –Oil exploration –Ice monitoring –Ship detection –Urban change –Oceanography West Freugh

14 Customer base Danish Meteorological Institute Department of Trade and Industry Oil & Gas Division European Space Agency Maritime and Coastguard Agency Meteorological Office Radarsat International Royal Air Force Royal Navy US Naval Ice Centre Space Technology Research Vehicle 1 programme Suite of EO ‘value adding’ commercial customers Internal research customers West Freugh

15 Facility upgrade plans 3 channel facility upgrade plan in development: –new data reception chains (new processing capacity / direct data capture systems etc.) such as ENVISAT and RADARSAT2 –establishment of dual X / S band up/downlink capability on 12m & 13m –new station control systems Expansion in information service delivery and TT&C services in partnership with industry Aim to cope with future technologies & requirements West Freugh

Ice Support Activities

17 Overview QinetiQ has been supplying support to a range of agencies and users for a number of years. –Project Management of British National Space Centre sponsored research into ice work stations –Support to Royal Navy on operational ice information –NRT imagery supply to US NIC –NRT imagery supply to DMI Ice Support

Project management of BNSC ice projects.

19 Project management QinetiQ (then RAE/DRA) provided project / programme management support to the BNSC Application Development Programme in the early 1990’s which came about after the launch of ERS-1. Projects included: –Sea Ice Workstation (EOS) –IPAPS (MRC) BNSC

Operational support to Royal Navy

21 Operational support QinetiQ has provided support to the UK Royal Navy in the provision of tactical routing information for the ice patrol vessel HMS Endurance on several deployments to Antarctica over the last few years. –Provision of imagery –assistance in feature extraction –compression of imagery –delivery of imagery and analysis direct to ship QinetiQ has worked with RSI on a Tactical Ice Routing offering. Royal Navy

22 BAS Base (Halley) - Weddell Sea - Antarctica RADARSAT SCANSAR Wide B - 450kmx450km Original Image was 100Mb, Compressed (x100) to 1Mb with Mr Sid wavelet compression software

NRT imagery supply - US Naval Ice Centre

24 NRT imagery supply QinetiQ has provided NRT RADARSAT data to the US Naval Ice Centre since Jan Since delivery started QinetiQ has been contracted to deliver 400 RADARSAT scenes in NRT from West Freugh. After NRT processing, data is delivered electronically by FTP over Internet. NIC is able to contract the service direct with QinetiQ. US NIC

NRT imagery supply - Danish Meteorological Institute

26 NRT imagery supply QinetiQ has been providing DMI with NRT RADARSAT data since November Under contract to RSI Working in conjunction with Gatineau and Tromso stations QinetiQ invested in changes to the SARP to allow Ice LUT to be applied to imagery to match Gatineau product. DMI

IICWG concept paper

28 Initial reaction The IICWG “consortia” concept paper provides a good basis to open discussions on a number of topics with satellite operator and data providers / ground stations. The document does not go far enough in specifying the actual service requirements and work needs to be done in this area. Concept paper

29 Volume pricing Operators and data providers/stations would look favourably at increased volumes of work/income and be likely to offer appropriate discounts for long term orders. However some IICWG consortia members may face higher prices than now due to the averaging effect. –Issues of data pricing not straight forward NIC - US Allocation CIS - Canadian Govt satellite Concept paper

30 Data sharing Whilst not a new idea within the EO industry product offerings, this normally attracts a premium over the “list” price. The IICWG needs to show how sharing will not harm income to operators and providers. This is not clear from the concept paper. Concept paper

31 Service Work on unifying service standards should be viewed favourably. –Data formats are however pretty standard now (RADARSAT, ERS) and are likely to be so for ENVISAT etc –Issues such as processor upgrades and product specs needs to be addressed against cost. –Backup and reliability of service requirements need to be looked at but not with just a view to lowering costs. Concept paper

32 Other EUMETSAT has no role in any negotiations on behalf of the consortia. Expansion suggestion for other concepts (eg pollution) cuts across other programmes and also commercial applications. The fact that ESA has paid for ENVISAT does not mean that a special Govt price will prevail. Consortia “negotiation” costs will be little reduced. –different rates or breakpoints are applied –station and operator and DE negotiations Concept paper

Summary

34 Summary 1Concept paper has provided some good issues for discussion 2IICWG need to look at actual service requirements specs 3a “Win-Win” scenario needs to be proven 4QinetiQ look forward to further discussions on the concept paper and active participation in co-ordination of operational services requirements 5QinetiQ continue to support current and future ice customers 6QinetiQ continue to work closely with colleagues from satellite operators and ground stations

35 Final Thought Members of the IICWG provide a valuable service to a range of maritime customers who need ice edge, type and thickness information. Perhaps there are still new customers to tap into:

36 Further information Robert Freeman Data & Information Services Manager (Ground Segment & System Solutions) tel:+44 (0) fax: +44 (0)