PLEIADES 2012

Close to the launch of the first Pléiades satellite, the objective of the Pléiades workshop is to present the performances of this new optical Earth observation system designed for civil and military use and present the data validation programme to be implemented during Pléiades’ first year.

The Pléiades system will provide new opportunities through its high spatial resolution (sub-metric), but also its agility and acquisition capabilities, which makes it perfectly suited to mapping, defence and civil protection needs.

The Orfeo / Pléiades preparatory programme was set up by CNES in 2004 to prepare, accompany and promote the use of sub-metric resolution optical and radar images in the public sector user community.

The results of this programme, obtained from simulated Pléiades data or from other satellite sensors, will be presented by the different actors involved. They highlight the importance of the new capabilities offered by the Pléiades system for different themes: Mapping / Planning, Risk / Safety, Hydrology, Forestry, Agriculture, Sea and Coastal Areas and Geophysics.

In each theme, selected studies will be presented by CNES for the validation phase, as well as business applications by Astrium GEO-Information Services, Pleiades’ exclusive distributor.

Particular emphasis will be given to the algorithms and data processing tools developed to support the use of sub-metric images, both optical and radar (three-dimensional aspects, change detection, texture analysis, pattern recognition, complementary optical and radar information). These tools are integrated in an OpenSource toolbox named « Orfeo Tool Box », available to all users.

The Pléiades workshop aims to raise the awareness of public-sector users to the characteristics and capabilities of the Pléiades system which, from mid 2012 will provide data complementary both to traditional aerial and satellite imagery such as that acquired by the SPOT family.