10.04.2008

EUMETSAT Implements its Earth Observation Portal

The European weather satellite organisation, EUMETSAT, has commissioned con terra GmbH from Münster to perform the conceptual design of a software solution for the sale of satellite data and products based on this data. EUMETSAT is an international organisation, currently comprising 31 European states, whose main task is the provision of low-price operational satellite data as well as the associated services and products.

EUMETSAT is currently operating the second generation of geostationary Meteosat satellites. In the service of improved weather forecasting and severe weather warning systems, the satellites transmit high-quality images and data with a high degree of reliability, every 15 minutes. The first-generation Meteosat satellites have meanwhile been positioned over the Indian Ocean, where they supply the region with vital data. They also support the tsunami warning system that is in operation there. Scientists and engineers are already working on the third generation of Meteosat satellites, which will be due to replace their predecessors in the year 2015.

Metop-A is the first European weather satellite to be located in polar orbit. It supplies highly detailed information on the state of the atmosphere, such as temperature and moisture profiles, chemical compositions, and aerosol content. This data is needed for weather forecasting and for observing the climate and the environment.

Users of the recently set-up Earth Observation Portal will soon be able to search for satellite data and the products based on them, as well as ordering and accessing them. Thanks to the use of a rights-management system, the one-time use of the service will be just as possible as activation for continued access to current satellite data and the associated products.
Furthermore, partner organisations with appropriate authorisation will be able to use standardised B2B interfaces for accessing EUMETSAT satellite data and products, or for offering their data and services to their customers via the Earth Observation Portal. Conversely, EUMETSAT will also be able to use these B2B interfaces for accessing the satellite data of external partners.

As specialists in creating spatial data infrastructures and geoportals, con terra has taken on the task of designing the software architecture for the portal and the clearing house. The main emphasis of the work will be in the field of metadata management, the development of interfaces for the EUMETSAT legacy system, the software-based processing and management of orders, and the design of a consistent security concept, which includes authorisation and authentication components.

Met-8, 8 January 2005, 09:00 UTC
RGB Composite NIR1.6, VIS0.8, VIS0.6, (source: www.eumetsat.int)

About EUMETSAT:
The main purpose of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is to deliver weather and climate-related satellite data, images and products– 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation's 21 Member and 10 Cooperating States in Europe, as well as other users world-wide. EUMETSAT is an international organisation and was founded in 1986. For more information on EUMETSAT, please browse the pages of http://www.eumetsat.int.