UK SBS - PS21273 - Strategy Report for Earth Observation Data Architecture

Description

Satellite data exploitation and the infrastructure supporting it is key to materialising growth in the space sector. Despite investment and capability there are areas where the UK is at risk of falling behind and conceding progress to others. UKSA have conducted research into the UK satellite data infrastructure landscape, holding discussions with UKSA stakeholders, cross-Government colleagues, industry, and academia. We know what we want and where the potential interfaces are, we now need expert advice on how to deliver it. This expert advice will take the form of a report, setting out clear options to deliver a sustainable coherent national EO data architecture concept for the UK. This should be solution focussed, based on user needs and address: • what is needed in/for the UK to start to deliver the ambitions in National Space Strategy; • what UKSA needs to support projects, CSR delivery and leverage its international collaborations and investments; • forming an effective platform or hub which other Government departments and agencies can link into (allowing minimal cost/maximum use) and which incorporates the best of our existing national capability; • wider sector needs within industry and academia and the opportunities for private/public partnership. This report is intended to address UKSA needs whilst identifying a clear lead for collaboration between Government departments, industry and the wider sector. This is known informally as "plug and play" - instead of everyone meeting their needs in isolation there is a fundamental design intention for other areas to join and link up as security and technology develops and new programmes come on-line. UKSA are commissioning an organisation to undertake the activity needed to deliver the report. The lead organisation will involve data architects from some of the main UK industry primes, focusing on the solutions at the cutting edge of technology as well as optimising their engagement with areas for private investment. The report will provide options and costs for delivering the underlying infrastructure environment to produce a service which connects users in diverse sectors to access an agile tailorable hub of trusted high-quality EO products. It will lay out how best to provide management of satellite data as well as the processing power to enable analysis and visualisation to make best scientific and commercial use of long-term climate data from space. The report will need to provide delivery solutions for an EO data architecture that includes the elements of: • data standards, • quality assurance, • uncertainty evaluation, and • interoperability • cataloguing and inventorying, • storing, • processing/reprocessing, • monitoring and curating, and • long-term archiving. The report must also provide a vision for ensuring the quality and interoperability of EO data, via: • AI/Machine Learning, • calibration and validation, • big data analytics, and • harmonisation.