Earth observation and systems
Cost-effectively procuring, developing, deploying and updating information systems that incorporate Earth Observation (EO) data remains challenging, whether aimed at delivering accurate weather forecasts, ensuring information dominance for the military commander, or providing environmental data to support evidence based decision making by government agencies. Logica’s focus is on implementing, highly reliable and fully operational EO data systems, minimising through-life costs by rigorous application of good system design principles such as openness, use of standards and modularity. Facilities developed by Logica for EUMETSAT ensure that meteorologists receive advanced satellite products 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. For more than 25 years, Europe’s meteorologists have relied on Logica software to extract weather information from satellite images. Building on its European experience, Logica delivered resilient image processing systems for Japan’s new weather satellite series (MTSAT). Our MTSAT-1R system went operational in March 2005, processing the first live image correctly, first time, in near real-time.
Logica is now involved in preparing for Meteosat Third Generation, scheduled or operation in 2015, assisting Alcatel Space in ESA’s Pre-Phase A study.
For ESA, we provide operational IT systems for a number of Earth Observation applications. For example, we are developing part of the ground segment for ESA's GOCE gravity field explorer mission due to launch in 2006.
Logica is at the forefront of satellite imagery exploitation which can map the coastline of difficult-to-access parts of the world, such as West Africa. Around the world, there is a significant lack of coastal information due to the difficulty and cost of coastal surveys. In many places, particularly in developing countries, the position of the shoreline is not accurately known. In addition the coastal information shown on marine charts is often out of date which can present a risk to shipping. The COASTCHART project aims to provide hydrographic offices with a system that allows standard navigation charts to be updated with accurate coastline information derived from space-based observations. We are leading the Coastchart project for European Space Agency which ensures standard navigation charts can be updated with accurate coastline information derived from space-based observations.