The European Space Agency, in collaboration with the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE), has announced an exciting opportunity for the international scientific community. The Announcement of Opportunity (AO) aims to provide access to data from the SAOCOM mission for scientific research and the development of Earth Observation (EO)-based applications. This initiative is part of the ESA/CONAE Promotion of Utilization and Mission Applications and Science (PUMAS) Initiative, offering joint exploitation possibilities with ESA EO and Copernicus data. This article provides a summary of the AO and outlines how interested parties can access the data.
Who can participate
The call is open to users located in the territory of ESA Member States, including Canada as an ESA cooperating state and associated members. Additionally, joint teams consisting of users from ESA Member States (including Canada) and Argentinian users collaborating on dedicated PUMAS research projects are eligible to apply.
SAOCOM data collection geographic coverage
The SAOCOM data collection provides access to SAOCOM products acquired globally. However, data collected over Europe and the Mediterranean, known as the ASI Zone of Exclusivity (longitude range 10W-50E and latitude range 30-80N), falls under the exclusive distribution rights of the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). As a result, SAOCOM-1 data collected within this zone will not be included in the current AO. Nevertheless, this data is accessible through the SAOCOM Europe data products collection page, based on the existing agreement with ASI.
How to apply
Find all details about the available products and the steps to submit a proposal in this page.
Closing date
The call for accessing SAOCOM mission data will close on July 31, 2023.
Expected outputs and conclusion
All the Principal Investigators (PIs) who contribute to this opportunity are required to submit a report (based on this template) summarising the results of their project. The report will be shared with CONAE, and PIs may be invited to present the results at symposia or workshops to be organised by ESA and CONAE.
The SAOCOM mission data AO presents a valuable opportunity for scientists and researchers to access SAOCOM data for scientific research and the development of EO-based applications. By collaborating with ESA and CONAE, participants can leverage this data to enhance their understanding of Earth’s processes and contribute to various fields of study. Interested individuals and teams are encouraged to submit their proposals and take advantage of this exciting opportunity before the deadline.