The design and development of automatic and operational processing chains is based on the team’s experience with ISO-9001-2000-certified processing chains for airborne and spaceborne multispectral, hyperspectral and stereo image data and includes tasks like data transcription and quality analysis, systematic and radiometric correction as well as orthorectification based on the technique of Direct Georeferencing and Rational Polynomial Functions, atmospheric correction for land and water applications, and derivation of Digital Elevation Models from stereo sensor systems.
For the German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program), IMF is responsible for establishing an operational processing chain within the ground segment similar to the existing chain already integrated into DIMS (Data and Information Management System) for the airborne hyperspectral sensor ARES (Airborne Reflective Emissive Spectrometer).
On behalf of ESA (European Space Agency), IMF has developed a prototype processor for the high resolution panchromatic stereo sensor PRISM and the multispectral instrument AVNIR-2 on the Japanese mission ALOS. It has also operationally orthorectified about 3800 satellite scenes from SPOT 4 HRVIR, SPOT 5 HRG and IRS P6 LISS III, covering 38 European countries twice for the Image2006 project within the framework of the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) Land Fast Track Service 2006-2008. For the Indian high resolution along-track stereo sensor CARTOSAT-2, IMF is developing a fully automatic processing chain for the generation of high quality Digital Elevation Models, which will be licensed to the GAF/euromap company.
Based on this considerable experience, the Earth Observation Center (EOC) has designed and is operating the new generic processing chain CATENA—also integrated into the DIMS environment—for a multiplicity of satellite sensors.