VEGETATION system organization in exploitation phase

VEGETATION system is operationaly exploited under VITO responsibility which coordinates the functioning of the entities in charge of the different exploitation tasks. VITO also distributes the data to the users.

The different entities that participate to the operational functioning of VEGETATION system are:

the control and programming center of VEGETATION instruments VEGETATION (CMP/CPV) located in Toulouse, France,
the image receiving station (SRIV) located in Kiruna, Sweden,
the data processing and archiving center (CTIV) located in Mol, Belgium,
the image performances monitoring and calibration center (QIV) located in Toulouse.

The VEGETATION programming center (CPV) is operated by CNES. It is included in SPOT CMP (Centre de Maintien à Poste) and enables to prepare and upload the viewing programs for VEGETATION instruments. The CMP also realises the monitoring of the instruments in orbit and realises, the reconfiguration, if needed.

The VEGETATION image receiving station (SRIV) is operated by SSC. It is located at high latitude which enables to have a large number of daily visibilities of SPOT satellites (which are in a quasi-polar orbit) and thus offer numerous possibilities to download the mass memory. Indeed, the memory capacity corresponds to about 90 minutes images and needs 4 to 5 downloads evenly spaces every day. The data transmission on ground is done through an X-band link (8.2 GHz). A first preprocessing of the data is realised in the SRIV, it consists in the proper recovering of the viewing segments, and to affect them different auxilary data which will be used after the processing (orbit, datation, satellite attitude data...).

The VEGETATION image processing center (CTIV) is operated by VITO. It receives the data prepocessed by the SRIV through a dedicated high speed link which is activated after each data reception by the station. It archives the data after geometric modeling, updates the catalogue and realises the processing for the subscription orders and for the realisation of synthesis products (VGT-S1, VGT-S10 and VGT-D10).

The VEGETATION image quality monitoring center (QIV) is operated by CNES. It regularly realises geometric and radiometric performance controls of VEGETATION instruments, realises their calibration and supplies every month CITV the new coefficients for the processing of the images.

The VEGETATION system also enables, for a fee, the direct transmission of the images to local receiving stations through L-band link (1.7 GHz).

VITO = Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek
SSC = Swedish Space Corporation
CNES = Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales