AIR-led Project Funded by ESA-MOST Dragon 5 Programme

The project “Cross-calibration between high-resolution optical satellites and the benchmark satellite based on RadCalNet” was granted by the fifth phase of the Dragon Programmme (or Dragon 5) which was jointly launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) together with the National Remote Sensing Center of China (NRSCC) under China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

The leading institutes of the project are the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from the Chinese part, together with its counterpart, the Centre for Earth Observation (ESRIN) under ESA, among multiple involved institutes from both sides.
The project is led by Prof. LI Chuanrong from the CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Remote Sensing Information Technology and Dr. Philippe Goryl from ESA-ESRIN.

The both sides will carry out joint cross-calibration research for high-resolution optical satellites based on the RadCalNet (Radiometric Calibration Network) framework initiated by CEOS (Committee on Earth Observation Satellites), to explore the spaceborne radiometric benchmark transfer chain based on RadCalNet SI-traceable Top-of-Atmosphere (TOA) spectrally resolved reflectance products.

This project is launched to improve the accuracy and consistency of radiometric calibration on Chinese & ESA high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites, and to exploit new ideas & approaches for the advanced calibration technology of “spaceborne radiometric benchmark transfer calibration”.

The Dragon Programme is a technical cooperation program launched since 2004 between the MOST of China and the ESA in the Earth observation field. It aims to establish a joint research team between China and the ESA to promote the improvement of satellite remote sensing application technology of both sides. The MOST and ESA are jointly responsible for the implementation of the plan, with a period of four years.

In the Dragon 3 Programme, AIR was undertaking the project "Monitoring and early warning of vector-borne diseases in China by earth observation data mining", in cooperation with the Belfast University (UK) and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The research has gained continuous support in Dragon 4 Program. In addition, AIR and ESA/ESRIN are jointly undertaking the project "Calibration and Data Quality Assurance for Quantitative Remote Sensing".

 Certificate of Acceptance.