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| Dozens of satellites are constantly collecting data about our planetary system - the Earth in particular - 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Satellite data is used for many purposes, for example for telecommunications, navigation systems and environmental monitoring. However, even with the most powerful computers processing all this data is time-consuming and expensive. Distributing these tasks over a number of low-cost internet-connected platforms would provide enormous potential, at a relatively low cost, for many space applications. To look into this exciting possibility ESA started in September 2001 to work on its SpaceGRID study financed by the Agency's General Study Programme. This study is run by an international consortium of industry and research centres led by Datamat S.p.A. (Italy). Other members include Alcatel Space (France), CS Systemes d’Information (France), SciSys Ltd (UK), QinetiQ (UK) and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory of the UK Council for the Central Laboatory of the Research Councils. The project aims to assess how GRID technology can serve requirements across a large variety of space disciplines, sketch the design of an ESA-wide GRID infrastructure, foster collaboration and enable shared efforts across space applications. It will analyse the highly complicated technical aspects of managing, accessing, exploiting and distributing large amounts of data, and set up test projects to see how well the GRID performs at carrying out specific tasks in Earth observation, space weather, space science and spacecraft engineering. During the execution of the study, ESA will be kept informed of the progress being made and project activities will be synchronised with the ESA internal GRID initiative. Two other aspects of this project are of particular importance for ESA: finding a way to ensure that the data processed by the SpaceGRID can be made available to public and educational establishments, and ensuring that SpaceGRID activities are coordinated with other major international initiatives.
Last modified: 22 September 2003 |