Over the past decades, satellite observations from space have transformed our understanding of Earth and its environment. Sustained long-term observations from satellite sensors are essential to advance our understanding of the complexity of the global Earth system. In recent years, the development and deployment of small satellites (with a mass of less than 180 kilograms), including CubeSats, are increasingly advocated for remote sensing of Earth’s atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, land surface, and ecosystem. In contrast to larger satellite missions, small satellites tend to be more flexible with shorter development time and lower manufacturing and launch costs, providing invaluable opportunities to conduct rapid-response, high-priority, and high-quality science.
This Research Topic aims to bring together expertise in developments and application of small satellites with a focus on Earth observations. Areas to be covered may include, but are not limited to:
• Design and implementation of small satellites and payload sensors for observing Earth system components, such as the atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and ecosystem, among others;
• Use of small satellite measurements for studying any above-mentioned component of the Earth system or the interactions between those components;
• Investigations of the scientific impacts of planned or future Earth-observing small satellites;
• Challenges and issues for operating small satellites and small-satellite constellations;
• And development and advancement on small-satellite data processing and science products.
Topic Editor Dr. Vanderlei Martins is a founder and CTO of GRASP/AirPhoton.
Keywords:
Earth observation, Remote Sensing, CubeSat, aerosols, clouds, cryosphere, ocean, land surface
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Over the past decades, satellite observations from space have transformed our understanding of Earth and its environment. Sustained long-term observations from satellite sensors are essential to advance our understanding of the complexity of the global Earth system. In recent years, the development and deployment of small satellites (with a mass of less than 180 kilograms), including CubeSats, are increasingly advocated for remote sensing of Earth’s atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, land surface, and ecosystem. In contrast to larger satellite missions, small satellites tend to be more flexible with shorter development time and lower manufacturing and launch costs, providing invaluable opportunities to conduct rapid-response, high-priority, and high-quality science.
This Research Topic aims to bring together expertise in developments and application of small satellites with a focus on Earth observations. Areas to be covered may include, but are not limited to:
• Design and implementation of small satellites and payload sensors for observing Earth system components, such as the atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and ecosystem, among others;
• Use of small satellite measurements for studying any above-mentioned component of the Earth system or the interactions between those components;
• Investigations of the scientific impacts of planned or future Earth-observing small satellites;
• Challenges and issues for operating small satellites and small-satellite constellations;
• And development and advancement on small-satellite data processing and science products.
Topic Editor Dr. Vanderlei Martins is a founder and CTO of GRASP/AirPhoton.
Keywords:
Earth observation, Remote Sensing, CubeSat, aerosols, clouds, cryosphere, ocean, land surface
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.