ABSTRACT
After building and launching a hyperspectral satellite into the orbit, the success of the hyperspectral mission relies on the ability of the ground segment personnel to operate the satellite from the ground and ensure that the data gathered are of good quality and are made readily available to users. To achieve this goal, a ground flight control center with an antenna to send commands to the satellite is needed, together with at least one ground receiving station to receive the acquired data downlinked from the satellite as it passes overhead. Facilities for data ordering, processing, storage, and distribution are also needed. This chapter first overviews the ground segment, then describes ground segment interfaces to the space segment, to calibration support data sources, and to customers. After description of functional decomposition of the ground segment, the chapter provides a detailed discussion on operations and data flow between the functions. Finally, the chapter describes three operational scenarios in the ground segment: (1) ordering new data, (2) ordering level 1B data product, and (3) conducting onboard instrument calibration and generating calibration coefficients.
