The EnMAP Foreground Mission – High priority acquisitions for enhanced science and synergies

Abstract

Since November 2022, the Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) (www.enmap.org) has attracted more than 2800 registered users from over 100 countries. Users frequently access the EnMAP data archive downloading approximately 5400 tiles per month, and can request future observations through the EnMAP Instrument Planning Portal (https://planning.enmap.org). The demand for future observations however varies by region, with Europe showing the highest demand, leading to issues like overlapping orders in the same orbit. To address these challenges and improve mission efficiency, EnMAP has adjusted its acquisition strategies and planning. The goal is to expand access to EnMAP data for a larger user community and increase data acquisition in areas with very high demand. In March 2024, EnMAP introduced a new acquisition strategy, the so called "Foreground Mission," focusing on extended 990-kilometer flightlines over Europe. Initially, a set of 29 flightlines over Germany and Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Poland, Greece) has been identified in collaboration with the Science User community. These flightlines are scheduled in quasi nadir-view (+/- 5° off-nadir angle) regularly every 27 days (approximately 20 flightlines per month) to enhance data coverage and create systematic time series during the vegetation period (from March to November). Field campaigns were also supported by high-priority orders to continue its repeated acquisition, while coordinating simultaneous overpasses in close collaboration with other hyperspectral missions such as PRISMA, DESIS, and EMIT. In 2025, the Foreground mission will continue the high priority tasking over Europe and focusing globally during the European winter months, with high frequent timeseries over selected areas and biodiversity hotspots. The acquisition plan is updated on a daily basis and adjusted based on other mission priorities such as ground activities or weather conditions. Users can receive advanced information about future priority observations at https://www.enmap.org/data_tools/foreground_mission/. Successfully acquired data are accessible to all registered users approximately six days after acquisition via the EnMAP Data Archive on the EOWEB Geoportal. This informative presentation emphasizes the outcomes of the 2024 Foreground Mission initiative and outlines the efforts of the mission consortium to support concurrent field campaigns and mission synergies in 2025.