The following procedure should take a few days, and it must be done only once for each Supersite and user.
ASI makes available COSMO-SkyMed data (collected by both First and Second-Generation satellites, namely CSK and CSG) for Research & Development projects under a “COSMO-SkyMed License to use”.
For each Supersite, data quotas are granted to the Supersite Coordinator (hereinafter PI) and his/her delegates, who are responsible for COSMO-SkyMed data ordering, within the limits of the agreed region, mode and quota.
The regions are shown in the geo-gsnl.org website for each Supersite. The modes and quotas are defined in the CEOS acceptance letters, also available in the Supersite webpages.
To browse and access the COSMO-SkyMed image catalogue, users should follow the procedure explained here: https://www.asi.it/en/earth-science/cosmo-skymed/.
In detail, for each Supersite (identified as a ‘project’ in the following), the PI must compile a “COSMO-SkyMed license to use” specifying the project title, project time period, the area(s) of interest, the primary application domain and utilization scopes of the data, an executive summary/project description, a number of forms specifying information for all users (CO-PIs, users, affiliated users, contractors/consultants) participating in the project for any data use, and finally the data requested (number of scenes for each target area(s), SAR mode(s), acquisition orbit(s), polarization, beam/incidence-angle). The PI and all the Supersite users have to sign their “User Forms” to be included in the “CSK License to use”. The latter have to be finally signed by the Supersite PI and ASI.
COSMO-SkyMed data requests in the framework of GEO-GSNL have to be submitted to asi-ceos@asi.it by the Coordinator, for new satellite tasking, and by anybody holding a valid License to use, for archived images. For the first requests it is advisable to add in copy the GSNL Chair. ASI will send the Supersite Coordinator an EXCEL form to be filled and returned. The forms must be filled with the image parameters and periods of acquisition, and are self explaining. PI or delegates have to compile one EXCEL spreadsheet file for each orbit, each area of interest, archived data and new acquisitions tasking requests. Archived data can be selected from the online COSMO-SkyMed catalogue after a registration procedure (explained here: https://www.asi.it/en/earth-science/cosmo-skymed/). For new acquisitions, a feasibility study has to be carried out by ASI based on the information provided by the PI in the EXCEL forms.
Once a new image is acquired, or archived images are retrieved from the archive, the Coordinator and his/her delegates will receive an email from ASI containing the ftp link for the data download. The password for ftp access must be obtained beforehand from COSMO-SkyMed Operational Team. Using that ftp link, the Coordinator can download the data on his/her servers. The Coordinator must not share the password with other people.
In addition to the above delivery, the COSMO-SkyMed data acquired for each Supersite will be made available through a dedicated ASI server, available at the following link https://192.106.234.150/cgi-bin/ and whose access instructions will be communicated to users with separate emails (the access is allowed only to Supersite users and only to the Supersite folder for which users have registered and signed the COSMO-SkyMed license to use).
Specific conditions for the access and use of ASI data
The provision of COSMO-SkyMed data is regulated by the COSMO-SkyMed License to Use document, which will be provided by ASI to the Supersite Coordinator before the first image request.
The License must be signed by the Supersite Coordinator and by all scientists who want to access and use the images. Typically, the license initially contains the Coordinator and the Supersite core team listed in the proposal, then further scientists may be successively added to the License using the following procedure:
- The interested scientist sends a request to the Supersite Coordinator, asking to be authorized to download CSK data;
- The Coordinator sends the License to the scientist, asking to fill and sign the relative User page;
- The scientist sends back the single signed page;
- The Coordinator forwards the single signed page to asi-ceos@asi.it ;
- ASI adds the scientist to the list of users authorized to download data from the FTP server.
Specific reporting requirements
Every two years, the Coordinator is expected to deliver to ASI (via the CEOS WG Disasters) a progress report including the main outcomes and scientific results of the Supersite, thus giving evidence of COSMO-SkyMed data use and need for further renewal.
ASI Point-of-contact
The ASI PoC for the Supersite Coordinators is Antonio Montuori, responding from to asi-ceos@asi.it.
