ESA Open Invitation to Tender: 1-11423
Open Date: 26/09/2022 17:00 CEST
Closing Date: 08/11/2022 13:00 CEST

Accurate modelling of the air sea interaction in coupled climate models is key to understanding climate change. The uptake and storage of heat in the Earth oceans, and successive changes in ocean currents and sea surface winds, can only be fully addressed through long-term datasets of lower atmospheric and ocean temperature, wind, and ocean motion observations.Scatterometers are currently used to derive ocean surface winds, soil moisture and (sea) ice properties. Preliminary studies have shown that also ocean motion vector information may be derived with sufficient accuracy from scatterometers using a pulse-pair waveform. However, a further study using more suitable retrieval tools, more appropriate instrument specifications (including instrument pointing accuracy), and test datasets has been recommended by the SCA SAG (Mtg6, April 2019).Retrieval algorithms to obtain accurate ocean motion vector products from scatterometers shall be developed, demonstrated and end-to-end tested. Available prototype algorithms, ASCAT and SCA instruments and platform specifications, and EUMETSAT operational data processing software shall be used / consulted. The activity shall be performed in close consultation with the SCA SAG and its ESA and EUMETSAT representatives.The activity encompasses the following tasks:- Survey of available end-to-end simulation tools and prototype algorithms for joint retrieval of ocean surface winds, ocean motion and ocean currents from scatterometers.- Selection of tools and algorithms and recommendations for their improvements.- Survey of available test datasets and their suitability for the ocean motion retrieval validation. Examples are TerraSAR-X data if programmed pulse-paired mode.- Development of the end-to-end simulation and retrieval software. The retrieval algorithm shall include echo cancellation for the separation of the paired pulses.- Validation of the developed simulation and retrieval software using the test dataset.- Study conclusions including an assessment of necessary next stepsProcurement Policy: C(3) = Activity restricted to SMEs RD Entities. For additional information please go to this link.

Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. Quality
Estabilishment: ESTEC
ECOS Required: No
Classified: No
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Authorised Contact Person: Maxime Nicolas Gislain Guy
Initiating Service: TEC-EFW
IP Measure: C3
Prog. Reference: E/0901-01 - Technology Developme
Tender Type: Open Competition
Open To Tenderers From: AT+BE+CH+CZ+DE+DK+EE+GR+ES+FI+FR+GB+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE
Technology Keywords: 7-B-II-Wave Propagation
Products Keywords: 2-I-1-e-Other (Scatterometers,...)