Pre- and in-flight geometric characterization and calibration concepts for the EnMAP mission

The future hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program; www.enmap.org) will substantially improve remote sensing standard products and generate new user-driven information products on the status and evolution of different ecosystems. The launch is planned for 2016 with mission operations of five years. This paper describes the EnMAP mission and focuses on the status and challenges of how to achieve the required accuracies in geometric correction which applies the method of direct georeferencing. The pre-flight activities including simulations and measurements complement the initial and routine in-flight activities. The concepts for geometric characterization and calibration are analyzed and how thereby the absolute geo-location accuracy and the co-registration between the two spectrometers are realized in the operational on-ground processing. One spectrometer covers the spectral range from 420 nm to 1000 nm and 900 nm to 2450 nm is covered by the other one.