CloudFerro is the new operator of the German space agency’s cloud platform

German Aerospace Agency DLR launched a new version of CODE-DE, a platform providing data from European satellites concerning Germany. The portal is being developed by Polish company CloudFerro, specializing in providing cloud computing services, which won last year’s DLR tender.

CODE-DE is a German Copernicus Data and Exploitation Platform. Until recently, access to satellite images was difficult and costly, and only a few national agencies with their own space programmes were able to use satellite data. Today, thanks to initiatives such as the Copernicus Earth monitoring programme, implemented by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Space Agency, satellite images are available online for free.

In autumn 2019 DLR, representing the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), selected CloudFerro as a new cloud provider and operator for the platform (in operation since 2017).The value of the contract is over 5 million euro.

“We are proud to launch CODE-DE, which is already the fifth large-scale platform operated by CloudFerro, providing Earth observation satellite data. The cloud computing we provide for German equivalent NASA, DLR, is flexible and secure. It takes into account the specificity of data and applications that are collected and shared in it” – explains Maciej Krzyżanowski, CloudFerro CEO. “Solutions used in the new version of CODE-DE were developed by an experienced team of CloudFerro specialists, who previously worked on similar projects for the European Space Agency, EUMETSAT and ECMWF. These solutions can be used by administration, institutions and soon also by citizens of all German federal states” – adds Maciej Krzyżanowski.

Wide range of functionality

CODE-DE platform provides users with extensive functionality. They can visualize satellite data and Copernicus products provided by European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission. They also receive a number of applications and data processing tools. Moreover, thanks to efficient cloud infrastructure, users can publish and reuse generated products on CODE-DE.

The platform offers unlimited access to images from Sentinel-1, -2, -3, and -5P satellites. The images from Sentinel-2 are provided in an atmosphere-corrected version and can be further analysed. Every month, the platform will provide a current mosaic, created from current photos of Germany, showing changes in ground movement, in soil moisture or damage of ground surface. Also new is the Jupyter Hub application, which enables to create programming codes and projects based on satellite data, prototyping solutions and use in education as a teaching tool.

Synergy with European DIAS platform

CODE-DE cloud computing infrastructure and satellite data for Germany are stored in the local data center in Frankfurt am Main. Users can also benefit from synergy with the CREODIAS platform, which is one of the European Copernicus DIAS (Data and Information Access Services) systems and collects more than 16 petabytes of satellite data. Both platforms work together to ensure efficient use of resources, but also autonomy for key national processes.

Security

The new platform will be optimized in terms of cloud security. CODE-DE meets the provisions of the German Federal Data Protection Act and will be certified by BSI, the Federal Office for Information Security. This guarantees that German authorities and other institutions can implement their applications securely on CODE-DE.  

The new version of CODE-DE platform is available at code-de.org since April 2020.

Author: EARSC