Payload Data Ground Segment
Comprehensive ground infrastructure services for observation satellites
Payload Data Ground Segment from CloudFerro
The Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) is a critical component of any space mission, responsible for ensuring the efficient management and utilization of data gathered by mission instruments.
The PDGS serves as the bridge between the raw data collected by onboard instruments and the end users who rely on that data for various applications,
such as scientific research, environmental monitoring, and mission planning.
Closely connected to the Ground Station and the Mission Control Centre, the PDGS performs several key functions. These include:
- Data reception,
- Generation of data products,
- Archiving,
- Quality assessment,
- Dissemination.
The primary data products generated by the PDGS are categorized into three levels:
The PDGS plays a vital role in mission operations, including calibration and validation activities, mission planning, and operational decision-making. The accurate processing and timely delivery of data products are essential for the overall success of the mission.
In addition to its operational responsibilities, the PDGS ensures that these data products are archived and made accessible to various users, including scientific, operational, commercial, policy and educational communities. The distribution of data is managed through both direct user access and integrated systems, ensuring a wide dissemination of mission data for research and operational use.
Raw data received directly from the spacecraft, processed from e.g. CADU which is streamed.
Processed data that have been corrected for sensor-specific characteristics but are still in their native spatial and radiometric format.
Derived products that have been processed further to generate higher-level information, such as geophysical measurements or thematic maps.
Efficient system to manage ready-to-use satellite data
Payload Data Ground Segment designed by CloudFerro meets the evolving demands of Earth Observation data missions with a cloud-native, modular, and scalable architecture capable of supporting any number of satellites and any type of payload, across cloud or on-premise deployments.
Flexible Deployment: Cloud or Bare Metal
Each component is designed for dual deployment:
- Bare metal environments for isolated or sovereign infrastructure needs.
- Public or private cloud provided by CloudFerro, leveraging Docker/Kubernetes for rapid scalability, self-healing services, and automation.
Built for Performance and Efficiency
Every element of the ground segment is optimized to deliver:
- Horizontal and vertical scalability
- Cost efficiency through elastic resource allocation
- Resilient data flow for uninterrupted operations
- High availability (HA) and business continuity through redundancy and fault tolerance - your data is our priority!
High SLAs for Mission-Critical Operations
Designed to meet demanding service levels:
- Data ingestion and indexing with low-latency performance,
- Fast and reliable delivery to end-users with guaranteed speed and timeliness.
Payload-Agnostic by Architecture
We remove data silos and vendor lock-in:
- Not tied to any particular sensor or data type,
- Supports end-to-end workflows regardless of instrument or mission,
- Provides adaptability for custom payload-specific validation and calibration workflows.
Limitless Scalability by Design
Our architecture is unconstrained by the number of satellites or payloads. Whether operating a single mission or a constellation, the system dynamically scales to meet throughput demands without compromising performance or reliability.
Cybersecurity at the Core
Security is embedded across every layer, with strict compliance to best practices in authentication, encryption, access control, and threat detection ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of mission data.
Modular, Microservice-Driven Framework
All services are developed using a microservices architecture with well-documented REST API interfaces, ensuring seamless integration, automation, and orchestration across mission operations and third-party tools.
Collecting, processing, and facilitating access to satellite data
Payload Data Ground Segment offered by CloudFerro, consists of following components:
- Ground Segment Data Ingestion (CF Data Ingestion)
- Metadata Catalogue (CF Catalogue) - compliant with OData
and STAC API - Payload Processing (CF Payload Processing)
- Traceability service
- Long Term Archive (CF Long Term Archive)
- Data Dissemination service (User Segment)
The CF Data Ingestion component manages the flow of data between multiple processing components, external and internal data sources and the data archives. It ensures the completeness and consistency of the products which are prepared for distribution.
The system ingests the raw, Level 0 and higher level data from CF Payload Processing and publishes the data in the CF Catalogue.
Solution offered by CloudFerro is used in multiple satellite data distribution platforms including the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem which is the primary data archiving and distribution service for the Copernicus Program.
Similarly to CF Payload Processing, the CF Data Ingestion is a cloud native application and does not depend on any on-premise infrastructure. It is deployed on Kubernetes clusters, and benefits from the containerized architecture.
The Traceability service offers full tracking of a data product's authenticity, from its origin to the point of download. This capability allows users to confirm that data is original, untampered, and to check if a product has been marked obsolete.
CF Long Term Archive service provides preservation of complete data generated by the Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) or the subset of it. Long term preservation allows future reprocessing campaigns and ensures offsite storage for the complete data of a particular mission or multiple missions.
The User Segment serves as the primary interface between the satellite mission data and its end users, enabling access to processed data products for various applications, data ordering and data processing services. The key functions of the User Segment include providing data discovery, access, and retrieval services, allowing users to search, download, and interact with data products through web portals, APIs, or dedicated applications. The User Segment also allows interaction with more advanced services of the platform: tasking requests and product post-processing.
PDGS services from CloudFerro -
a vital component of the entire satellite system
CloudFerro as a Payload Data Ground Segment provider meets several critical needs and requirements to effectively handle the data generated by a designated satellite constellation.
Scalability
Accommodate the growth of the constellation and requirements for quick processing of data.
High availability
Ensuring continuous operation and minimal downtime, which is vital for real-time or near-real-time applications like disaster monitoring or environmental assessments.
No vendor lock-in
Ensuring continuous operation and minimal downtime, which is vital for real-time or near-real-time applications like disaster monitoring or environmental assessments.
Interoperability
Integration with user access platforms, data dissemination services, and national or international services, including the Copernicus Programme.
Flexibility and modularity
Easy integration of new data processing algorithms, workflows, or technologies, such as machine learning, without significant redesign.
See also
CREODIAS platform
CREODIAS is a cloud computing environment with an integrated repository of Earth observation satellite data, developed under the Copernicus programme.
