A benchmark for the access to Sentinels data

Access EO data is always mentioned as difficult for the African concerned services. This post intends to remind the offer of ESA with regards to it. 

Africa viewed by the last Meteosat Second Generation (Meteosat-11) - (c) ESA

ESA operates and distributes data from Sentinels 1, 2, 3 (land) and 5P through terrestrial networks and makes data available to all users on the Sentinels Open Access Data Hub (scihub.copernicus.eu), as well as to dedicated user communities on dedicated hubs (i.e. CopHub, IntHub and CollHub. 

• The COPERNICUS OPEN ACCESS HUB (https://scihub.copernicus.eu/) provides complete, free and open access to Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 user products, starting from the In-Orbit Commissioning Review (IOCR).
• The INTERNATIONAL ACCESS HUB (https://inthub.copernicus.eu/) provides a dedicated access to a Rolling Archive of 21 days of Sentinels user products. However, access to this hub is restricted to the international partners having established agreements with the European Commission.  
• The COPERNICUS SERVICES DATA HUB (https://cophub.copernicus.eu/) provides a dedicated access to Sentinels user products. However, Access is restricted to the Copernicus Service Projects.  
• The SENTINELS COLLABORATIVE DATA HUB (https://colhub.copernicus.eu/) provides to its users a dedicated access to a Rolling Archive of user products. However, access is restricted towards Collaborative Ground Segments.  

The qualified product sets are published for both the Near Real Time and Non Time Critical production following the In-Orbit Commissioning Review of each satellite.  

In addition, four Data and Information Access Services (DIAS) contracts were started by ESA and one by EUMETSAT, to provide (free) access to Sentinels data and on commercial level processing through highly scalable cloud computing environments.  

• CREODIAS (www.creodias.eu)  
• MUNDI (www.mundiwebservices.com)  
• ONDA (www.onda-dias.eu)  
• SOBLOO (www.sobloo.eu)  
• WEKEO (www.wekeo.eu) – The EUMETSAT DIAS

Below more elements of comparison and information on the DIAS from the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC):

• A comparison of the DIAS
• Facsheet on CREODIAS
• Facsheet on MUNDI
• Facsheet on ONDA
• Facsheet on SOBLOO
• Factssheet on WEKEO

BM/