Chapter 12 - Product Ordering

 12.1 Data Holdings

The primary receiving station will be at the US Geological Survey's (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Substantially cloud- free, land and coastal scenes will be acquired by EDC through real-time downlink, and by playback from the on-board solid state recorder. Approximately 200 scenes are downlinked or played back per day. Another 50-60 scenes will arrive per day on tape from the northern latitude ground stations in Norway and Alaska. These scenes consist of Alaskan coverage as well as recorder dumps from foreign land masses.

 12.2 Online Aids to Ordering

The Landsat 7 satellite is part of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). The EOS Data and Information System component (EOSDIS) provides a structure for data management and user services for products derived from EOS satellite instruments to be launched over the next two decades and other NASA Earth science data. Within the EOSDIS framework, the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) are responsible for providing data and information services to support the customer community.

These centers are responsible for data archival, product development and distribution and user support. They are distinguished from one another by their data subject area. The EDC DAAC (EDC DAAC) is responsible for land processes data of which Landsat 7 is part. The DAACS are linked by the EOSDIS Version 0 (V0) Information Management System (IMS) which allows users to search for and order data from multiple data centers in a single session. The IMS provides both WWW and graphical user interfaces to accommodate a variety of user computing environments ranging from desktop PCs to sophisticated graphical workstations.

12.2.1 Search Types

A search is performed by specifying geographic criteria along with optional selections for others such as date range, data types, instruments, and data centers. Three different search types provide increasingly detailed information about science sets available through the system.

    A Summary Document (Directory) search provides summary information about EOSDIS data sets to help the user determine which data products are appropriate. A directory search will access the Global Change Master Directory, a multidisciplinary data base of information about Earth science data.

    A Detailed Document (Guide) search provides detailed descriptions about data sets, data sources, instruments, projects, and data centers, and includes algorithm descriptions and calibration information.

    A Data Search and Order (Inventory) search gives descriptions of specific observations or collections of observations of data (granules) that are available for request from a data. Of particular interest to users of ETM+ data are the cloud cover and data quality scores. Most data accessible through the V0 IMS are available for free or, as in the case of Landsat 7, at a nominal charge.

12.2.2 Additional Functions

    The Order function allows the user to select the desired data processing options and media. This function also allows the user to specify contact, billing, and shipping addresses.

The Coverage Map is a graphical representation of the geographic coverage of selected Landsat 7 scenes (data granules). In the near future, full subintervals will be depicted.

    The Browse function allows the user to preview Landsat 7 scenes at reduced resolution. Each browse is JPEG compressed and may be viewed in the V0 IMS interface or retrieved via File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Spatial characteristics of the ETM+ browse imagery must be fully understood to ensure that a user's region of interest is covered by all eight spectral bands.

 12.3 Product Prices

As required by Public Law 102-555, the Landsat 7 Data Policy is designed to achieve the following goal:

Ensure that unenhanced data are available to all users at the cost of fulfilling user requests (COFR).

All users will be charged standard prices for the products/services provided. Prices will be reviewed and established by Landsat Program Management (LPM) once per year.

12.3.1 Published Price List

The Federal government has established prices for basic image-data products that will soon be available from the Landsat 7 satellite that was successfully launched on April 15, 1999. At or around July 15, 1999, minimally processed Level Zero R full-scene digital products, covering 115 x 105 miles (185 x 170 km), will be available from the U.S. Geological Survey's EROS Data Center (EDC) near Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During the same time Level 1 products will also become available. At a later date, users will be able to order subintervals and floating partial subintervals in 0R form. Products and associated prices are as follows:

Prices for data products from Landsat 7 were established by the agencies partnering in management of the Landsat Program: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). With the objective of providing these basic data products at the lowest possible cost, the agencies will review the prices annually and publish any changes each year that the satellite is in operation. Value-added film and enhanced digital products are expected to become available from commercial vendors.

12.3.2 Product Payment

Payment arrangements must be made with EDC DAAC User Services prior to receiving your products. The methods of payment are listed on EDC's Payment Options web page.

 12.4 Product Media

Landsat 7 products will be distributed on 8 mm tape, CD-ROM, and via electronic transfer. The available product mix is not applicable to all media types at least during the early stages of data availability. Table 12.2 maps product types according to media type.

12.5 IGS Landsat Data Archives

The IGSs represent an evolving worldwide network of Landsat 7 data collection and product generation centers. IGS data policy

and product types may differ from those in the US. While foreign land masses will be imaged for onboard storage and eventual

downlink to US controlled ground, stations the depth of ETM+ coverage at participating IGSs will be much deeper. Most, if not

all, IGSs will capture every scene imaged by Landsat 7 within their respective acquisition circles. Table 12.3 lists the

participating IGSs and provides points of contact and web site addresses for online catalogs.