In a global context marked by climate change and accelerated growth of cities, there are urgent challenges for urban resilience and environmental sustainability. The growth of Urban Heat Islands -areas of cities with high temperatures especially at night due to accumulation of heat, low vegetation and human activity- is impacting on public health and the psychological well-being of people, as well as in everyday habits and economic dynamics.
Two thirds of the world’s population is expected to live in urban environments by 2050, which could aggravate existing vulnerabilities and generate, according to experts, new threats to health, the environment and well-being, especially if this happens without proper planning. Accurate information on the earth’s surface temperature in urban environments, through periodic heat maps, will help to understand this phenomenon which is essential for urban decision-making and the development of effective climate policies.
The SIRIUS consolidation study is intended for the observation of European cities from space, using thermal infrared products to measure the temperature of objects at a distance. The objective is to understand how Urban Heat Islands modify local climate
The consolidation study of the SIRIUS (Space Based Infra-Red Imager for Urban Sustainability) mission is intended to observe European cities from space, using thermal infrared products (TIR) which allow the temperature of objects to be measured at a distance. The objective is to understand how Urban Heat Islands modify the local climate.
The European Space Agency has awarded the project to an international consortium led by the company Thales Alenia Space in Spain. The director of the Image Processing Laboratory (IPL), located in the Science Park University of Valencia (PCUV) and professor of Earth Physics at the University of Valencia José Antonio Sobrino will be responsible for the mission.
The SIRIUS mission is part of the Scout missions of the European Space Agency’s FutureEO earth observation programme. Its approach of rapid development, high resolution, scalability and low cost is based on Smart-TIRI instrument, an innovative, compact, high performance technology with a competitive cost, developed by the Spanish parent company of the multinational Thales Alenia Space, the prime contractor for the SIRIUS mission.
Thales Alenia Space Spain leads the consortium that will work on the ESA mission, and in which, in addition to the University of Valencia, are the Lithuanian Kongsberg Nano Avionics -responsible for the small satellite platform-, Thales Alenia Space in France, to carry out the mission analysis and support the development of the simulator and image quality activities, and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), responsible for defining the performance simulator. As the scientific leader of the project, José Antonio Sobrino will play a crucial role in defining and refining the mission’s scientific objectives.
José Antonio Sobrino is a professor of Earth Physics, responsible for the Global Change Unit (UCG) at the University of Valencia and director of the Image Processing Laboratory (IPL). As an Earth physicist specialized in Remote Sensing, his lines of research focus on the study of the changes that the planet undergoes, analyzed with the support of remote sensing satellites and the digital processing of the images provided by them. Has over 300 publications in high-impact scientific journals; is Principal Investigator in more than 70 projects funded by Spain, the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA), and has led 25 doctoral theses.
In 2019 he was awarded the Jaume I Research Prize, in the category of Environmental Protection, for his research on planetary changes and the creation of algorithms to calculate the surface temperature of the Earth and oceans.
He has been president of the Spanish Association for Remote Sensing and is a member of the Advisory Group of the LSTM mission of the European Space Agency (ESA); member of the scientific committee of theIndia TRISHNA, Chief Editor of the international journals Recent Advances in Remote Sensing and Remote Sensing Communications, Coordinator of the National Earth Observation Network (RNOT), founding president of the series of editions of the International Congress Recent Advances in Quantitative Remote Sensing and scientific vocal of the High Advisory Council of the Valencian Community on R & D & I, the body that advises the Consell on research, development and innovation, among other charges.
Source: UV News