VeggieH

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As part of the project, Airbus is investigating the feasibility of the VeggieH mission based on its experience with ongoing developments for Merlin and previous laser developments, together with its partners LMU, GFZ, and ILT. The SME vH&S will contribute its specific expertise in laser electronics as a subcontractor to ILT. The planned mission is based on the scientific needs of society. All important data products were defined as a result of individual discussions with the scientific community. In addition, this concept was coordinated with the results of the working groups of the international “Workshop on Earth Observation for Terrestrial Vegetation Structure” at ESA. The VeggieH satellite mission combines laser ranging and high-resolution multispectral imaging of vegetation and topography worldwide to improve understanding of important three-dimensional structural and biogeochemical dynamics (4D) of the global carbon cycle and critical land surface changes.

The VeggieH satellite mission combines high-precision laser measurements with high-resolution multispectral remote sensing of vegetation and topography on a global scale to improve monitoring of the Earth system and gain a more accurate understanding of important three-dimensional structural and biogeochemical dynamics of the global carbon cycle and critical changes in the land surface.

VeggieH answers three scientific questions:

• How is carbon storage distributed globally in forests and how is this distribution changing?
• What effects do climate change and anthropogenic influences have on vegetation structure, growth, and disturbance events?
• What is the extent and what are the consequences of critical changes in land surface for humans, the environment, and the climate?

To answer these questions, VeggieH combines laser measurements and multispectral imaging to capture both structural and biogeochemical properties of vegetation and land surface with high spatial resolution and continuous temporal coverage. These data enable improved quantification of the carbon stored above ground in vegetation and systematic analysis of the structural and biogeochemical effects of vegetation disturbances and regeneration. In addition, they contribute to the understanding of other critical changes in the land surface, such as climate-induced deformations (e.g., permafrost degradation, subsidence) and extreme events such as fires, earthquakes, and landslides.

The parameters recorded include:

• Terrain and vegetation height, vertical structure, high-resolution panchromatic and multispectral data
• Scientific data products such as biomass, changes in stand height, and deformations of the terrain surface

The measurements provided by VeggieH are novel and represent an important advance in Earth observation, in particular through:

• The first-ever combination of LIDAR and multispectral remote sensing in a satellite-based observation system. The combination of sensors enables integrated recording of structural and biogeochemical variables and reduces crucial uncertainties in Earth system monitoring. The interpretability and interoperability of laser scanning data is significantly improved by multispectral information, particularly with regard to determining vegetation types, characterizing areas, and determining positions.
• The development of a novel LIDAR system that sets new standards in terms of performance, resolution, and measurement accuracy for satellite-based 3D remote sensing of vegetation and surface structure.
• Optimizing the LIDAR acquisition strategy compared to existing systems, with the aim of repeated measurements along reproducible ground tracks and the generation of consistent time series. This allows for a more systematic recording of disturbance and recovery processes in vegetation and improved integration with time series from other satellite missions such as Landsat and Sentinel.
• The ability to determine distance directly using LIDAR allows for precise calibration of elevation measurements and biomass based on SAR data. In addition, LIDAR enables higher spatial detail than, for example, the BIOMASS mission, and integration into existing national monitoring systems with airborne and terrestrial LIDAR is straightforward.

The function of VeggieH as a complementary extension to NASA's GEDI mission. With global coverage of all forest types, VeggieH supplements the GEDI data available since 2019 with additional time series from measurements beyond 51.6° latitude and makes a significant contribution to the long-term continuation of satellite-based LIDAR observations – with potential for integration into the European Copernicus program.

In addition to scientific knowledge gain, VeggieH also makes significant contributions to key policy initiatives, such as monitoring and reporting under the Paris Climate Agreement (e.g., UNFCCC Global Stocktake, national reporting obligations) and new European legislative initiatives under the EU Green Deal, including the Nature Restoration Law, the Carbon Removal and Farming Regulation (CRCF), and the LULUCF Regulation (Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry). The Mission's free and open data policy increases the usability of the data for a wide range of stakeholders and enhances transparency and accountability in climate- and environmentally-friendly land use and sustainable land management.