The Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN) was established in 1977 as a research institute focused on terrestrial space, the Solar System and the Earth using space technology and satellite techniques. CBK PAN has participated in numerous space science missions in collaboration with: Roscosmos – KORONAS-F, Phobos-Grunt; NASA – IBEX, Chandrayaan; ESA – CASSINI, MARS EXPRESS, ROSETTA; CERN -DEMETER and TARANIS; as well as in Earth Observation (EO) programmes: GMES/Copernicus, SWEX and SMOS mission. CBK PAN is the leading Polish institution in the field of space research and its applications in geosciences, technology development and remote sensing. It also acts as an expert for the Polish government.
The Earth Observation Division (EOD) is focused on processing of satellite images and developing GIS applications. EOD’s staff were involved in numerous projects with focus on both optical and radar image analysis and classification. Main topics in EOD activity include land cover/land use classification and change detection on different scales (from national to global) with new algorithms and data sources. Apart from these activities, EOD worked on natural hazards assessment, climatological studies, quality control of EO-based and GIS mapping products. Also, EOD develops its capabilities in the ecosystem services (ES). EOG participated in projects focused on:
- provisioning ES: B-FIRST – assessment of cultivation of energy crops; EOSTAT, SATMIROL & ACCESS4FI – crop mapping;
- regulation and maintenance ES: MAIL – CO2 sequestration identification in Marginal Lands;
- cultural ES : sustainable management of tourism (in. collaboration with Warsaw University).
