Update on the DMC Third Party Missions, Contributions to GSC-DA and New Satellites for Future Phases
Holmes, Gary
DMC International Imaging Ltd, UNITED KINGDOM

This paper presents an update on the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) including the current operational satellites and a look forward to future satellites which will be available as ESA 3rd Party Missions.
The DMC is an internationally owned constellation of small satellites, each carrying a wide swath (650km) optical sensor. Since 2009 the 2nd generation sensors have captured imagery at 22m resolution and the primary applications are those that require regular coverage of large areas, especially agricultural monitoring, forest monitoring, land cover mapping and disaster response. The newest DMC satellite also carries a 2.5m sensor which opens a new range of high resolution applications. The DMC satellites have been exploited widely for GSC-DA and DWH in recent years and a summary will be presented. Interesting examples of wider exploitation in countries such as USA, Brazil, Russia and Australia will also be presented.
Looking further ahead, DMCii will launch a constellation of 1m resolution sensors in 2014, built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). During the same period SSTL will also be designing and building the next generation of DMC wide-swath sensors for enhanced agricultural and environmental applications, along with its first SAR mission.