The Promotion of Utilisation and Mission Applications and Science (PUMAS) is a joint initiative between ESA and CONAE (the Argentinian Space Agency). Established in 2021, PUMAS organises collaborative activities between the two agencies in the field of Earth observation. 

Objectives

The objectives of PUMAS are to:

• Promote the joint exploitation of data from ESA and CONAE satellite missions for scientific research
• Pioneer development of innovative and prototype applications using Earth observation data
• Stimulate scientific exchange and collaboration
• Provide training to young scientists in Europe and Argentina working on PUMAS research projects activities

Activities

To achieve the PUMAS objectives, ESA and CONAE are organising joint activities, including the following:

• SAOCOM Announcement of Opportunity: A call for the scientific community to access data without cost from the SAOCOM mission for scientific research and applications development. Proposals describing the proposed use of the data must be evaluated by ESA and CONAE before access to the products are granted. The deadline for proposals is 31 December 2024.
• SAOCOM/Biomass cooperation: Future collaboration between ESA and CONAE regarding the SAOCOM and Biomass missions. ESA’s Biomass satellite – an upcoming Earth Explorer mission - will carry a P-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to obtain information about Earth’s forests and the role they play in the carbon cycle. CONAE’s SAOCOM mission is a constellation of two satellites carrying L-band SAR instruments gathering data relevant to a range of land surface, cryosphere and ocean monitoring applications. Following the launch of Biomass, ESA and CONAE will explore innovative joint scientific exploitation of the L- and P-band SAR data.
• Workshops: Joint ESA/CONAE workshops will offer young scientists in Europe and Argentina training related to PUMAS research projects
• Symposia: Joint ESA/CONAE symposia will report on the results of PUMAS research projects