Biomass Ground Segment Architecture, Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP) and Related Open-Source Developments

In order to help scientists in the above ground biomass community and to support the science behind the upcoming BIOMASS satellite missions, ESA is building a cloud-computing platform called Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP). The MAAP is jointly developed and implemented with NASA and will include not only data (satellite, airborne, in situ data and products), but also high performing computing capabilities and tools and algorithms developed to support this specific field of research. To best ensure that users are able to collaborate across the platform and to access needed resources, the MAAP requires all data, algorithms, and software to conform to open access and open-source policies. As one such example of best collaborative and open-source practices, the BIOMASS data processing algorithms are developed on MAAP under the umbrella of an open-source scientific software project called BioPAL. In addition to aiding researchers, the MAAP will focus on sharing data, science algorithms and compute resources in order to foster and accelerate scientific research.