Circular No. 39/2015/TT-BTNMT stipulates technical operation procedures for satellite image receiving stations.

CIRCULAR

Technical Operation Regulations for Satellite Image Receiving Stations

Pursuant to Decree No. 21/2013/NĐ-CP dated March 4, 2013, promulgated by the Government, stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

Pursuant to Decision No. 81/2010/QĐ-TTg dated December 13, 2010 of the Prime Minister regarding the reception, processing, exploitation, and utilization of national remote sensing data;

Pursuant to Decision No. 76/2014/QD-TTg dated December 24, 2014 of the Prime Minister amending and supplementing some articles of Decision No. 81/2010/QD-TTg dated December 13, 2010 of the Prime Minister on the collection, storage, processing, exploitation, and utilization of national remote sensing data;

Considering the proposal of the Director of the National Remote Sensing Center, the Head of the Science and Technology Department, and the Head of the Legal Affairs Department,

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment issues this Circular on technical operation regulations for satellite image receiving stations.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates technical aspects related to the operation of satellite image receiving stations.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals involved in managing and operating satellite image receiving stations in Vietnam.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Operation of Satellite Image Receiving Station means using equipment at the satellite image receiving station to collect, process, and store remote sensing data.

2. Shift refers to a continuous working period defined for the satellite image receiving station operation team.

3. Image Acquisition Plan includes parameters for image acquisition sent from the satellite control station to the satellite image receiving station to capture signals when the satellite passes over.

4. Remote Sensing Image Data Catalog is a collection of remote sensing image data obtained from the satellite image receiving station, stored online for information retrieval purposes.

5. Noise is the effect of unnecessary energy emitted by one or more sources of radiation or induction on the receiver in the radio communication system, leading to reduced quality, interruption, or loss of recoverable information due to such unnecessary energy.

6. Bit Error Rate (BER) is the ratio of erroneous bits to the total number of received bits.

Chapter II
REGULATIONS ON INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE SATELLITE IMAGE RECEIVING STATION AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Article 4. Antenna Installation Location

1. The antenna must be installed at a location with unobstructed views in all 360° azimuth angles with an elevation angle ≥ 3° to fully receive signals from remote sensing satellites. The antenna installation location must be equipped with an infrared camera system to monitor the operation of the antenna system.

2. When moving, the antenna occupies a spherical space depending on its diameter. A safety belt with a diameter ≥ 1.5 times the antenna's diameter must be installed around the antenna installation location.

3. The antenna system of the satellite image receiving station must be equipped with lightning protection and grounding systems in accordance with the National Technical Regulation on Lightning Protection for Telecommunication Stations and Peripheral Telecommunication Cable Networks issued together with Circular No. 10/2011/TT-BTTTT dated April 14, 2011 of the Ministry of Information and Communications (QCVN:32:2011/BTTTT).

Article 5. Power Supply System

1. The satellite image receiving station must be equipped with a backup power supply system to maintain operations during national grid power outages. The backup power supply system includes: power stabilizer, battery bank, and backup generator.

2. The battery bank must ensure that the satellite image receiving station can continue operating for a minimum of thirty (30) minutes after a national grid power outage.

3. The backup generator must automatically activate within one (01) minute after a national grid power outage.

Article 6. Working Environment

1. The installation location of the satellite image receiving station must be registered with the Frequency and Radio Administration under the Ministry of Information and Communications to avoid interference.

2. Outdoor equipment must ensure stable operation in temperature conditions ranging from -15°C to +45°C, withstand wind speeds up to 90 km/h, and handle maximum rainfall of 37 mm/h.

3. The room where satellite image receiving station equipment is installed must be equipped with air conditioning to maintain temperatures between 18°C and 25°C and humidity levels between 40% and 70%.

4. The satellite image receiving station must comply with fire prevention and firefighting regulations stipulated in the Fire Prevention and Fighting Law dated June 29, 2001.

Article 7. Network System

1. The satellite image receiving station and the satellite control station must be connected internally to exchange information.

2. The network system must be equipped with a server ensuring cybersecurity.

Chapter III
TECHNICAL OPERATING REGULATIONS FOR SATELLITE IMAGE RECEIVING STATIONS

Article 8. Operating Conditions for Satellite Image Receiving Stations

1. The satellite image receiving station system must ensure continuous operation twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.

2. The operation of the satellite image receiving station must be conducted by operators holding a bachelor's degree in one of the following fields: surveying, cartography, remote sensing, telecommunications engineering, information technology, and who have participated in training courses on operating satellite image receiving stations.

Article 9. Shift Work

The operation of the satellite image receiving station is divided into shifts. The results of work and any technical issues occurring during the shift (if any) must be recorded in the duty log (according to Model 01 attached to this Circular). After completing the shift, handover procedures between two operational teams must be carried out and signed in the duty log.

Article 10. Preparations Before Signal Reception

1. Check the readiness status of the equipment: Antenna; antenna control device; frequency converter; signal detector; frequency spectrum analyzer; signal demodulation unit; GPS device; wind speed meter.

2. Test-run the antenna control equipment; check the technical parameters of the devices after testing and record these parameters in the duty log.

3. Inspect the equipment in the room, the operational status, and configurations of the receiving, processing, and storage servers.

4. Verify the imaging schedule and the time synchronization between the antenna control system and the signal processing system.

5. In case of conflicting imaging schedules among satellites, seek the opinion of the station manager to select the satellite with higher priority.

Article 11. Signal Reception and Processing

1. When the system begins to receive signals, the operator must monitor the received signals, preliminarily check the transmission channels, transmission times, planned reception locations, and the quality of the signals received from the satellite. All this information must be recorded in the daily duty log.

2. The operator must supervise the processes of receiving, processing satellite signals into level-zero remote sensing data, and storing this data on the online storage system of the satellite image receiving station.

Article 12. Evaluation of Remote Sensing Image Quality

Preliminary evaluation of remote sensing image quality is divided into four levels: Very Good, Good, Poor, and Unusable. Among them, Very Good refers to images processed from signals with a BER value of 0, Good refers to images processed from signals with a BER value within the manufacturer's allowable range, Poor refers to images processed from signals with a high BER value leading to noise in the processed images, making usage difficult, and Unusable refers to images processed from signals with a very high BER value leading to unprocessable images or heavily noisy images that cannot be used.

Article 13. Cloud Cover Assessment

For optical remote sensing images, the operator must assess the cloud cover level. The assessment of the cloud cover level shall be carried out in accordance with Clause 2 of Article 7 of Circular No. 10/2015/TT-BTNMT dated March 25, 2015, issued by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment on technical standards for producing high-resolution and ultra-high-resolution optical remote sensing images to provide to users.

Article 14. Updating the Remote Sensing Image Data Catalogue

The updating of the remote sensing image data catalogue of the satellite image receiving station must be checked immediately after the quality assessment of the images and cloud cover assessment.

Article 15. Backup of Level 0 Remote Sensing Data

1. Level 0 remote sensing data after receipt must be backed up onto two (02) magnetic tapes for long-term use. The backup of Level 0 remote sensing data must be performed daily at the end of each shift.

2. Magnetic tapes must be systematically labeled and numbered for ease of management.

3. The two copies of magnetic tapes must be stored in two (02) different buildings to prevent risks.

4. Backup data must be regularly backed up every three (03) years. In case of errors being detected, both (02) copies must be backed up again.

Article 16. Monitoring and Evaluating Orders for Remote Sensing Image Acquisition

1. Upon completion of the operation of acquiring images, the operator must classify the remote sensing images that have been assessed for quality and cloud cover according to the provisions of Articles 12 and 13 of this Circular for each order.

2. For images that do not meet customer requirements, the operator must report to the competent state management agency for remote sensing to proceed with re-acquisition procedures.

Article 17. Reporting Results of Remote Sensing Image Acquisition

The results of remote sensing image acquisition must be reported in writing periodically monthly, quarterly, annually, and upon urgent request of the state management agency for remote sensing (according to Form 02 attached to this Circular).

Article 18. Processing Level 0 Remote Sensing Data to Basic Levels

The processing of Level 0 remote sensing data into remote sensing image products at the receiving station can only be carried out when requested by the competent authority.

Article 19. Operating the Receiving Station in Emergency Mode

1. Operating the receiving station in emergency mode is carried out when directly requested by the General Secretary, Chairman of the National Assembly, President, Prime Minister.

2. After completing the image acquisition process in emergency mode, the data must be prioritized to produce remote sensing image products and provided according to the requirements.

Article 20. Coordination of Operations Between the Satellite Image Receiving Station and the Satellite Control Station

1. The satellite control station is responsible for establishing and sending the plan for remote sensing image acquisition to the satellite image receiving station so that the satellite image receiving station can receive signals when the satellite passes over. Information about the remote sensing image acquisition plan between the satellite image receiving station and the satellite control station is exchanged daily through a common email, telephone, or fax.

2. The data encryption key for remote sensing images is changed every two (02) weeks.

3. When shutting down the satellite image receiving station system, notification must be given to the satellite control station.

Article 21. Information and Data Security

The operator must be responsible for complying with current regulations on information and data security to ensure the security and safety of remote sensing image data acquired at the satellite image receiving station.

Article 22. Handling Technical Incidents

1. When a technical incident is detected during operation, the operator must describe the incident in the Incident Logbook (according to the model attached as Appendix No. 03 issued with this Circular).

2. Organize a group meeting to handle the incident in accordance with the guidance and regulations of the manufacturer. The steps for handling the incident must be detailed to serve as reference material.

Article 23. Maintenance of Satellite Image Reception Station Systems

The equipment of the satellite image reception station must be maintained and serviced regularly on a monthly, six-monthly (06 months), and annual basis in accordance with the manufacturer's regulations.

Chapter IV
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 24. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from August 25, 2015.

Article 25. Implementation organization

1. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government; People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. The National Remote Sensing Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall be responsible for inspecting the implementation of this Circular.

During the implementation process, if there are any difficulties, agencies, organizations, and individuals are requested to promptly report them to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for consideration and decision.

 

ANNEX NO. 01

OPERATING LOGBOOK OF THE SATELLITE IMAGE RECEIVING STATION
(Issued together with Circular No. 39/2015/TT-BTNMT dated July 9, 2015 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment)

OPERATING LOGBOOK OF THE SATELLITE IMAGE RECEIVING STATION

Note: Image reception results

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Name of image band

Note:

● Checking the synchronization of the antenna with the sun and whether direct solar energy reaches the antenna. The essence of this test is to measure the difference between the direct solar energy received and indirect solar energy (sky). The calculation of G/T is based on the "solar flux" parameter; if G/T has a value greater than 27 dB, then this test meets the requirements. SUN test:

● Checking the tracking process based on the movement of the sun, essentially similar to the G/T test but it is adjusted more accurately relative to the sun position (<0.1°) while also checking APA (Authorized Autotrack) to see if it meets the requirements. BER test

● (Bit Error Rate): aimed at testing the antenna's ability to receive signal quality. The test of the antenna's signal reception capability is based on the BER value (calculated by the formula BER = Number of signal errors / Total number of bits sent), typically if BER has a value of 10 , meaning only 1 bit error out of 10^-6bits received (or fewer), then the test is considered successful.⁶ RX test:

● aimed at rechecking the autotrack function to ensure its accuracy. MWD (SDPF):

● the process of temporarily storing synchronized SDPF data for processing signals received from satellites, displaying quicklook images on MWD (Moving Window Display). DRD:

● creating and storing raw DRD data on the system (after 06 months, the system automatically deletes DRD). L0:

● processing to generate level 0 remote sensing data. Archive:

● storing level 0 remote sensing data and updating the image data catalog in the station's storage system, while being backed up on magnetic tape for long-term storage. Report:

● reporting reception status. PAN:

● black and white image (full color). XS:

● color image (multi-spectral). REPORT ON IMAGE RECEPTION RESULTS

APPENDIX NO. 02

(From ... to ... )
(Issued together with Circular No. 39/2015/TT-BTNMT dated July 9, 2015 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment)

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Independence - Freedom - Happiness
------------

…, day ... month ... year ...

(From ... to ... )

1. Image reception situation at the satellite image receiving station

(Must clearly state the image reception results according to month, quarter, year, or urgent requests from superiors including: analyzing the image reception situation according to orders, analyzing the image reception situation to meet other requirements).

2. Evaluation of image reception quality

(Must evaluate the quality of the received images, assess cloud coverage for image requests according to orders).

3. Other issues

(Clearly state any technical issues that occurred during operation and any urgent matters or recommendations if any).

ANNEX IMAGE RECEPTION RESULTS

1. Statistics table of image reception results from ... to ...

Names of image bands captured according to orders

3. Overall data flow diagram of images received for orders up to the reporting date.

SAMPLE INCIDENT LOGBOOK AT THE SATELLITE IMAGE RECEIVING STATION

ANNEX NO. 03

Date of error report
(Issued together with Circular No. 39/2015/TT-BTNMT dated July 9, 2015 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment)

Date of error report

Note:

- Critical failure:

A malfunction is considered a critical failure if it leads to loss of image signal. - Major failure:

A malfunction is considered major if it violates system requirements or affects system usage: inability to run Inventory or Production functions. - Minor failure:

A malfunction is considered minor if it does not violate system requirements or affect system usage in any way. Một sự cố được coi là nhỏ nếu nó không vi phạm các yêu cầu của hệ thống hoặc không có ảnh hưởng nào đến việc sử dụng hệ thống.