Experienced EO Ground segment operations Engineer 

Optic / Image AIT Engineer

EO Image / Data processing Engineer

Available from 1st of January 2014

Personal Details

Date of Birth:                         October 18^th, 1963

Nationality:                            French

Qualifications:                        1993   Ph D in Engineering sciences (space imaging) (University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, FRANCE) 

1989     Postgraduate degree (DEA) in signal processing and automation – specialising in image processing (University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, FRANCE)

1988  Engineer (Engineering school of automotive     construction and aeronautics)

Relevant Experience

He has a PhD thesis in space image processing and an extensive experience in remote sensing data processing and image quality techniques both on ground segment (geometrical corrections and quality) and space segment (payload integration: radiometric corrections and instrument performance). He has been involved in Helios 2 AIT On-Ground test (Thales-Alenia Space) and in Helios image ground segment (EADS Astrium). During these two missions, he was assigned to AIT imaging performance tests (Thales) and to image exploitation on a ground segment (Astrium). He is now working in EUMETSAT since five years in the Real Time Services and Systems Operations (RSO) as Instrument Data Processing Engineer on MSG and EPS operations. He was deeply involved in the MSG3 Image Commissioning.

Career History

From 01/2009 to today: EUMETSAT: Instrument Data Processing Engineer on MSG and EPS operations in the RSO Division

Generic Activities and Tasks:

-          Support of MSG Instrument Data Processing Operations: Monitoring and reporting of the performance of the Image Processing Facility for the geometric and radiometric quality of the L1.0 and L1.5 images. Performing anomaly investigations, problems identifications and improvements proposal to the system. Investigation and reporting on different Instrument data processing anomalies and features, and correction proposal. Performing MSG spacecraft detector gain change.

-          Support MSG Image Processing Facility maintenance and operational validation activities;

-          MSG3 commissioning.

-          Support of EPS routine and non-routine Instrument Data Processing operations: Monitoring the performance of the Product Generation Facility and Front End Processor. Performing anomaly identifications, software validation and procedure modifications. Monitoring and report on the quality and availability of the Level 0 products. Problems Identification and improvements proposal to the system.

-          Support PGF and FEP maintenance and operational validation activities.

Specific Activities & Actions

-          SEVIRI instrument noise impact study: Successful development in IDL of few different low frequency noise (Gaussian noise, 1/f noise) and addition to MSG images to simulate the actual noise on MSG spacecrafts.

-          Image processing tuning and improvement.

-          MSG image archive reprocessing activities (as requested).

-          Report on MSG1 mirror reflectivity tests (as requested).

-          Detector anomaly study –

-          Investigation  and reporting on spacecraft anomaly impacting image quality,

-          Definition of statistical algorithms to improve the IMPF landmark detection reliability.

-          Support the MSG3/4 project :

o   Generating the Image Verification and Validation Test Plan and Specification for MSG-3 commissioning, including optimised test blocks.

o   Generating the Calibration Verification and Validation Test Specification for MSG-3 commissioning, including optimised test blocks.

o   Support MSG-3 commissioning, including providing inputs to the MSG-3 Image Verification and Validation Test Report;

o   Inputs to the MSG-3 Image Verification and Validation Test Report and the MSG-3 Calibration Verification and Validation Test Report.

Technical environment: Unix – few shell scripts - few development prototype in IDL

From 07/2008 to 12/2008 : CS/Technical Management of space activities in parallel with algorithm and software development in image processing

In charge of technical expertise of invitation-to-tender bid (especially in support to image quality activities during in orbit acceptance and exploitation) mainly to CNES, Thalès Alenia Space, Astrium and DGA.

Algorithm and software development in image processing for plane recognition in space optical image: development based on OTB (Orfeo toolbox) / C++ library.

Technical environment: Linux workstation using C++ Langage 

From 11/2005 – To – 05/2008  Ausy France / Technical Management of space activities

Typical aspects of this position included:

-  Technical part of bid mainly to Thalès Alénia Space, Astrium. 

-  Seeking and interviewing candidate space engineers

-  Reporting at the weekly agency management meetings.

From 09/2004 – To 09/2005 Image exploitation processing software engineering on the Helios II Ground Segment (Astrium - Creil Air Force Base)

Support, validation and on-site maintenance of image exploitation processing facilities:

-  Standard image exploitation facility:

*  Display of image products: calibrated with radiometric corrections, geometrically corrected: ortho-rectified using only the physical model.

*  Automatic relocation and rectification tools (image matching method based on correlation)

*  Enhancement and restoration (deconvolution) tools

*  Relief display of stereoscopic images (based on automatic tools)

-  Geographic image exploitation processing facility :

*  Display of image products: calibrated with radiometric corrections, geometrically corrected:  ortho-rectified using only the physical model on a cartographic grid.

*  Manual or automatic but supervised image relocation and rectification (using GCP and image matching method based on correlation)

*  Adjustable relief display of stereoscopic images - Mosaic of images

*  Calculation of Digital Elevation Model

Tasks:

-  Direct and on-line support to users (including image processing tools use and  image products availability and  status search in Oracle database

-  Reporting on overall image exploitation processing facilities performance with strong emphasis on localization accuracy, quality of DEM and image mosaic production

-  Validation of satellite images

-  Investigation into anomalies and their documentation. Follow up corrections patches

-  Support acceptance trial, of externally-developed software, i.e installation configuration and testing

-  Interfacing with the external contractors providing image exploitation processing softwares

-  Participate in relevant technical meetings related to image exploitation

Technical environment: NT workstations with Unix servers. Oracle Database using SQL query

From 10/2000 – To 07/2004        Space imaging engineering on On-Ground optical testing of the very high resolution earth observation  (visible and IR)  satellite Helios 2 payload (Thalès Alénia Space formerly  Alcatel Alenia Space)

-  Relative radiometric detector sensibility correction

-  Image absolute calibration on illuminated sphere in visible and on external black body in IR

-  On-board calibration  (internal/external correction coefficient estimation)

-  Radiometric corrections quality - Validation of instrument images

-  Imaging testing preparation (visible and IR) : design of the test procedures

-  Calculation and adjustment (focalisation) of MTF

-  Design, implementation and testing of algorithm software in image processing (acquisition configuration, statistical analysis and radiometric corrections).

-  Preparation and production of Imaging test reports: investigation into sensors anomalies

-  Validation of instrument images

-  Image database maintenance (SQL language) - Configuration Control of software and data 

-  Attendance at technical meetings

Technical environment:: Unix on Sun workstations using C, PV-wave/IDL Langage
From 11/1997 – To 07/1999        Software development engineering in image processing for barcode optical recognition

-  Definition of the new methods of image processing allowing improvement of the localization and image analysis (recognition and classification) in bar code automatic reading system implanted on mail sorting machines; development of algorithms and C implementation. Gain of a significant increase of the good reading rate and a decrease of the confusion when degradation of acquisition occurs (noisy background and oblique envelopes)

-  Optimisation of algorithms and code according to the real-time constraints. Results were competitively compared with similarly led works of the Image Processing Department of the University of Rotterdam

-  Validation and benchmarks on series of images-tests

-  Configuration Control of software and data

Technical environment: Using C both in Unix and windows NT environment

From 12/1995 – To 08/1997 Comex Technologies / R & D  engineer in imaging

Development of a real-time image processing station used for video image enhancement for dynamic medical imaging, TV operation and underwater vision:

-  Editing of file and the presentation of the project. Upstream studies, specifications, architecture and system configuration.

-  Development and implementation of innovative contrast improvement methods and signal to noise ratio allowing a sensitive increase of the visibility - Validation on true video images

Technical environment: Using C both in Unix and windows NT environment

From 10/1989 – To 03/1993                    Space Astronomy Laboratory (CNRS) / PhD thesis

Interpretation of FOCA space astronomy experiment data (CNES-CNRS).

Development (of some specifics parts) and use of an astronomic image acquisition (matrix UV sensor) and processing system:

bandwidth - sampling - geometric, spatial non-uniformity and dark current correction - calibration - denoising - filtering .

Technical environment: FORTRAN language both in UNIX and VMS environment

10/1988 – 06/1989 (10 months)  University of Nice Astrophysics Laboratory / Postgraduate degree (DEA) training

-  Signal processing and probabilistic analysis

-  Classical algorithms implementation  (Fast Fourier Transform, spectral density, Impulse Response simulation, autocorrelation function, transfer function). Signal restoration using deconvolution.

10/1988 – 06/1989 (8 months project)  Remote Sensing and Environment Analysis Center              Sophia - Antipolis

-  Image RGB combination (vegetation index NDVI, … )

-  Supervised or unsupervised multispectral classification: Comparison of various classification methods on a same test site .

Computing Skills

Languages