The 10th ASTER Science Team meeting was held November 14-17, 1995, at the World Import Mart in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan. There were approximately 90 participants representing the ASTER Science Team, JPL ASTER Science Project, EROS Data Center (EDC), Earth Remote Sensing Data Analysis Center (ERSDAC), Japan Resources Observation Systems Organization (JAROS), the ASTER Ground Data System (GDS) developers, the instrument vendors, and the Japanese algorithm development contractors. The four-day meeting was composed of two plenary sessions and several individual Working Group meetings.

H. Tsu (ERSDAC), ASTER Science Team Leader, welcomed the participants and opened the Plenary Session. D. Nichols (JPL) updated the current EOS Project status on behalf of S. Lambros (GSFC), who could not come to the meeting due to the U.S. government shutdown. M. Pniel (JPL) reported on recompetition of the DAACs. A. Kahle (JPL), U.S. ASTER Science Team Leader, and D. Nichols reviewed the recent U.S. ASTER Team's activities. T. Kawakami (ERSDAC) overviewed the current status of the whole ASTER Science Team activities and future tasks. There are many things already completed so far, e.g., refinement of standard data product algorithms and completion of the Functional Requirements for Mission Operation. However, the ASTER Science Team still needs to continue work on various issues such as calibration/validation planning and review of data product specifications. Y. Yamaguchi (Geological Survey of Japan [GSJ]) presented the ASTER data product update. He proposed a new category, a semi-standard data product that is a sort of a sub-category of the EOS specialized data products and will include two Japanese data products; (1) radiance registered at sensor with ortho-image correction; and (2) relative digital elevation model (DEM).

H. Watanabe (ERSDAC) updated the status of the ASTER GDS development, and was followed by presentations from the GDS developers. The ASTER Science Team submitted requirements for the GDS at the time of the previous Science Team meeting in May 1995, and GDS Preliminary Design Review (PDR) meetings in June/July, 1995. The GDS developers are currently designing the GDS targeting the Critical Design Review (CDR) to be held in January/February 1996. The presentations covered the current design status such as the GDS user interface, data product algorithm implementation, and scheduler development.

M. Kudoh (JAROS) presented updates on the ASTER instrument development status. ASTER subsystems are now in the final fabrication phase of the flight models. ASTER Engineering Model (EM) integration and test had been successfully completed by September 1995. Detailed results of the EM system tests were presented by the ASTER System contractor, NEC.

F. Sakuma (National Research Laboratory of Metrology [NRLM]) reported the status of the EOS AM-1 preflight cross-calibration experiment. Measurements of the ASTER VNIR integrating sphere were performed in February 1995 jointly by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), GSFC, University of Arizona, and NRLM. They are currently preparing to publish the results at SPIE'96 in Denver.

H. Fujisada (Electrotechnical Laboratory [ETL]) reviewed the ASTER Level-1 processing algorithm and software development status. The beta version algorithm was completed at the end of March 1995, and the version 1 algorithm will be delivered to ASTER GDS by the end of December 1995.

S. Rokugawa (Tokyo University) reported the current status of the ASTER Airborne Simulator (AAS) and future campaign plans. He asked the science team members to submit flight requests and ground measurement requirements. The AAS is now scheduled to fly over a few test sites in the western U.S. in May or June 1996. S. Hook (JPL) presented recommendations from the EOS Land Surface Imaging Airborne Sensor Working Group to examine aircraft scanner needs for land imaging to support the ASTER and MODIS instruments. The recommendation also includes a proposal to build a new MODIS/ASTER Simulator (MASTER).

Issues to be addressed in the meeting were pointed out by the responsible Team members. Y. Yamaguchi (GSJ) and K. Okada (Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. [JAPEX] Geoscience Institute [JGI]) requested the discipline working groups to compile priority maps for ASTER global data set acquisition by December 1995. The integrated global prioritization map will be presented to the Science Team for approval at the next Science Team meeting in 1996. Y. Yamaguchi proposed organizing an ad hoc working group in order to develop the ASTER scheduler algorithms for data acquisition prioritization. H. Fujisada (ETL) laid out issues of Level-1b processing prioritization and the definition of the Level-3 data products. A. Morrison (JPL) requested each working group to finalize the ASTER test site list and to complete the site descriptions for the validation data base. P. Slater (University of Arizona) distributed a questionnaire regarding joint field campaigns planned in 1996. G. Geller (JPL) said that it is necessary to develop the first draft of specific quality assessment (QA) information for product headers.

The discussions of the splinter sessions on the second to fourth days were summarized by each working group chairperson at the second plenary session in the afternoon of the fourth day.

K. Arai (Saga University), Radiometric Calibration Working Group, briefly reviewed the ASTER pre- and in-flight calibration plans. He introduced a field campaign plan for 1996 and encouraged the team members to participate in it.

S. Rokugawa (Tokyo University), Temperature-Emissivity (T-E) Separation Working Group, said that further discussions were needed to identify the relations of atmospheric correction, T-E separation, and scene classification algorithms.

Y. Yamaguchi (GSJ), Geology Working Group, summarized the status of the global prioritization maps to be provided from this working group. There were presentations on the Mt. Fitton test site by Tom Cudahy (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization [CSIRO]), on research plans on natural coal fires in Xinjiang, China, by M. Urai (GSJ), and on global glacier monitoring by B. Raup (U.S. Geological Survey).

H. Fujisada (ETL) summarized the discussions at the Level 1 Processing Working Group and Geometric Correction Working Group. The current Level-1 processing algorithm was explained in detail at the splinter meeting.

The major topics discussed at the Geometric Correction Working Group were a proposal for a geo-coded ortho-image as a Level-3 data product, and a Ground Control Point (GCP) and orbit model application to enhance geolocation performance. It was decided to investigate the various levels and types of the inter-telescope registration quality so that this information will be included in the product header.

Y. Yamaguchi (GSJ) reviewed the discussions at the Operation and Mission Planning Working Group. The Japanese and U.S. ASTER Science Projects agreed to work together to support the ASTER Operation Team (AOT) in developing the prototype scheduler algorithm and prioritization function. The other issues to be resolved include utilization of a World Reference System (WRS), revision of the baseline uplink timeline, a cloud prediction utilization approach, and a scenario for user selection of expedited data set processing.

F. Palluconi (JPL) and T. Takashima (National Space Development Agency of Japan [NASDA]) Atmospheric Correction Working Group updated the status of the atmospheric correction algorithms. The adjacency effect is being viewed as a post-launch improvement. An alternative TIR algorithm using ASTER data only is being developed by M. Moriyama (Nagasaki University). Delivery to the EROS Data Center DAAC for the beta version of the U.S. atmospheric correction algorithm will occur early in 1996.

Y. Yasuoka (National Institute for Environmental Studies [NIES]) summarized the status of the global prioritization maps to be supplied from the Ecosystem and Landsurface Climatology Working Group. There were also many presentations to introduce the activities by the working group members, e.g., an intercomparison study on models of sensible heat flux, research plans on coral reef mapping, soil mapping, vegetation indices, ground truth data base, and scaling with ASTER and MODIS.

M. Kishino (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), Oceanography, Limnology, Lake and Sea Ice Working Group, presented an example of the global prioritization maps. The validation test sites for the specialized data products such as water surface temperature, polar sea ice, turbidity, and aquatic plants were agreed to at the splinter meeting.

Y. Miyazaki (GSJ), DEM Working Group, reviewed the DEM generation flow. It is necessary to insure compatibility of the DEM products to be generated at the Japanese ASTER GDS and the U.S. DAAC, and to create a first draft of QA data for DEM products. The global prioritization map for DEM generation was agreed to after coordination among the U.S. and Japanese working group members. This prioritization map includes the areas which have been inadequately mapped at a scale of 1:50,000 or larger with relief greater than 200 m, and the East Asia region. DEM test sites were also listed with the individual DEM investigators who are responsible for providing the test site attributes.

Y. Ninomiya (GSJ), Spectral Library Committee, said that there is still a need to survey existing spectral data bases such as Brown University's spectral library. This group will continue efforts to make the measured spectra available to the public and to clarify architecture and attributes of the spectral library.

S. Rokugawa (Tokyo University), Airborne Sensor Working Group, said that band addition and modification for the MASTER (MODIS/ASTER Simulator) were proposed and approved at the splinter meeting. The ASTER Airborne Simulator (AAS) will join the joint cross-calibration field campaign scheduled in May/June 1996.

A. Kahle (JPL) summarized the discussions of the Higher Level Data Product Working Group. The status of the standard product algorithms and software were briefly reviewed in order to identify issues to be resolved. The Science Team will have to input the specific header, metadata, and browse data contents to the ASTER GDS soon. Steps to reach compilation of QA parameters were defined at the splinter meeting. Validation plans for the ASTER algorithms are to be contained in the ATBDs and will be peer reviewed in the near future.

H. Tsu (ERSDAC) adjourned this very fruitful meeting and thanked all the participants. The next ASTER Science Team meeting will be held in Pasadena, California, during the week of June 10, 1996.

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