Service on Demand

Service on Demand is the rapid-response service line of GAF Geospatial GmbH for situations in which satellite data and derived geo-information are needed urgently, such as disasters, major accidents and security-relevant events. GAF has used Earth observation satellite data for time-critical applications since 1986, when it assessed the Chernobyl nuclear accident, and since 2012 it has run a dedicated, operational Service-on-Demand team.

The team covers rapid procurement and provision of satellite data, fast delivery of urgently needed products, and dedicated services to worldwide programmes and projects. The service runs 24/7 all year on a three-shift team of image processing and image interpretation specialists, who extract and visualise event-specific information, such as building-damage grading maps, and deliver it in standard GIS data formats. Organisational and technical workflows are implemented and tested in advance, so the service can run in a scalable stand-by mode, switch to priority or rush production and deliver products within hours or days, using standardised procedures, content and formats.

Under a framework agreement won in a 2020 tender, the team supports the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), giving BKG and its users access to high- and very-high-resolution optical and radar satellite imagery for the agency's satellite-based crisis and situation service. For each activation GAF assesses user requirements, searches for suitable imagery, checks availability with the satellite data provider and manages licences so the data can be shared with other relevant users. The data is source-agnostic and served on a 24/7/365 basis, in normal and emergency modes. GAF states that the procurement and delivery process chains are certified to ISO 9001:2015.