OGC to form new Planetary Domain Working Group; Public Comment sought on Draft Charter

New OGC DWG will identify requirements to revise or extend OGC standards for use with data concerning celestial bodies other than the Earth.

14 July 2021: The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) seeks public comment on the draft charter for a new Planetary Domain Working Group (DWG). Comments are due by August 4, 2021.

The objective of the Planetary DWG is to identify requirements to revise or extend OGC standards for celestial bodies other than the Earth. Such bodies include planets, satellites, asteroids, and comets. The overall mission of the Planetary DWG is to ensure that OGC standards remain current with the scientific requirements for celestial bodies established by the planetary science community. 

Geospatial data has been successfully standardized for Earth Observation for many years across various disciplines such as geosciences, the environment, energy, pollution, forestry, or marine sciences. This has allowed scientists to cross-reference data from various themes to broaden their research and understanding in a wider context. 

The OGC interoperability standards for Earth Observation data can be transposed for use with planetary data. The proliferation of planetary data, available in various wavelengths and time scales, is accompanied by an increase in data volume with the use of more and more sophisticated sensors. To cope with this increase in data volume and data sources, it is necessary to extend the Earth OGC standards for use with solar system celestial bodies. 

The Planetary DWG aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of spatial data as used in planetary research and education through supporting the propagation of interoperable geospatial products and other information consumables that can be shared across the community. To accomplish this, the Planetary DWG will establish a dialogue within the planetary community to develop, promote, and introduce technology relevant to that community and demonstrate the value of OGC processes and specifications.

The Planetary DWG will serve as a forum within OGC to unite user communities interested in planetary management, such as governments, vendors, industry groups, and other standards organizations. 

The draft Planetary Domain Working Group charter is available for review and comment on the OGC Portal. Comments are due by August 4, 2021, and should be submitted via the method outlined on the Planetary Domain Working Group draft charter’s public comment request page.

About OGC

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is a collective problem-solving community of experts from more than 500 businesses, government agencies, research organizations, and universities driven to make geospatial (location) information and services FAIR - Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

The global OGC Community engages in a mix of activities related to location-based technologies: developing consensus-based open standards and best-practice; collaborating on agile innovation initiatives; engaging in community meetings, events, and workshops; and more.

OGC's unique standards development process moves at the pace of innovation, with constant input from technology forecasting, practical prototyping, real-world testing, and community engagement.

OGC bridges disparate sectors, domains, and technology trends, and encourages the cross-pollination of ideas between different communities of practice to improve decision-making at all levels. OGC is committed to creating an inclusive and sustainable future.

Visit ogc.org for more info on our work.