18 TECHNICAL COMMITTEES IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE MARCH 2014 ANDREAS MUELLER (Chair), German Aerospace Centre (DLR) KARL STAENZ (Former Chair), Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre, University of Lethbridge CINDY ONG (Co-Chair), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization (CSIRO) UTA HEIDEN (Co-Chair), German Aerospace Centre (DLR) I. INTRODUCTION T he International Spaceborne Imaging Spectroscopy Technical Committee (ISIS TC) of IEEE GRSS pro- vides a forum for technical and programmatic discus- sion and consultation among national space agencies, research institutions and other stakeholders in land surface and coastal zone oriented imaging spectroscopy. The main goal of the ISIS TC is to share informa- tion on current and future spaceborne imaging spec- troscopy (hyperspectral) missions with a focus on land surface and coastal zone research. The group intends to foster the discussion between geo-scientific research groups, technology oriented and institu- tional Earth observation stakeholders. It seeks oppor- tunities for new international partnerships to the benefit of the global user community. Specific discus- sions within the working group also focus on interop- erability among missions, ‘best practice’ mission implementation, mass data management challenges and development of a forward work plan for improved coordination amongst member agencies. ISIS, formed in 2007 in Hilo, was initiated by Alex Held from CSIRO and established as a Technical Com- mittee of IEEE GRSS in 2010. As ISIS strongly encour- ages interactive discussions and constantly seeks feed- back from the international community, the goals and objectives of ISIS are regularly reviewed and updated whenever desirable. Currently the following goals and objectives of ISIS have been formulated: ◗ Provide a platform to mission operators to share information and establish data acquisition strategies; ◗ Exploit the possibilities for coordinated mission oper- ations in the form of a “virtual satellite constellation”; ◗ Promote the need for more efficient data delivery to processing facilities (at key global centres or to in- country institutions); ◗ Support the establishment of common data analy- sis protocols and a set of geoscientific products and common data standards; ◗ Promote the generation of a pool of hyperspectral satellite data to be used in round robin experiments; ◗ Support coordinated vicarious calibration and prod- uct validation activities with linkages to the airborne remote sensing community; ◗ Promote the need for robust, underpinning R&D programs for continuous improvement. In the first years of ISIS, membership mostly con- sisted of agency members involved in the development of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy missions and data processing experts from research groups working with airborne hyperspectral sensors. Discussions mainly focused on technical issues, calibration and validation needs and processing standards. These topics will also form the backbone of the TC in the future. However, it is also intended to establish contacts to larger scientific research programs and initiatives to demonstrate the added value of imaging spectroscopy derived products. International Spaceborne Imaging Spectroscopy (ISIS) Technical Committee Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MGRS.2014.2303417 Date of publication: 8 April 2014 Technical Committee Corner by John Kerekes, Vice President of Technical Activities Each issue we feature one of our Technical Committees to share with the community their mission, objectives, and activities. Here we present a contribution from the International Spaceborne Imaging Spectroscopy (ISIS) Technical Committee. ISIS functions as a virtual meeting place for the international hyperspectral imaging satellite community. Please contact the Chair or Co-Chairs if you have an interest in partici- pating in this Technical Committee.