Datacubes are an accepted cornerstone for analysis-ready data - homogenization of zillions of scenes into a few space-time cubes with unified spatial and temporal access leads to both simpler and more scalable services. The OGC/ISO coverage data and service standards offer a modular, widely implemented, and Petabyte-proven baseline, ranging from simple access and encoding in the Web Coverage Service (WCS) Core to high-end analytics through the WCPS datacube analytics language. Recently, activities are under way to add to WCS an OpenAPI based service protocol, OAPI-Coverages, in an open process. A Fall 2019 hackathon in the UK and a 2020 ESIP/OGC sprint in the US served to stress test drafts and expose and discuss in broader expert communities. In parallel, is ISO advancing the abstract coverage framework.

In this Townhall we continue the policy of “release early, discuss often” by sharing status and directions of the coverage ecosystem. First, coverages are introduced so that no previous experience is required for participation. Next, the status of standardization in OGC, ISO, and INSPIRE are presented, and current trends and activities in coverage standardization get explained. Multiple live demonstration using operational services provide insight for users and implementers, novices and experts alike. Internet-connected participants can recapitulate and modify the live demonstrations. Ample time will be reserved for discussion to capture experiences, requirements, and opinions - altogether centering around the question: What should future coverage and datacube services look like?