Industrial High Performance Computing Scalable and FAIR Workflow Opportunities for EO Operations Processing, Operations, and Archiving

The computational demands of Sentinel data processing, archiving, and dissemination require scalable, efficient, and innovative solutions. While cloud computing-based services currently address these needs, integrating High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems into specific workflows could unlock a new level of industrial-scale capabilities. These include reduced processing times, faster data turnaround, and lower CO₂ emissions. Leveraging HPC as a service allows for optimized data storage and access, enabling long-term strategies that prioritize essential data products and enhance operational efficiency.

Next-generation Quantum Computing (QC) holds the potential to redefine Earth Observation (EO) workflows by offering breakthroughs in solving complex optimization problems. As an operational service, QC could deliver significant cost and energy savings, provided that workflows can be seamlessly adapted to quantum-compatible infrastructures.

This presentation focuses on the evolution of HPC and QC technologies from research-driven concepts to industrial solutions, highlighting their maturity and applicability as services. We will explore the tangible benefits, associated costs, and pathways to operationalize these technologies for Level-0 to Level-2 data processing, operations, and archiving in support of current and future Sentinel missions.  We examine, at a high level, how artificial intelligence (AI) can provide a solution to hybrid HPC-QC challenges for EO data processing.