A novel and challenging requirement for a satellite constellation was realised in 2002 with the launch of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. Following six years of operations, demand for the resource continues to grow, requiring the launch of new sensors. This paper explores the past and future capacity of the constellation and the implications on the calibration and validation activities for this multi-sensor system. The launch of three similar satellites with 22m GSD and one satellite with 2.5m GSD to join the existing satellites with 32m GSD creates complications for the calibration procedures and operational scenarios proposed for the future system. This analysis is performed to guarantee the full utilisation of the constellation to satisfy the requirements of data users. The implications of the broad application of standardised calibration procedures within the context of diverse satellite sensors are considered. The operational scenarios of the constellation are evaluated along with the planned calibration regimes to be conducted in the interests of data continuity. The new sensor designs are compared to analyse the impact on calibration and validation activities.
