About

The NPOC (National Point Of Contact) for satellite images is the national contact point for authorities, the private sector, researchers and all other users of satellite data in Switzerland.

With the decision of the Federal Military Administration on 7 October 1981, the NPOC was established at the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo with the aim of strengthening Earth observation from space and simplifying access to satellite data for Swiss customers. A second branch of the NPOC has existed since 1986 and has been located at the Remote Sensing Laboratories (RSL) of the University of Zurich since 2001.

The NPOC at swisstopo is responsible for administrative and operational tasks, in particular the procurement of image and remote sensing measurement data. The team at the RSL focuses on promoting the use of satellite data through applied research and development and provides scientific and technical advice. The NPOC at RSL is part of Space Exchange Switzerland (SXS), the national platform for the promotion of space activities in Switzerland and is funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

As a public service and joint initiative, the NPOC provides all Swiss users free remote sensing support and advice, as well as information on the selection, procurement and processing of Earth observation data.