Europe signs Earth observation satellite deal
Tuesday, 15 Apr 2008 12:58
ESA’s Sentinel-3 satellite will monitor changes in the oceans and land
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A deal to provide a satellite to monitor changes in the oceans and land has been signed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The €305 million contract will place the first Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite in space, dedicated to oceanography and land vegetation monitoring.
The monitoring is part of ESA's global monitoring for environment and security (GMES) programme, which is aimed at improving Europe's environment and security services.
"This satellite is an important element of GMES and will enable Europe to observe important ocean parameters," said Volker Liebig, ESA director of Earth observation.
The launch of the satellite is scheduled for 2012 and it will be targeted for a high-inclination orbit so that it can achieve near-global coverage and meet its scientific requirements.
Data from the satellite will be provided in near realtime and will include sea surface topography, sea/land surface temperature, ocean colour and land colour.
It is hoped this data will help areas including climate change, sustainable development, environmental policies and humanitarian aid.
