Copernicus
May 25, 2015
Copernicus
COPERNICUS
THE COPERNICUS PROGRAMME
Copernicus, previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security), is
the most ambitious Earth observation programme to date. It will provide accurate, timely and
easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand
and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. This initiative is headed
by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and
the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Telespazio and e-GEOS’s role
Telespazio, a Finmeccanica/Thales company, is one of the major industrial player of the
programme. The company is involved in the space component ground segment development
and operations; Telespazio is data provider of COSMO-SkyMed and DigitalGlobe as
contributing missions to Copernicus services and it is the operational geo-spatial service
provider of land monitoring, emergency response and maritime security services.
In particular e-GEOS (Telespazio 80%/ASI 20%) has won two tenders launched by the
European Commission as part of the Copernicus programme. In 2012, e-GEOS’ Matera
Space Centre became one of the four stations part of the Copernicus Core Ground Segment.
It will receive radar and optical data acquired by sensors aboard Sentinel 1 and 2 satellites.
The Italian company, which operates in the Earth observation services sector, will provide
geospatial information and satellite maps of areas affected by emergencies to the European
Commission, which will then be able to make the data necessary to manage disasters
available to the civil protection services and competent authorities of EU countries.
Furthermore, the Commission will be able to
make pre and post-event maps of any area
in the world available within a few hours of
the emergency arising, thereby facilitating
the organization of aid operations. The 24-
hour-a-day service can be used in all crisis
situations (floods, earthquakes, fires,
technological disasters) and will be
managed by e-GEOS, which will lead a
consortium consisting of German subsidiary
GAF, Italian company Ithaca and French
group SIRS. All satellites that operate as part
of Copernicus will be used to monitor the
Earth: COSMO-SkyMed, Radarsat, GeoEye,
Digital Globe, Spot and ESA’s Sentinel
satellites.
Telespazio and Esa’s Sentinels satellites
ESA is developing five new missions called
Sentinels specifically for the operational
needs of the Copernicus programme.
Sentinels will provide radar and optical high
resolution images of our planet.
Telespazio is also a member of the
European industry consortium for the supply
of the Payload Ground Segment (PDGS) of
the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-3 Satellites.
Together with its subsidiary, Telespazio VEGA
Deutschland, is responsible for System
Design, sub-system development,
Integration, Verification, Validation and
Qualification of the whole segments. It is
also responsible for transferring in operation
and support the commissioning phase for
the Processing and Archive Centre for both
missions. It also participates in the
development of the Mission Control System
for Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 and
Sentinel-5p under the framework contract
for software development for the ground
systems for ESOC, ESA's Space Operations
Centre. Finally, Telespazio will support
operations at the Control Centre during the
pre and post- launch phases of the Sentinel
satellites.
Esa’s Sentinels satellites: services and
applications
The Sentinel missions are based on a
constellation of two satellites to fulfil revisit
and coverage requirements, providing robust
datasets for Copernicus Services. These
missions carry a range of technologies, such
as radar and multi-spectral imaging
instruments for land, ocean and
atmospheric monitoring. In particular:
Sentinel-1 is a polar-orbiting, all-weather,
day-and-night radar imaging mission for land
and ocean services. The first Sentinel-1
satellite will be ready for launch in spring
2014.
Sentinel-2 is a polar-orbiting, multispectral
high-resolution imaging mission for land
monitoring providing, for example, imagery
of vegetation, soil and water cover, inland
waterways and coastal areas. Sentinel-2 will
also deliver information for emergency
services. The first Sentinel-2 satellite is
planned to be ready for launch between
2014 and 2015.
Sentinel-3 is polar-orbiting, multi-instrument
mission to measure variables such as sea-
surface topography, sea- and land-surface
temperature, ocean colour and land colour
with high-end accuracy and reliability. The
first Sentinel-3 satellite is expected to be
ready for launch between 2014 and 2015.
Sentinel-4 is a payload that will be
embarked upon a Meteosat Third
Generation-Sounder (MTG-S) satellite in
geostationary orbit. Sentinel-4 is dedicated
to atmospheric monitoring.
Sentinel-5 is a payload that will be
embarked on a MetOp Second Generation
satellite, also known as Post-EPS. Sentinel-5
is dedicated to atmospheric monitoring.
Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite mission is
scheduled to be ready for launch in 2015.
This mission will be dedicated to
atmospheric monitoring.