Slashgeo Log In
ESA's Sentinel-1 Satellite Announced
posted by Satri
on Wednesday June 20, @08:58AM
Permalink
Trackback URI
Slashdotthis
Diggthis
Del.icio.us
from the send-me-to-the-sky-and-I'll-work-for-you dept.
Permalink
Trackback URI
Slashdotthis
Diggthis
Del.icio.us
from the send-me-to-the-sky-and-I'll-work-for-you dept.
The EOPortal summarise an article on the ESA GMES satellite Sentinel-1 design and development contract along with information on future plans. From the article: "[...] Sentinel-1, the first Earth observation satellite to be built for Europe’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme. [...] The ESA Sentinels, composed of five satellites, constitute the first series of operational satellites responding to the EO needs of the GMES programme, a joint initiative of the European Commission and ESA. [...] Sentinel-1 is expected to be launched in 2011 and will ensure the continuity of C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data with ESA’s ERS and Envisat satellites. [...] swaths of 250 kilometres in diameter with a ground resolution of five metres. Sentinel-2 and 3 satellites, scheduled for launch in 2012, will support land and ocean monitoring, while Sentinel-4 and 5 will be dedicated to meteorology and climatology through atmospheric chemistry."
Related Stories
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security: First concrete steps
[+]
EO Portal points to an European Commission/Space Policy announcement about the first concrete steps of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security. From the introduction: "On the 10th of November, the European Commission adopted a new Communication on Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES): From concept to reality. This Communication that will be on the agenda of the next European Space Council, plans to introduce the first three earth observation services: emergency management, land monitoring and marine services. After GALILEO, the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) has become the second EU flagship in space policy."
4 Years of Envisat and More to Come
[+]
The EO Portal as a retrospective article about the four years of Envisat. From the article: "Envisat was initially intended to stay in orbit for five years. However, given the overall excellent standing of the satellite, the ESA Ministerial Council agreed last December in Berlin, Germany, to fund the Envisat mission until 2010."
Radarsat-2 and Quicksat Updates
[+]
The Canadian Space Agency offers progress reports on Radarsat-2 and Quicksat satellites. From the short update: "[regarding Radarsat-2] Next was the second integration system test to make sure that all systems were functioning as planned and then there will be integration of the solar panels followed by the structural test to make sure that the Spacecraft can sustain the launch.
The launch is now planned for March 2007. [...] Quicksat, the first micro-satellite entirely constructed at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), has just completed its environmental testing qualifications at the David Florida Laboratory."
TerraSAR-X Launching June 15th with Open Source Software 1 comment
[+]
Vector One informs us the German high-resolution radar satellite TerraSAR-X will launch on June 15th, while The Confused Life blog links to an article discussing the open source software behind the satellite. Here's TerraSAR-X wikipedia page: "The satellite works in the X-band (wavelength 31 mm, frequency 9.6 GHz) and is called therefore TerraSAR x. The short wavelength makes the technical development a little more difficult but permits a high resolution of the digital radar images, until 1 meter at the earth's surface." From the article: "A key part of the ground segment is the Mission Control System, and DLR has adopted SCOS-2000 (Spacecraft Operating System 2000) software, developed at the European Space Operations Centre (ESA/ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. SCOS-2000 is available to European industrial and agency partners under an open-source licensing scheme and is helping foster profitable business opportunities."
Italian COSMO-SkyMed SAR-Satellite Launched
[+]
The EOportal summarize a Spacemart article on the successful launch of COSMO-SkyMed, an Italian synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Both the article and Wikipedia don't provide much information on the capabilities. From the article: "[...] he COSMO-SkyMed program for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence. It is an end-to-end Earth observation dual-use (civil and military) system composed of four medium-sized satellites and supporting ground stations for orbit control systems and data reception and processing." From the wikipedia article: "The space segment of the system will include four satellites equipped with [X-Band] synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors."
Industry: GMES is Renamed Kopernikus
[+]
The CSA EO Express newsletter informed me the project formerly known as GMES, Global Monitoring for Environment and Security, has been renamed to Kopernikus. From the new main page: "[Kopernikus] represents a concerted effort to bring data and information providers together with users, so they can better understand each other and make environmental and security-related information available to the people who need it through new enhanced services."
I just found recent entries from Vector One discussing the confusion and Spatial Sustain talks about a funding cut for Kopernikus.
GMES was mentioned here three years ago and the Sentinel 1 satellite is still expected for 2011.
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
