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.