GMES

GLOBAL MONITORING FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY

The GMES program was created in 2001 by ESA (European Space Agency) and the European Commission. This program was created in support of the European environmental policies. The goals are to manage the environment and to ensure civil security in a better way, by observations from satellites placed in orbit by ESA.

In 2008, during the transition to the operational phase, the GMES program was renamed KOPERNICUS.

The program is based on four basic segments:

  1. spatial component (satellites and associated ground infrastructure)

  2. in situ measurements (air and ground measures)

  3. standardization of data

  4. services for users

For this program, ESA is developing five families of satellites named: SENTINEL.

Sentinel-4.....Credits: ESA-P.Carril

In 2014 – 2015 two satellites of the Sentinel constellation for environmental monitoring will be launched with the Vega rocket.

For more detailed information on the GMES program and on the Sentinel satellites please visit ESA portal and start from the web page:

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/GMES/Overview4