Published on 18 October 2024
The Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions are a major leap forward in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities. With the United Kingdom’s re-entry to the EU’s Copernicus programme, funding has been confirmed to complete the development of all six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions, as discussed this week during the International Astronautical Congress taking place in Milan, Italy.
Copernicus is served by a set of six dedicated satellite families, the Sentinels, which are specifically designed to meet the needs of the Copernicus services and their users. The Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions will further bolster these efforts, providing even deeper insights into the dynamics of our planet.
Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions
With missions such as CO2M to track greenhouse gas emissions, CIMR to provide detailed insights into sea ice and the polar environment, CHIME to gather hyperspectral observations from Earth’s surface, Cristal to monitor ice thickness and change, LSTM to map land-surface temperature variations, and ROSE-L to improve radar observations, users will be equipped with a wider range of precise data on the state of our planet.
ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, “The decision by the UK Government to participate to the EU Copernicus Programme has been essential to secure the completion of the Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions. These missions are critical for addressing EU policy and gaps in Copernicus user needs, and to expand the current capabilities of the Copernicus Space Component.”