Copernicus Programme

About Copernicus Programme: 

• It is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme.
• It offers information services that draw from satellite Earth Observation and in-situ (non-space) data.
• The programme consists of a complex set of systems that collect data from multiple sources, including Earth Observation satellites, in-situ sensors like ground stations, and airborne and sea-borne sensors. 
• Users have free and open access to a great deal of this data, which is also processed to provide a set of services based on reliable and near-real time information.
• Copernicus is served by a set of dedicated satellites (Sentinel family) and contributing missions 
• The Sentinel satellites are specifically designed to meet the needs of the Copernicus information services and their users.
• Since the launch of Sentinel-1A in 2014, the European Union has initiated a process to place a complete constellation of almost 20 satellites in orbit before 2030.
• The services of Copernicus address six thematic areas namely: atmosphere, marine, land, climate, emergency response, and security.
• Copernicus is funded, coordinated and managed by the European Commission in cooperation with partners such as the European Space Agency and other EU agencies.

Key facts about the Sentinel-1C

• It delivers high-resolution radar images to monitor Earth’s changing environment.
• It supports various applications, advances scientific research, and adds new capabilities for tracking maritime traffic.

Q1: What are Earth observation satellites?

Earth observation satellites are the satellites which observe various phenomena happening on the Earth from space. The equipped sensors are different depending on the purpose such as observation of natural phenomena, disaster monitoring, changes in the Earth caused by human activity and so on.

News: Copernicus Sentinel-1C Satellite Launched Aboard Vega-C Rocket

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