The Copernicus European program for Earth observation today expanded its family with Sentinel-3A, the third satellite of this project sent into space in order to flood the planet data oceans, lakes or rivers and improve well management of the environment.
The launch took place at 17:57 GMT from the Russian Plesetsk Cosmodrome aboard a Rockot rocket and the first sign that the satellite “was alive” is received antenna Kiruna (Sweden) past 19:30 GMT, when the first applause were heard at the headquarters of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Darmstadt, where the mission continues.
The satellite has already deployed its solar panels, confirmed Juan Miró, ESOC (ESA operations center in Darmstadt), and now there are several crucial hours and days, in which, for example, has to reach its orbit -volará to 814 kilometers above sea level.
Sentinel-3A is loaded with four instruments, which will be put in place gradually and go by testing from ESA.
These four are: OLCI (instrument to the color of the land and oceans); SLSTR (radiometer for sea surface temperature and land); SRAL (synthetic aperture radar altimeter); and MWR (Microwave Radiometer).
Once past this period, approximately in five months, Eumetsat, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, will operate Sentinel-3A, distributing marine data and supporting users European and other countries.
And the third of the sentinel is mainly a satellite of the oceans, which measured the height, temperature and color of the surface (known for example concentrations algae and phytoplankton), and the thickness of the ice shelves.
These measures will monitor changes in sea level, pollution or biological productivity of the oceans.
Sentinel-3 also will map the land use, vegetation indices obtained and measure the height of rivers and lakes. It will also be able to detect forest fires from space.
Data is distributed free of charge to users around the world and those related to the earth’s surface will be managed by the ESA from its center at ESRIN, located in Italy.
The main objective of this mission, in addition to “X-raying” the state of the planet, is to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure security.
The data acquired by its instruments will be added to the radar images provided by Sentinel-1A and optical high-resolution images of Sentinel-2A, providing key knowledge to better manage biodiversity , water resources, security, fishing or agriculture, according TEDAE, Spanish Association of Technology Companies of Defense, Aeronautics and Space.
Sentinel-3A, with an initial mine life of 7.5 years although built for Life 12, will have a couple (to be launched in 2017), and both have been designed and built by a consortium of about one hundred companies under the leadership of Thales Alenia Space France.
Among the companies involved they are Spanish once, which are responsible for 10% of the mission.
The Sentinel-3 are, according to ESA, “the workhorse of the Copernicus program” and will be expanded in two: Thales Alenia Space announced last week contract 450 million euros with the Agency to build the Sentinel-3 satellites C and D.
for the director of the ESA, Jan Wörner, who spoke via video to the guests in Darmstadt- Copernicus program is a clear example of the union, collaboration and work between EU countries, the European Commission and Eumetsat.
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