Kourou, French Guiana, 18 March - (ANA) - Sentinel-1, the first satellite dedicated to Europe’s Copernicus programme, is scheduled for liftoff at 21:02 GMT on Thursday 3 April 2014 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Led by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), Copernicus is the most ambitious Earth observation programme to date.
Through Copernicus, European citizenry, policymakers and service providers have free access to a wealth of timely and accurate environmental data on a routine basis.
This innovative civil global monitoring programme is set to make a step change in the way the environment is managed and how everyday lives are safeguarded.
With the launch of  the Sentinel-1 satellite, Copernicus goes operational – marking a new era in Earth observation.
ESA has developed six Sentinel missions (named Sentinel-1 to Sentinel-6 ) for Copernicus. Each mission carries state-of-the-art technology to deliver a stream of complementary imagery and data tailored to the needs of Copernicus users.
Sentinel-1 is the first in the series to be placed in orbit for operational applications. Its all-weather, day and night radar images will be used for environmental tasks that include maritime surveillance and the monitoring of sea ice, oil spills and the tracking of changes in land use. Importantly, it is designed to assist in reconnaissance and operational support activities in response to natural disasters such as floods and landslides when the latest data is needed as fast as possible.
The Sentinel-1 mission is designed as a constellation of two identical satellites orbiting 180° apart for optimal global coverage. Sentinel1A being launched on 3rd of April is the first of the two and will be joined by Sentinel-1B in orbit next year. Operating as a pair, revisit intervals are improved so that every place on Earth is imaged every six days.
The Sentinel-1 pair will provide coverage over Europe, Canada and main shipping routes every 1–3 days, regardless of weather conditions. Radar data will be delivered within an hour of acquisition – a big improvement over existing radar systems.
Sentinel-2 is dedicated primarily to monitoring land cover and vegetation and Sentinel-3 will supply information primarily related to the marine environment. Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 are focused on air quality and Sentinel-6 will also offer information operational oceanography.
In addition to the dedicated Sentinel missions, Copernicus relies on Contributing Missions. These are designated existing or planned missions from ESA and its Member States, Eumetsat and other European and international third party operators that make their data available for Copernicus.
Copernicus provides a unified system through which vast amounts of data are fed into a range of thematic information services designed to benefit the environment, the way we live and support effective policy-making for a more sustainable future. These services fall into six main categories: land management, the marine environment, atmosphere, emergency response, security and climate change.
ESA draws on its 30 years of expertise in space programme development and management to contribute to the success of Copernicus, shaping the future of our planet for the benefit of all. -(ANA)
AB/ANA/ 18 March 2014  - - - -