EUMETSAT and the Copernicus Programme
EUMETSAT and the Copernicus Programme
In this short video, you will learn more about the Copernicus programme and EUMETSAT's role within it, with a focus on marine data streams. It's worth getting a clear idea of the Copernicus landscape, as the information will prove relevant when it comes to developing workflows. The video will also broadly touch on the differences in satellite levels and the variety of data access points you will come to in the training session.
What is the Copernicus Programme?
Copernicus Links to an external site. is the European Union's Earth Observation (EO) Programme, looking at Earth and our environment. The information services that they provide are free and openly accessible to all users irrespective of use.
- The Programme is coordinated and managed by the European Commission (EC) Links to an external site..
- It is implemented in partnership with Member States, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), EU Agencies, and Mercator Océan International.
Copernicus offers information services based on satellite Earth observation, numerical models and non-satellite in situ data. As art of the former, Copernicus is served by a set of dedicated Sentinel Links to an external site. satellites and contributing missions (other existing satellites).
What is EUMETSAT’s role?
EUMETSAT Links to an external site. provides data, products and support services to the Copernicus information services and user communities, with a focus on marine, atmosphere and climate. This involves delivering Earth observation data services to Copernicus from the Sentinel satellites, from its own Metop and Meteosat missions, from the ocean-monitoring Jason-3 satellite, and from missions of its international partners (e.g. USA, China, India and Japan). EUMETSAT, with ESA support, is responsible for operating the Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-6 satellites and for delivering their marine data streams. EUMETSAT will also operate and deliver products from Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5. In addition, upon request of the EC, EUMETSAT will also be responsible for delivering data and products from Sentinel missions to third parties around the world. You can find more information by reading Bonekamp et al. (2016) Links to an external site..
What marine satellites does EUMETSAT operate under Copernicus?
EUMETSAT operate three primary ocean missions under Copernicus; Sentinel-3, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, and Jason-3. A summary of the Copernicus Sentinel satellites that EUMETSAT operates is given in the videos below;
If you want to briefly get to know them a bit more, check out the "meet the satellite" videos below.
Meet Sentinel-3 Links to an external site.