EC Outlines Future GMES Program for Earth Observation

October 30, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS

The European Union (EU) undertook to develop GMES in 2005, basing the design on existing capacities from the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and individual countries, complemented by additional EU components to ensure its global dimension.

Together, these activity strands form the GMES space capabilities.

The EC's Oct. 28 report covers only the GMES Space Component, defining the scope of the program as well as its existing infrastructure and overall projected financial costs.

The report noted that, overall, good progress has been made, and the build-up phase of the GMES Space Component is well underway under the coordination of ESA. Since 2008, four pre-operational GMES services have been launched, including land monitoring, marine operations, atmospheric composition monitoring and emergency response.

GMES services have already proven helpful for the EU and the international community, in particular for aiding in efficient and timely responses to such disasters as floods and earthquakes in southeast Asia and forest fires in Europe.

However, the EC report noted that further steps need to be taken to ensure the investment made so far pays off and that GMES become fully operational in the most cost-effective way.

Significant resources have been allocated for GMES, both through ESA and the EU budget through the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (2007-2013).

Current combined investments, implemented through the ESA's GMES Space Component, amount to €626 million (28%) and €1,621 million (72%) by the EU budget and ESA participating states contributions, respectively.

This investment will ensure the development of 12 Sentinel constellations as well as data access schemes to the relevant EUMETSAT, ESA and national missions.

So far, the GMES Space Component comprises a series of six earth observation Sentinels:

• Sentinel 1: a satellite constellation providing all-weather capability, being useful for land applications and providing overview data under adverse weather conditions for emergency response and security. Launch: mid-2012.
• Sentinel 2: a satellite constellation useful for land applications and providing overview data for emergency response and security. Launch: 2013.
• Sentinel 3: a satellite constellation made for monitoring global land, ocean color and sea levels. Launch: 2013.
• Sentinel 4: atmospheric composition monitoring instruments to be embarked onboard EUMETSAT spacecraft. Launch: 2017.
• Sentinel 5: atmospheric composition monitoring instruments to be embarked onboard EUMETSAT spacecraft for the post EUMETSAT Polar Orbiting System. Launch: 2019.
• Jason-CS mission: high-precision altimetry mission in support of ocean surface topography as a follow-up on to the Jason series and particularly significant for climate change.

The GMES Space Component relies on some 40 missions carried out by EU member states, ESA, EUMETSAT and other third parties to meet the needs for GMES services.

The EC said that to start the operational phase for GMES on time in 2011, further funding decisions have to be made, both by the EU and ESA. The EC has already laid the ground for the relevant EU decision.

Furthermore, the EC pointed out that, according to the ESA long-term scenario, the financial effort for operating GMES is estimated to total about €4 billion for the period 2014-2020.

This forecasted investment includes estimated annual costs of €430 million for the operational activities and €170 million for R&D. Much, however, depends on the scope of GMES, since any upgrade beyond 2020 would imply further costs, notably if GMES is given a strong security dimension.

"GMES is essential for understanding climate change, supporting the EU emergency missions and improving the security of citizens," said EC vice president Günter Verheugen, commissioner for enterprise and industry.

"Further steps need to be taken to ensure that the investment put in so far pays off and that GMES becomes fully operational in the most cost-conscious way. This public investment on cutting-edge infrastructure marks a turning point in the implementation of the European Space Policy."

To further develop GMES, the Oct. 28 communication said the EC proposed to:

• Support the implementation of a free licensing and open access data policy for the Sentinels.
• Ensure a continuous data flow towards users.
• Continue international cooperation, which has always been intertwined with GMES as the European earth observation capacity.
• Reflect about the future ownership of the Sentinel infrastructure.

For more information, see the GMES web site.

Source: European Commission (EC).