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on a coordinated structure, abandoning dispersed or ad-

hoc acting. Last but not least, GMES is the European

contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of

Systems (GEOSS).

For the last two years, ESA has been chairing the

Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) of CEOS. CEOS

has been defined as the appropriate body coordinating

the space segment for GEO, and the SIT has been asked

to work on the responses of countries with Earth obser-

vation capacities to GEOSS and GCOS requirements. In

this context the concept of virtual constellations has

been developed, and the next years will show whether

this concept will be successfully implemented. Space is

an essential, integral part of understanding and manag-

ing Earth, and likewise we face the challenge of

translating the potential that space offers into concrete

deliverables.

Outlook

GMES might be the nutshell vision for a global obser-

vational, operational capacity. But more than that, it is

no longer a vision; it is a concrete system with hard-

ware and applications in the making. It is a mosaic piece

for the GEO picture, but it is in itself a mosaic, success-

fully streamlining Europe’s operational Earth

observation.

If GEOSS is successful, space assets will not only be

a tool for certain regions of the world, but for all citi-

zens of this planet.

Policy: these are Galileo, and Global Monitoring for Environment

and Security (GMES).

Europe and the making of GMES

GMES is the first operational monitoring system for environment

and security. Its goal is to guarantee services to support EU and

national policies, responding to user needs and requirements. Having

started in 1998 with a manifesto calling for a global, satellite-based

monitoring system for Europe, GMES is today in the process of

deploying what will become a full European capacity. The European

Commission, acting on behalf of the European Union, and ESA are

developing GMES together, with ESA being responsible for the

management and coordination of the space component.

In order to realize a global monitoring capacity for Europe from

space, three things are essential: an infrastructure comprising satel-

lites and ground segments; the coordination of this infrastructure,

and the guarantee of long-term system sustainability. We are respond-

ing to the first requirement by developing and launching dedicated

satellites, called the Sentinels. They are based on a careful user-driven

gap-analysis with regard to future data needs versus existing and

planned capacities, and comprise five missions: a SAR imaging

mission; a multi-spectral imaging mission; a global ocean and land

monitoring mission, and two missions for atmospheric monitoring

both from a geostationary and a low Earth orbit, plus the related

ground segments. Whereas the industrial work for the first three

Sentinels is taking off at the moment, the last two will likely be

embarked as payloads on the next-generation EUMETSAT missions.

With regard to the second requirement – coordination – ESA is

in charge of establishing a mechanism to concert the multitude of

European observational missions, like national missions, EUMETSAT

missions or commercial missions. Data access and data provision to

European users must be streamlined. Only with a coordinated multi-

element infrastructure throughout Europe, can GMES be a true

success. To achieve this, ESA can build on its experience as third-

party mission coordinator for almost 30 years.

GMES has to run as an ‘end-to-end capacity’, so satellite and

ground segment infrastructures are only one side of the coin. Any

concrete service, like the daily forecast of sea ice movement in north-

ern Europe, is a complex infrastructure in itself! It requires

development, testing and dissemination. Therefore ESA has, since

2002, progressed in the establishment of the so-called ‘GMES Service

Element’, preoperational services for European policy areas. Today,

having matured and successfully proven the concept of operational

Earth observation, these services are injected into the three ‘fast-

track services’ set up by the European Commission, to form the

nucleus of actual GMES Services as of 2008 onwards. Those three

key areas focus on land monitoring, marine monitoring and emer-

gency response, covering a wide area of policy applications. Two

additional services on atmosphere monitoring and security will be

added.

A contribution to the global effort of GEO

What do the four letters ‘G-M-E-S’ indeed give to citizens, and how

can they intermediately contribute to global efforts undertaken by

GEO? GMES is an independent, sustainable capacity. Its indepen-

dence allows it to act on the basis of its own capabilities, for example

in environmental obligation verification. Its sustainability will allow

it to provide inputs or lead the discussion for global, common polit-

ical goals. Europe can take this responsibility for the long-term based

GMES Sentinel-1 artist's impression

Image: ESA – P. Carril

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