Monday, July 5, 2010

ESA, EMSA and GMES join forces in disaster

European Maritime Security Agency, EMSA is a key user of satellite data. So, ESA takes into account their requirements, both in establishing mission requirements for future operational satellite missions and for instruments.
One of those being developed is for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative, and it is used in establishing exploitation plans for data of current and future missions.

ESA also responsible for advising EMSA as to data available from its missions and from satellites operated by third parties for which ESA is granted rights of distribution.

While maritime transport is of fundamental importance to the world's economy, the devastation that can result from oil spills at sea is all too obvious – as the spill in the Gulf of Mexico currently demonstrates.

The availability of satellite data in near-realtime, particularly from radar such as the Advance Synthetic Aperture Radar on Envisat and in the future from the GMES Sentinel-1, is an essential way of monitoring such events. They provide wide area coverage and have the capability to detect oil slicks on the sea surface both in daylight and darkness, and through cloud.

This Agreement between ESA and EMSA and the resulting services takes significant steps in keeping European seas clean and safe.

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