Pressure now on to launch ESA’s Sentinel missions The loss of
the Envisat satellite is affecting services by Europe’s Global
Monitoring for Environment and Security programme. Efforts are
being coordinated with other space agencies to fill some of the
gaps, but the situation adds further urgency to launch the
Sentinel missions. Carrying an array of sophisticated
instruments, Envisat provided a continuous stream of information
about the state of our planet for 10 years. Envisat not only
advanced science, but also supplied data for many operational
services to monitor the environment and respond to crises such
as oil spills – and, importantly, paved the way for developing
Europe’s future monitoring services. Headed by the EU, the
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme
has been established to support European policies and provide
decision-makers with key information services. These services
focus on improving the way the environment is managed, help
mitigate the effects of climate change