Brussels, 23/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The second satellite, Sentinel 2A, in Europe's Earth observation programme “Copernicus”, was successfully launched into orbit on Tuesday night 23 June. Sentinel 2A is part of a constellation of 20 satellites whose mission is to observe the Earth and collect data at very high speed. Jean-Jacques Dordain, the director-general of the European Space Agency, was pleased that this project aimed to “provide European citizens with more comprehensive data for security and environmental applications (see EUROPE 11331), which will be available throughout the world”.
El¿bieta Bieñkowska, commissioner for internal market, said: “Today's success is not only an achievement for European space policy. Above all, it will benefit citizens down here on Earth. And the availability of full, free and open satellite observation data is already today allowing innovative entrepreneurs to create new applications and services in Europe”.
The European Commission considers that big data and cloud information collected by Copernicus will provide a source of growth and job creation in the European economy (see EUROPE 11241). The next programme launch is planned for 2016. (Pascal Hansens)