Sentinel-3 (Courtesy of ESA)

The aim of the meeting is to present the current status of calibration and validation activities for Sentinel-3 and to gather feedback and inputs from the international calibration/validation community.

Planned for launch in late 2013 and 18 months later, respectively, the two GMES Sentinel-3 satellites will operate in tandem measuring sea-surface topography, sea- and land-surface temperature, and ocean and land colour, providing near-real-time and offline operational products in support of ocean forecasting systems and climate and environmental monitoring. ESA and EUMETSAT are working together to specify and develop a dedicated ground segment to prepare for routine Sentinel-3 operations in which EUMETSAT will be responsible for the monitoring and control of the satellites and the generation of near-real-time and offline products to support the marine user community, while ESA will be in charge of ensuring the generation of the equivalent products for the land user community.

Dany Provost, EUMETSAT’s Sentinel-3 Project Manager, said the meeting would “draw on the experience of calibration and validation experts from previous similar or heritage missions such as ERS-1/2, Jason-1/2 and ENVISAT to ensure that Sentinel-3 produces products of the best possible accuracy. We will discuss our planned calibration/validation approach with these experts so that they can assist us in validating and improving it.”

For more information on the meeting, please see the following:

 GMES Sentinel-3 Calibration and Validation Planning Meeting

Back | Corporate News