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ESA

ESA set to launch new earth monitoring satellite into orbit later today

The Sentinel-1A satellite is a polar-orbiting, all-weather, day and night radar imaging satellite which will be used for land and ocean services.

THE FIRST SATELLITE for one of the largest environmental monitoring programme will be launched later today.

The European Space Agency (ESA) will be launching the Sentinel-1A spacecraft from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana.

The satellite will be taken into orbit around Earth on a Soyuz rocket, and the flight will take it to an altitude of just under 700km.

Sentinel-1A is a polar-orbiting, all-weather, day and night radar imaging satellite which will be used for land and ocean services. It will be used to deliver data for a number of services such as monitoring ice in the polar oceans to tracking land subsidence.

It will be followed into orbit by a number of other satellites over the next few years. Sentinel-2 will deliver high-resolution optical images for land services, Sentinel-3 will provide data for services relevant to the ocean and land, and Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 will provide data for atmospheric composition monitoring from geostationary and polar orbits, respectively.

The Sentinel-5 Precursor will be dedicated to atmospheric monitoring while Sentinel-6 will be used for climate studies and operational oceangraphy.

The launch is part of the Copernicus programme, an European system for monitoring the Earth.

The programme, which is headed by the European Commission in partnership with the ESA, uses earth observation satellites and in situ sensors such as ground stations, airborne and sea-borne sensors to provide data relating to environment and security issues.

More than €4.3 billion has been put towards the project, and the data gathered from it will be made available to businesses which will benefit from it such as transport, oil and gas, insurance and agriculture.

According to the EU, Copernicus could generate more than €30 billion and create 30,000 jobs in Europe by 2030.

Read: ESA launched rocket that will create a detailed map of the Milky Way >

Read: European comet-chasing satellite awakens from hibernation >

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    Mute Maurice Quille
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 1:58 PM

    The neighbour won’t be able to wank himself anymore out in the back garden when that starts buzzing around

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    Mute Theengineer
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 12:16 PM

    “Sentinel” eh? Interesting name for a environmental satellite . But hey I don’t mind being watched and monitored .;-)

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    Mute Saul goodman
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 1:04 PM

    Neo will save us. He is “the one”

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    Mute Kugel Berg
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 4:36 PM

    I think it sounds pretty cool ;)

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    Mute Jason Bourne
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 7:52 PM

    Thought thw same think. Interesting name alright.

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 12:39 PM

    ……sure its not NSA…

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 12:47 PM

    Why would the NSA have to conceal a satellite launch? Everyone knows the US, Russia and China have satellites capable of spying to some extent in orbit.

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    Mute John Clarke
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 12:50 PM

    The ESA has assured citizens that they will not be monitoring calls to Garda stations… before the PAC decide to get involved in this one!!

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