GMV celebrates 25 years of the Copernicus program

Today represents an important anniversary for the European Union’s Earth Observation programme, known as Copernicus. First created in 1998, the programme has now been providing information services for 25 years, based on satellite Earth Observation data and in-situ (non-space) data, for the benefit of all European citizens.

GMV plays an important role in the Copernicus programme, through its active participation in a number of projects in the space and services components. Ever since the programme began, the company has been involved in all of its phases, across the entire value chain. The Copernicus satellites have been able to generate data in an unprecedented way, in terms of both quantity and quality, and in addition to participating in generation of that data, GMV is making use of it in projects focused on areas such as land monitoring, maritime security, air quality monitoring, climate change, precision agriculture, and security and emergency services, among others.

The Copernicus programme is coordinated and managed by the European Commission, and executed as a collaboration among the EU’s Member States, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), various EU agencies, and the company Mercator Océan. Copernicus was created through signing of the Baveno Manifesto, which proposed development of a European environmental monitoring program, initially under the name Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES).

All components of the Copernicus programme are subject to a continual improvement process, including its space segment, ground segment, and services. In addition to ensuring continuity and improvement for the current Sentinel missions, the EU has initiated a service expansion process based on six new Sentinel missions. These will make it possible to measure anthropogenic CO2 emissions, track sea level rise, and monitor the various processes taking place in the Arctic.

As explained by Enrique Fraga, GMV’s General Manager of Space Systems EST, “Copernicus makes it possible to develop a wide range of applications that have an impact on the day-to-day activities and operations of companies and organizations. It provides open-access information services at no cost, which the international scientific community is taking advantage of to improve quality of life for all of Europe’s citizens. We are proud of our participation in this program, and we believe that these first 25 years of operations will be followed by another 25 years of operations and public service.”

GMV and Copernicus

GMV is participating in all of the programme’s components. In the space segment, the company has participated in the pre-mission studies and analyses for the Sentinel satellites, along with simulations for the scientific instruments and elements needed to assess the system’s performance. In addition, GMV has developed the onboard control software for scientific instruments such as the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) for Sentinel-3, and the onboard spectrometer for Sentinel-5. In the ground segment, the company has participated in developing the operational processor for the Sentinel-2 onboard multispectral instrument, after being qualified by the ESA as a provider of data processing services for Copernicus. GMV has also developed the control center for all of the Sentinel missions, as well as the mission planning system for Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-3. In addition, it is responsible for integrating the Sentinel-3 flight operations segment for EUMETSAT.

During the launching process for most of this constellation, GMV has provided support services for the control, flight dynamics, and mission planning systems.

GMV is also responsible for some of the system’s critical operational services, such as precise orbit determination (POD) for all of the Sentinel constellations. In addition, GMV is in charge of providing the hosting infrastructure, monitoring, and operations and maintenance for the mission planning component of the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 constellations, including emergency operations on non-working days to address any type of natural disaster that could occur. In addition, the company has entered into a framework agreement to maintain and upgrade all of the satellite simulators, control centers, and auxiliary software systems for the Copernicus satellites’ flight operations.

In the user segment, GMV has provided, and continues to provide, Copernicus services for emergencies (rapid mapping, risk & recovery) and security (border surveillance). The company is also making a contribution to operations and maintenance for the WEkEO system, for access to the Copernicus data and services provided by EUMETSAT. In addition, GMV is making use of the data provided by Copernicus in multiple high added value projects, in a wide range of areas such as agriculture, environmental management, and climate change.

More recently, GMV has helped define the future evolution of Copernicus, by leading the NEXTSPACE framework agreement focused on compiling and harmonizing user needs, as a way of contributing to planning and development of the next generations of Copernicus satellites.

Finally, GMV has demonstrated its commitment to Copernicus by playing an active role in the Copernicus Relay network since it was created in 2017. This is an organization focused on publicizing the programme’s capabilities and encouraging use of the data and services provided by this iconic European programme.

Earth observation as a growth area

It is estimated that by 2025, the Earth observation market will be worth almost $4.43 billion, because of the increasing interest being shown by governments and companies worldwide, availability of more user-friendly satellite data, and increasing demand among end users for satellite-based solutions. In turn, this will bring with it a growing demand for talent in this market, where GMV continues to be an active player.

In addition to the Copernicus programme, even since it was first founded GMV has been working in the field of Earth observation (EO) and its applications, and over the years the company has solidified its track record as a leading company in this area. GMV’s client portfolio and service provision areas have continued to expand over time, with a wide range of services and applications now being covered.

More information about the Copernicus programme

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