ERS
Full Name: European Remote Sensing Satellite
Phase: Past
Launch Date: July 17, 1991
Mission Project Home Page: http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ers/ers.html
ERS-1 is the most sophisticated Earth observation satellite ever
developed in Europe. It weighs well over two tons and, fully deployed,
covers almost 12 metres. The satellite circles the Earth once every 100
minutes, 780 km up, beaming down data at a mind-boggling 105 megabits
per second.
ERS-1's payload consists essentially of two specialised
radars plus an infrared sensor. The Active Microwave Instrument - the
biggest on-board system - produces extremely detailed images of a 100
km swath of the Earth's surface : 4.5 million pixels per second,
downlinked directly to Earth. In wind and wave modes, the instrument
measures continuously and globally wind speed and direction and ocean
wave parameters.
The Radar Altimeter, the second instrument, measures with fantastic
precision variations in the satellite's height above sea-level and ice.
And the third Instrument, the Along-Track Scanning Radiometer,
constructs detailed pictures of the thermal structure of the seas and
oceans from surface temperature
measurements correct to better than O.5 degrees Celsius.
In April 1995, ESA launched ERS-2, a carbon copy of ERS-1 with
one important difference: ERS-2's payload includes a new instrument
(GOME), purpose-designed to
measure stratospheric and tropospheric ozone - an important step in the
race to fully assess yet another environmental challenge. No other
satellite can compete with
ERS capabilities. On a global scale ERS is giving scientists more
confidence in modelling the climate of our planet. Regionally it keeps
a close eye on coastlines, marine
pollution and land use changes.
The series of
satellites radars ERS (European Remote Sensing Satellite), was
initiated with the launching of the ERS-1 in July of 1991, for the
Space Agency European - ESA, and had continuity in the ERS-2. Endowed
with some instruments (escateromets, cameras etc), these satellites
generate a continuous flow of information on the oceans and lands
emersas. One of the interests of the ERS inhabits in the transparency
of the atmosphere to the waves radar and in the elimination of the
cloud problems in the attainment of images. The NMA has worked with
data of the ERS in some points of the northeast half-barren region,
identifying geologic and geomorfologics aspects and correlating these
data with the infer-flow and underground water existence. Comments of
deforestation also have been carried through.
Endowed with some instruments radar, this satellite manages a
continuous flow of information on the surface of the oceans and lands
emersion.
- SAR - Synthetic Aperture Radar
- SCAT - Wind Scaterrometer
- RA - Radar Altimeter
- ATSR - Along-Track Scanning Radiometer
- Microwave Sounder
- GOME - Global Ozon Monitoring Experiment
- PRARE - Precise Range and Range-Rate Equipament
- LRR - Laser Retro-Reflector
- Impact of the human activities beings on the environment
- Monitoring of natural phenomena