The second satellite in the Sentinel-2 mission for the EU's Copernicus programme is set for launch from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 01:49 GMT 7 March (02:49 CET 7 March; 22:49 local time 6 March) aboard a Vega rocket.
Journalists are invited to join the social media and outreach event held at ESA's mission operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany.
There, 100 selected social media players from all over Europe, official guests, ESA Earth observation experts and the new generation of Copernicus data users will mingle in a new, more informal and interactive setting. Next to a small event stage, exchanges will take place around four thematic corners on: 'Land and food security', 'Space technology, operations and business trends', 'Sea and coastal areas' and 'Cities and society'.
In this new mission launch event spirit, everyone is invited to follow the event hashtag #Sentinel2Go and to join these debates on the leading channels (such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Instagram).
Copernicus is headed by the European Commission in partnership with ESA. It provides accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure land monitoring, emergency management and security.
The new fleet of Sentinel satellites are delivering a wealth of data and images that are central to the ambitious Copernicus programme.
The optical imaging Sentinel-2 mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites: Sentinel-2A, which was launched in June 2015, and the upcoming Sentinel-2B. Although launched separately, the satellites will be placed in the same orbit, separated by 180°. Every five days, the satellites will jointly cover all land surfaces, large islands, and inland and coastal waters between latitudes 56°S and 84°N, optimising global coverage and data delivery for numerous applications.
The mission carries an innovative high-resolution multispectral camera with 13 spectral bands for a new perspective of land and vegetation. The combination of high-resolution, novel spectral capabilities, a field of vision covering 290 km and frequent revisit times will provide unprecedented views of Earth.
Among its applications, the mission provides information for agricultural practices, helping in the management of food security. It also maps the status and changes in land cover and monitors the world's forests.
It also provides information on pollution in lakes and coastal waters. Images of floods, volcanic eruptions and landslides contribute to disaster mapping and helping in humanitarian relief efforts.
Sentinel-2 is equipped to benefit from another ESA programme, the European Data Relay System (EDRS). EDRS is creating a network of geostationary laser communication payloads for the continuous relay of low-orbit satellite data, and will enable the Sentinel's Earth observation data to be transmitted faster than ever, using laser links.
The Sentinel-2 mission is the result of close collaboration between ESA, the European Commission, industry, service providers and data users. It is designed and built by a consortium of 60 companies led by Airbus Defence and Space.
Learn more about Sentinel-2 at:
www.esa.int/sentinel2 Learn more about Copernicus at:
www.esa.int/copernicus Covering the launch
SocialSpace early morning event at ESOC
100 selected social media players and young Earth observation enthusiasts will participate in the interactive event at ESOC.
Doors open at 01:00 CET. As well as watching the launch, the main programme includes talks by experts explaining the benefits of Copernicus.
The event ends at 04:00 CET, when breakfast will be served.
The interactive launch event at ESOC will be webstreamed on ESA's web site.
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