Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), considered the father of modern astronomy, removed the Earth from the centre of the Solar System and the universe, and gave it the modest category of an ordinary planet. His name today identifies the Earth observation mission more ambitious and which in recent days is proving to be of great importance since the volcano on the island of La Palma (Spain) erupted on 19 September. An evident tribute to the scientist, but also to our planet, because for the Copernicus satellites we are indeed the centre of everything: they orbit around us and their sole objective is to focus their instruments on us.
In the programme, as well as the European Union, meteorological agencies, private equity firms and the European Space Agency (ESA) are participating, tasked with the development, launch and technical support of the sentinels, the mission's satellites, a constellation of six families providing the spatial measurements and imagery. Regarding their development, the ESA designs, manufactures, tests, and launches them, thanks to its Staff y Contractors. Only in the case of Sentinel 2B, 60 companies from fifteen countries participated.
The Copernicus satellites, a programme led by the European Commission, protect the environment and security through continuous observation of our planet from space.
Before being sent into space, some of the satellites managed by the ESA, such as Copernicus's Sentinel 2B, undergo tests that attempt to recreate as faithfully as possible the environment they will encounter in orbit. To do this, they simulate the cold and vacuum conditions in the Large Space Simulator, a 15m-diameter tube from which powerful pumps remove all air while surrounding nitrogen reduces the heat. To ensure the Electromagnetic compatibility of instruments is used Maxwell Test Chamber, a Faraday cage in which radiation comparable to that received by the satellite without the protection of the atmosphere is emitted. The Large European Acoustic Facility The enormous ones sounds and vibrations associated with the launch. The ESA uses Vega or Soyuz rockets from Arianespace, a leading company in which Spain has a stake alongside other European countries.
Once in orbit, the information that these satellites offer is of enormous use to international organisations, governments and the general public. The European Commission it is responsible for defining the policy, developing the programme, updating its objectives and ensuring its proper functioning to guarantee that it is always accessible and at the service of users. Any citizen can access across the network and to know the state of the atmosphere, oceans, coasts, rivers, soils, crops, forests, ecosystems, natural resources, ice, snow, constructions and infrastructures, and the dynamics of all these elements over time, which is essential given the mission's objectives.
The Copernicus Programme and the La Palma volcanic eruption
A clearing Success story in the use of Copernicus infrastructure is the information provided for the adequate management of the emergency in the aforementioned La Palma volcano. Thanks to its satellites, extraordinary images have been obtained, such as the one captured on 30 September, which shows the lava flow reaching the ocean with a lava waterfall at over 1000°C that ended up modifying the coastline, causing the island to grow by several tens of hectares. Unfortunately, in its path, it has destroyed homes, roads and large agricultural areas, causing a huge crisis for the inhabitants of the affected areas. The eyes of Copernicus have made it possible to map the damage caused in real time, especially to infrastructure, homes and plantations. In another photograph from 10 October, a new lava flow can be identified taking a different direction, more oriented to the north, and how the lower part has been totally devastated.
The information you provide is fundamental in times like the one experienced by the volcano in La Palma.
The photos were taken by the twin satellites Sentinel 2A and 2B, travelling in low orbits at 786 km, polar and heliosynchronous, 180° apart from each other, such that are capable of sweeping the entire planetary surface every five days. This is possible thanks to its 290 km wide field of view and the tracking and adjustments by mission analysis engineers. However, Sentinel 2A and 2B cannot see through clouds or at night like their counterparts 1A and 1B – which utilise radar technology, based on the sending and returning of electromagnetic pulses at a single wavelength –, but Its cameras are capable of observing different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum beyond the optical region.– that minimal band that the human eye perceives – in which they also offer high resolution. These are composite images of several regions of the spectrum in which the infrared has been highlighted to emphasize the presence of lava.
Another serious consequence of the volcano crisis, beyond the expulsion of lava, is the emission of toxic gases and ash. In the image from October 6th, captured by Sentinel 5P, the magnitude of the cloud generated in La Palma is evident. This mainly contains sulphur dioxide. The instrument Tropomi It can differentiate it from aerosols and ash. The ship is tracking that cloud what can be seen in real time through the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service and which is very useful for companies that operate transoceanic flights, even if their routes are far from the Canary Islands.
The Management and control of the Copernicus satellites is the responsibility of engineers from the ESA's Earth Observation directorate, at the ESTEC technology centre in the Netherlands and the European Space Operations Centre, ESOC, in Germany. Among the most significant problems they have to solve during the satellite's lifetime are the adjustments to correct orbit modifications as a consequence of atmospheric resistance, manoeuvres to evade space debris objects or associated corrections to Attitude from the satellite. This term is used to describe the apparatus's own movement, which can sometimes be problematic, especially if it spins uncontrollably. During launch, the satellite's control is also complex, particularly at the moment of separation from the rocket towards the transition orbit which will lead you to your service orbit. These manoeuvres are carried out thanks to slight pushes generated by onboard thrusters. The fuel consumption required to perform them is measured by the equivalence of velocity modification, i.e. the well-known deltaV. It is an important concept because it represents the finite autonomy the team has for the rest of its life. Each of these satellites carries around one hundred kg of toxic hydrazine just once, right before its launch, in one of the most critical stages of its preparation.
Copernicus is the great Earth observation programme that makes Europe proud. All these processes ultimately constitute a project of cooperation between all member states, resulting in a product of very high added value. On the one hand, it generates Great business and job creation opportunities. And secondly, and even more importantly, it helps to safeguard the environment and effectively collaborates in protecting everyone from certain dangers on Earth.
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- more about the Copernicus Programme.
- About the ESA (European Space Agency).
