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HORIZON 2020 - 25 November 2013, Countdown to the launch of the first Copernicus satellite.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani has announced the launch of Sentinel-1A, the first satellite of the EU Copernicus Programme that will fly in outer space.

The launch is due to take place in April or May 2014 on a SOYUZ rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It will provide continuous, systematic, highly reliable radar imaging of the Earth. By using microwave frequencies, the satellite can see through clouds and storms, acquiring imagery regardless of the weather.

It will monitor sea ice and the Arctic environment, survey marine oil spills, and detect ships in coastal zones for maritime security. It will also spur the growth of the observation service industry, contribute to climate monitoring, and provide support in emergency and crisis situations.

The benefits of an operational Copernicus programme through to 2030 are estimated at €30bn. The estimated downstream market potential turnover attributable to Copernicus is expected to be €1.8bn by 2030.

Sentinel-1A is a product of co-operation between several partners. As with all the Sentinels, it is the European Space Agency who has developed it, including its design and procurement. The first Copernicus mission, Sentinel-1, is composed of two polar-orbiting satellites known as Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B. Sentinel-1B is expected to launch in late 2015.

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DWINDLING FISH STOCKS - Food security is a major problem the world will have to face as the available land for to grow crops reduces in competition with land for housing, as the population expands. The situation is far from sustainable and a bubble that will burst. When the bubble bursts it will cause the deaths of millions of people, where additional farming will create more carbon dioxide to heat the climate, making more land barren in a vicious circle that we must take steps to prevent happening. Around 10% of the world (700,000,000 million people) rely on the ocean for food, but in addition to our poor land management record, we are also polluting the seven seas with plastic that is toxic - so reducing the number of fish that we might harvest for food. Satellites, such as those of the European Space Agency and the Copernicus programme, might be used to find ocean waste with further research and development.

THE 'SEAVAX' PROJECT HOLDS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF IT CAN BE APPLIED EFFECTIVELY USING ROBOTICS AND SATELLITES TO GUIDE SOLAR POWERED OCEAN FILTERS TO RIVER AND OCEAN POLLUTION HOT SPOTS. WE ARE SEEKING FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE RESEARCH TO ESTABLISH IF OCEAN CLEANING IS A VIABLE OPTION IN THE SEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD ECONOMY.

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