Space: Latest Copernicus launch will improve services for farmers, fishermen and other users of land and sea maps

On the 7 March 2017 the European Commission launched the Copernicus satellite. The Commission claimed the Copernicus satellite Earth observation family will halve the time needed to provide precision land-use data to benefit farmers, builders, fishermen and anyone who needs rapid access to up-to-the-minute data on conditions on the ground.

Copernicus – Europe's Earth observation programme – can now build up an image covering the entire planet in just 5 days, cutting the time needed to image the globe by half. The latest Copernicus satellite (Sentinel-2B) was successfully launched on 7 March at 2:49 CET from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. It joins Sentinel-2A, which has been in orbit since 23 June 2015. The Copernicus Sentinel 2 mission is now complete.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Website: European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC) http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-european-union-satellite-centre-eusc/

ESO: Background information: European space policy: Historical perspective, specific aspects and key challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-space-policy-historical-perspective-specific-aspects-and-key-challenges/

ESO: Background information: Press Release: Second Copernicus satellite reinforces services for citizens and businesses http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-second-copernicus-satellite-reinforces-services-for-citizens-and-businesses/

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