Matera 29 June 2015 16:07
The Matera Space Centre of e-GEOS, a Telespazio/ASI company, supported the IOV phase (In-Orbit Validation Phase) verifying the operation of the platform and the optical instruments on board the European Space Agency's (ESA) Earth observation satellite Sentinel-2A, launched last June 23 from the European spaceport in Kourou (French Guyana).
On June 26, the Matera Space Centre received the first on-board telemetry and navigation data in X-band.
The Matera Space Centre of e-GEOS is one of three X-band core ground stations of the Copernicus Space Component Ground Segment. Matera was chosen as the first station to be involved in the critical IOV and Commissioning of the Sentinel-2A mission, which began immediately after completion of the Launch and Early Orbit phase activities.
Under the Copernicus programme, the Matera Space Centre also acquires the data from the Sentinel-1A radar mission, and processes in Near Real Time the products of both missions, which will be joined by Sentinel-1B and Sentinel-2B satellites planned to be launched during 2016.
Sentinel-2A is a multispectral optical satellite in polar orbit for high resolution monitor of the territory. It will provide images of the vegetation cover, soil and water, as well as information in case of emergencies under the Copernicus programme, led by the European Union in cooperation with ESA.