ESA Heritage Missions

About ESA Heritage Missions

ESA's two European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellites, ERS-1 and –2, were launched into the same orbit in 1991 and 1995 respectively. Their payloads included a synthetic aperture imaging radar, radar altimeter and instruments to measure ocean surface temperature and wind fields. Envisat was launched in 2002 with an enlarged suite of instruments further covering measurements of atmospheric composition. These heritage missions acquired a long time series of data extending over two decades.

This application is a gateway to knowing what the ESA ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions are about, how they worked and what the elements of the space and ground segment that made these missions unique are.

It includes also a dedicated section that allows one to discover, visualize and download real ESA ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat measurements over our planet: a remarkable tool for students and scientists engaged in using heritage missions products or interested in satellite engineering.

Features:
- Description of the ESA ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions
- Large selection of photos and videos on a wide range of topics related to ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat
- Striking 3D models with explanations of the different platform and payload elements
- World map with orbit position of the ESA satellites for a specific date and time
- Impressive visualization of real ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat measurements over the Earth with acquisition strip over the Earth
- Access to several geophysical parameters measured by the satellites
… and much more

In the 3D environment:
- swipe/pinch to rotate/zoom the scene or the satellite model
- triple touch to reset position