ERS-2 is a notable European engineering achievement, reaching the milestone of 10 years in orbit on 21 April 2005 with all instruments working and providing excellent data. Over the 10-year period, the satellite has underpinned and supported the development of unique know-how, a broad range of outstanding Earth Observation science results and a range of operational applications. Together with ERS-1, launched in 1991, and Envisat, it has created today's large, widely extended, and robust EO comunity.

Keywords: ESA European Space Agency - Agence spatiale europeenne, observation de la terre, earth observation, satellite remote sensing, teledetection, geophysique, altimetrie, radar, chimique atmospherique, geophysics, altimetry, radar, atmospheric chemistry