earth online
  • All Categories (60)
  • Data (7)
  • News (10)
  • Missions (1)
  • Events (8)
  • Tools (5)
  • Activities (4)
  • Documents (25)
  • Document - Newsletter

    prompt photo

    Earth Online Newsletter - 09 February 2024

    This issue of the Earth Online Newsletter covers a selection of the latest news and events from ESA.

  • News - Success Stories

    prompt photo

    Trailblazing ERS-2 mission enables climate change applications

    As ESA’s ERS-2 satellite approaches Earth’s atmosphere for reentry, it’s time to reflect on the mission’s great achievements in powering climate-related applications.

  • News - Operational News

    prompt photo

    Change of access to FTP-S for ERS and Envisat atmospheric and low-rate data

    As of 13 December 2023, access to a series of ERS and Envisat atmospheric and low rate data collections changed from simple FTP to FTP-S.

  • News - How to guides

    prompt photo

    Quick guide to Data Service Request submission

    Follow this quick guide to learn how to submit a Data Service Request, which is required when applying for level zero (A)SAR data from ESA's European Remote Sensing satellites (ERS) and the Envisat mission.

  • Event - Conference

    prompt photo

    Dragon 3 2014 Symposium

    The Dragon 3 2014 Symposium was part of the Dragon 3 Programme, focussed on exploitation of ESA, ESA's Third Party Missions and Chinese Earth observation data for geo-science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications.

  • Event - Conference

    prompt photo

    Dragon 3 2015 Symposium

    The Dragon 3 2015 Symposium was part of the Dragon 3 Programme, focussed on exploitation of ESA, ESA's Third Party Missions and Chinese Earth observation data for geo-science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications.

  • Event - Conference

    prompt photo

    Dragon 3 2016 Symposium

    The Dragon 3 2016 Symposium served as the close of the Dragon 3 Cooperation Programme (2012 to 2016) and formal kick off for Dragon 4 Cooperation projects.

  • Activity - Projects

    prompt photo

    Dragon 3 Cooperation Programme

    The Dragon 3 Programme focussed on the exploitation of ESA, ESA's Third Party Missions and Chinese Earth observation data for geo-science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications.

  • News - Thematic area articles

    prompt photo

    Transforming space data into climate action

    ESA’s Earth observation activities are playing a key role in the revitalised global drive to combat climate change.

  • News - Spotlight on EO community

    prompt photo

    Introducing Mirko Albani

    In this short introduction, ESA's Heritage Missions Programme Manager describes what he likes most about ESA's long term archive of satellite mission data and his role in the programme.

  • Activity - Projects

    prompt photo

    Dragon 2 Cooperation Programme

    The Dragon 2 Programme focussed on the exploitation of ESA, ESA's Third Party Missions and Chinese Earth observation data for science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications.

  • Event - Training

    prompt photo

    2nd Advanced Training Course on Ocean Remote Sensing 2009

    This advanced training course focused on ocean remote sensing theory and applications.

  • News - Success Stories

    prompt photo

    ERS' Contribution to Altimetry

    Satellite radar altimetry missions have transformed the way we see Earth and its oceans. Using the ranging capability of radars, they measure the surface topography profile along a satellite’s track.

  • News - Data Release news

    prompt photo

    New reprocessing of datasets celebrates 30 years of ERS

    The ERS programme celebrated its 30th anniversary on 17 July. Today, we are still exploiting ERS data and experts continue to work on improving the altimeter, radiometer and SAR data the programme acquired.

  • News - Success Stories

    prompt photo

    ERS Heritage Data allow for 30 years of science

    At their time of launch thirty years ago, the two ERS satellites were the most sophisticated Earth observation spacecraft ever developed and launched by Europe.

  • Tools - Apps

    prompt photo

    Heritage Missions app for iOS

    Download the Heritage Missions application to discover what the missions were about, how it worked and what the elements of the space and ground segment that make these missions unique.

  • Tools - Apps

    prompt photo

    Heritage Missions app for Android

    Download the Heritage Missions application to discover what the missions were about, how it worked and what the elements of the space and ground segment that make these missions unique.

  • Tools - Visualisation

    prompt photo

    EVDC Orbit Prediction Tool

    The EVDC Orbit Prediction and Overpass Tool generates and visualises satellite's overpasses.

  • Data - Fast Registration with immediate access (Open)

    prompt photo

    ERS PRARE Precise Orbit Product (ERS.ORB.POD/ERS.ORB/PRC)

    The precise orbit results from a data reduction process in which all available tracking data (Single-Lens Reflex, radar altimeter crossovers, PRARE range and Doppler data) and most accurate correction, transformation and dynamical models are taken into account and in which high level numerical procedures are applied. These orbits are "optimal" achievable representations of the real orbital motion under the circumstances of tracking situation and the "state of the art" model situation. The precise orbit product for the ERS satellites are the satellite ephemeris (position and velocity vector) including time tag, given in a well-defined reference frame, together with the nominal satellite attitude information and a radial orbit correction. Several orbit solutions are currently distributed: A new set of ORB POD (Precise Orbit Determination - REAPER v2) computed with the most updated model standards for the complete ERS-1 and ERS-2 mission. A previous set of ORB POD (REAPER v1) data already available on the ESA dissemination site since 2014, covering the ERS-1 full mission and the ERS-2 mission up to July 2003. ORB PRC which is the original Precise Orbit dataset computed during the ERS mission operations for ERS-1 and ERS-2. In the new POD dataset (REAPER v2) for the ERS-1 and ERS-2 missions, two different orbit solutions are provided together with the combined solution to be used for processing of the radar altimeter measurements and the determination of geodetic/geophysical products: those computed by DEOS (Delft Institute of Earth Observation and Space Systems), and those generated by ESOC (European Space Operations Centre) using different software (GEODYN and NAPEOS respectively). Careful evaluation of the various solutions of REAPER v2 has shown that the DEOS solution for both ERS-1 and ERS-2 has the best performance and is recommended to be used as reference. See the ERS Orbit Validation Report. For the previous version of the POD data set (REAPER v1), with ERS-2 mission data only up to 2003, three different orbit solutions together with the combined solution are available. These precise orbits for ERS-1 and ERS-2 have been computed at DEOS, ESOC, and GFZ (Deutschen GeoForschungsZentrums) using different software and different altimeter databases. Combined solutions have been created using three individual solutions for each satellite. All orbits were derived using consistent models in the same LPOD2005 terrestrial reference frame. These new orbit solutions show notable improvement with respect to DGME04 orbits (Scharroo and Visser, 1998). Thus, RMS crossover differences of new orbits improved by 4-9 mm. Careful evaluation of the various solutions has shown that the combined solution for both ERS-1 and ERS-2 has the best performance. All POD orbit files (REAPER v1/v2) are available in SP3c format.

  • Data - EO Sign In Authentication (Open)

    prompt photo

    ERS-1/2 SAR IM Precision L1 [SAR_IMP_1P]

    The SAR Precision product is a multi-look (speckle-reduced), ground range image acquired in Image Mode. This product type is most applicable to users interested in remote sensing applications, but is also suitable for calibration purposes. The products are calibrated and corrected for the SAR antenna pattern and range-spreading loss. Radar backscatter can be derived from the products for geophysical modelling, but no correction is applied for terrain-induced radiometric effects. The images are not geocoded, and terrain distortion (foreshortening and layover) has not been removed. The numbering sequence relates to the satellite position and therefore differs between Ascending and Descending scenes. Product characteristics: Pixel size: 12.5 m (range - across track) x 12.5 m (azimuth - along track) Scene area: 100 km (range) x at least 102.5 km (azimuth) Scene size: 8000 pixels range x at least 8200 lines (azimuth) Pixel depth: 16 bits unsigned integer Total product volume: 125 MB Projection: Ground-range Number of looks: 3.