Copernicus in detail

Copernicus has been specifically designed to meet user requirements. Based on satellite and in situ observations, the Copernicus services deliver near-real-time data on a global level which can also be used for local and regional needs, to help us better understand our planet and sustainably manage the environment we live in.

Click on the image below to download the Copernicus brochure in English. Note that this brochure is also available in several other languages.

Copernicus - Europe's eyes on Earth

Copernicus is served by a set of dedicated satellites (the Sentinel families) and contributing missions (existing commercial and public satellites). The Sentinel satellites are specifically designed to meet the needs of the Copernicus services and their users. Since the launch of Sentinel-1A in 2014, the European Union set in motion a process to place a constellation of almost 20 more satellites in orbit before 2030.

Copernicus also collects information from in situ systems such as ground stations, which deliver data acquired by a multitude of sensors on the ground, at sea or in the air.

The Copernicus services transform this wealth of satellite and in situ data into value-added information by processing and analysing the data. Datasets stretching back for years and decades are made comparable and searchable, thus ensuring the monitoring of changes; patterns are examined and used to create better forecasts, for example, of the ocean and the atmosphere. Maps are created from imagery, features and anomalies are identified and statistical information is extracted.

These value-adding activities are streamlined through six thematic streams of Copernicus services:

The information provided by the Copernicus services can be used by end users for a wide range of applications in a variety of areas. These include urban area management, sustainable development and nature protection, regional and local planning, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, health, civil protection, infrastructure, transport and mobility, as well as tourism. Read more... 

The main users of Copernicus services are policymakers and public authorities who need the information to develop environmental legislation and policies or to take critical decisions in the event of an emergency, such as a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis. 

Based on the Copernicus services and on the data collected through the Sentinels and the contributing missions, many value-added services can be tailored to specific public or commercial needs, resulting in new business opportunities. 

In December 2017, the European Commission completed a large-scale study which analysed the economic, societal and environmental benefits of the Copernicus programme depending on various evolution scenarios. The study focussed on Europe only and covered the 2017 - 2035 period. It aimed at giving a monetary value to all the benefits generated by the Copernicus programme for intermediate users and end-users, with the ultimate objective to provide the EU and national policy makers, with an estimate of the potential return on investment. To showcase the findings of this recent study, the European Commission published a brochure, a report, as well as an executive summary. The Copernicus Market Report and several former economic studies had already demonstrated the huge potential of the programme for job creation, innovation and growth. 

The Copernicus programme is coordinated and managed by the European Commission. The development of the observation infrastructure is performed under the aegis of the European Space Agency for the space component and of the European Environment Agency and the Member States for the in situ component. 

An overview of the Copernicus governance is provided below.