NEW EYES for Europe. And for the man. Are those the Sentinel-2 satellite, party tonight by a carrier Vega in Kourou, French Guyana, at 3.52. Its task is to provide information never before gathered on the health of the land and the vegetation of the planet. Information that might influence environmental policies, because for the first time will be available and accessible in a transparent manner.
The new ‘sentinel’ reaches ‘cousin’ Sentinel-1 in space. Both satellites are now in orbit about 800 kilometers above the planet to record images, radar images in the case of Sentinel-1, launched in 2014, in the case of optical Sentinel-2. Missions (has been approved so far the sixth) are part of the “Copernicus” , launched by the EU Commission and European Space Agency for a sophisticated mapping of the planet by means of a continuous, independent and reliable data and information relating to Earth observation. Sentinel-2, the next seven years, we will send color images is equipped with special eyes that capture the surface of the earth through 13 different spectral bands of light. The result are shades never seen before, that allow us to study in more depth the natural phenomena, especially those affecting the green areas.
Roberto Battiston is director of the Italian Space Agency in 2014 and physicist at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics but is no match galleries Apennine you swallow mobile network. When we reach them on the phone we are passing in the middle of a train to Rome. Between a tunnel and the other we can explain to us what this mission that is so proud.
Director, as does the “view” special satellite?
“Sentinel-2 is an optical satellite, technically works just like our eyes. Only that is multi-spectral has a sensor fitted with a filter system that allows him to see the earth through 13 different bands of light “.
For the less experienced?
> “It’s like if you go to the sea and wore 13 different shades, at the same time. Each of these glasses is a different filter and each of these would see something new because each filter highlights a different aspect of the object that we look . The more bands, more refined is the information to be read through the images we see. And the change is the change from “how” it is done at the “what” is done: the color provides information on the composition of things. The plant is green, but if she could do with 13 different color filters, the other would see 13 times and would see what is made in every detail. “
This concerns especially the part Planet Green?
“Yes, because the ‘intrinsic variability’ that’s in the ‘green’ of the planet has a higher content of information: if she photographed the tracks of a train after a long time , nothing changes. And the roofs of Rome, from an aerial view, change after many years. The plants, the trees, the vegetation, however, quickly change color and give us this opportunity to monitor changes in the development and maturation, for example “.
How can affect the data in people’s daily lives, as they are very complicated to decipher information for non-professionals?
“Beyond census crop in a given country, obtainable in a short time, the study and monitoring of diseases that affect the vegetation, deforestation, and the purely scientific information, I might for example calculate in advance the rice harvest in China, before knowing how many healthy fields that provide their rice. This could affect the economy in a decisive way, think of the ‘futures’ on the stock exchange (securities that are betting on the future of the market, ed ) or commercial interests of the agribusiness sector that move many balances. But think also to natural disasters: if a fire breaks out in a wheat field at any point on Earth, we would have in no time all the necessary information on the damage caused. And the bands of multispectral Sentinel-2 are not the highest point of the research. Right now, we are already at the satellite ‘hyper-spectral’ “.
That?
” Instead of 13 bands has more than 200. In Italy we’re building one, should be ready in three years, it is called ‘Prisma’. So far it is the only one in the world “.
What will show us?
” Earth in the caves, the micro-particles of pollution emitted from a factory “.
Sentinel-1, which is in space since last year, instead what is it? Sentinel-1 (photo ESA)
” Sentinel-1 is not optical, but has a sensor radar and works with the same system in the constellation of four satellites that we have in space, Cosmo Sky Med: we use it to provide institutional bodies such as the Civil Protection information on the monitoring of natural disasters and we are the only ones who can do it, now . Speaking of Sentinel-1, it is a radar. This means that if an optical sensor such as Sentinel-2 uses the sunlight bouncing off Earth, the Sentinel-1 radar emits radio waves that bounce off the Earth and come back changed: from this modified signal are built radar images. From the point of view of the spatial resolution is very clear, we are talking about less than one square meter and it works, because it does not use the sunlight by day, at night and in all weather conditions. Sentinel-1 measures the height of the ground with precision of millimeters and provides valuable information for those who study and monitor natural phenomena “.
The whole earth is monitored every meter, then you can talk about disaster preparedness?
“No, not prevention, but mitigation of seismic risk and volcanology: Vesuvius see inflated and deflated, we realize the stability of the buildings, do you think that after the earthquake in L’Aquila we saw in detail what happened to the land. Are ex-post and not allow to ‘predict’ exactly, however, can reduce the extent of the risk, and damage “.
Sentinel is part of a program more ambitious European Space Agency, “Copernicus”, funded with 2.3 billion euro. The Copernicus program with all of the Sentinel satellites (photo ESA)
“It is money that has allocated the European Commission, so no money of the European countries participating in the program, the 15% of the total figure is Italian. “
New eyes, therefore, also for environmental policy?
” Yes but also for citizens who vote and pay taxes. For knowledge, which is the only thing that can save the planet. Ignorance has never saved anyone. I have new eyes to a new vision of the world. We built tools to collect detailed information on the composition of the natural elements. They are fundamental tools to understand how it is made the Earth and to develop policies in various sectors, such as environmental and agro-food. Take, for example agricultural policies and containment of global climate change. “
So the powerful of the earth, as also hinted Papa Francesco in his encyclical on the environment, will have to repent?
“The aerospace research provides information so clear, so clear, to change consciences, sooner or later.”
Do you think you know the problem with precision goes hand in hand with the development of solutions?
“Well, let’s say that is our big bet, we do not have much choice in the future, with Copernicus we are making an important step in this direction, the right direction, that of a model is sustainable exploitation of the resources of the planet, to be implemented thanks to the information that comes from space. What do you think is up there quick mapping of the entire planet, the entire Earth’s surface every meter. With this detailed knowledge you will be able to develop new agricultural and environmental policies. Hopefully that happens. “
If we saw what he sees Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 will see what, in short, would be impossible not to protect the planet and its natural resources and not to think about new models development. All that remains is to wait 13 pairs of glasses colored by one to wear to human eyes. Especially in the more myopic.
No comments:
Post a Comment