CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales), the French Space Agency,
has taken over the chairmanship of CNES from CSIRO at the end of the 10th
plenary meeting held in Canberra, 13-15 November 1996. CNES has been involved
in Earth observation activities for thirty years, starting with small geodesy
satellite in 1966 and 1967, and a first data collection and location satellite
system (EOLE) used for tracking drifting balloons in 1971, in cooperation
with NASA. CNES also initiated and conducted the first studies of the European
METEOSAT satellites, which become a European-wide program in 1971. More
recently, CNES has initiated a series of high resolution optical imaging
spacecraft for land surveying purposes called the SPOT satellites, three
of which are already in orbit (SPOT-1, 1986, SPOT-2, 1990, SPOT-3*, 1993)
and has set up a commercial company, SPOT IMAGE, to market their data and
associated services. The SPOT program includes participation from Belgium
and Sweden, who are also involved in the exploitation of the system. Two
more satellites are planned : SPOT-4, due for launch in early 1998, and
SPOT-5, planned for 2002. The SPOT-4 spacecraft will also carry a new instrument
called "Vegetation". This new instrument, funded in part by the European
Union, will contribute a major set of well calibrated data dedicated to
global monitoring of the vegetation cover over land masses, of direct relevance
to the Integrated Global Observing Strategy presently discussed within
CEOS. CNES is also very actively involved in ocean circulation studies
through its participation in the TOPEX-POSEIDON program, in cooperation
with NASA, and recently initiated a follow-on satellite altimetry program,
called JASON, which will take over from TOPEX-POSEIDON by the end of 1999.
JASON is also a joint CNES-NASA program. The global ocean altimetry data
sets resulting from these two satellites should provide a major contribution
to understanding the role of oceans in the dynamics of climate changes.
CNES is also a long term partner of the NOAA polar orbiting satellite system
through the provision of the on board equipment and exploitation of the
ARGOS data collection and location system (DCS), in operation since 1979.
This system provides an operational locating service for thousands of small
transmitters used in drafting buoys, balloons and hydrological stations,
and even marine animals. An upgraded version of the ARGOS data collection
and location system will be operated on board NASDA's ADEOS-II spacecraft
in 1999. In addition to these major programmes in Earth observation, CNES
is also funding and managing the development of specific instrumentation
such as the POLDER instrument on board ADEOS (also planned on ADEOS-II),
the SCRAB Earth radiation budget instrument on board Russian Meteor spacecraft,
and the DORIS high accuracy tracking system used on the TOPEX-POSEIDON,
ENVISAT and JASON satellites. It is presently developing an advanced atmospheric
sounder (IASI) for the future European polar orbiting meteorological satellites
METOP/EPS, with the support of Eumetsat. CNES is funding research and application
demonstration projects within the French scientific community and has developed
close links with user organizations such as METEO FRANCE, the French weather
service, IFREMER, the French oceanographic research and exploitation agency,
and many other partners. It also conducts a number of Earth observation
activities in international cooperation, such as the recernt demonstration
project for SPOT data reception at the Obninsk station, near Moscow in
Russia.
CNES has been a CEOS member from the beginning and participated in
the precursor committee CLOS (Committee of Land Observation Satellites)
as early as 1980. CNES is proud to chair CEOS in 1997 and is looking forward
to hosting the 11th plenary meeting in Toulouse on 19-21 November 1997.
#SPOT-3 failed in November 1996
Contributions for future issues of the CEOS Newsletter from the CEOS
Members, Observers and Affiliates, and subscriptions to the CEOS Newsletter,
please contact;
CEOS Japan Secretariat:ceosj@ipx.tksc.nasda.go.jp
or Ms.Kazuko Misawa at:misawa@rd.tksc.nasda.go.jp
