ATLAS-1, Belgian Space Policy and ? A personal view D. Fonteyn DG Research programmes and aerospace applications
NOT Historical overview List of achievements Budgets BUT Earth observation in Belgium Parallel with own scientific experience
Belgian Space Policy since end 80’s: Space policy implemented through ESA Priority on Earth Observation Climate “Global Change” Scientific expertise In response to societal challenges Examples: – Spacelab, EURECA(ORA) – MIRAS, SPOT VEGETATION
VEGETATION: Multilateral international cooperation National research programme supporting this priority (land) SPOT-Vegetation processing and archiving facility Towards operational capacity
Example: Brazil deforestation
VEGETATION: National research programme Processing, archiving and distribution Other Belgian priority: Technology development (PROBA), small missions Converging into
“Full” Belgian “small” mission in ESA framework Platform, instrument, PI, operations = Belgian Belgian contribution to GMES
Launch: 2013 Satisfying a large user community
ATLAS-1, data quality vs ~ week coverage 0-D → 2-D model chemical composition
ESA/Envisat Priority for Belgium Scientific Expertise !! Research satellite NRT data 3-D → 4-D Var chemical data assimilation → NRT 9 day forecast
Scientific knowledge and instrument development Mars Modelling Mars96, MarsExpress, Exomars
Earth Observation ATLAS-1: NOW?? BE small missions
Earth Observation A limb remote sounding experiment on a micro- satellite proposed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy THE ALTIUS MISSION A tmospheric L imb T racker for I nvestigation of the U pcoming S tratosphere
Earth Observation Development ALTIUS BE small missions Technology meets science Keep momentum
Earth Observation Scientific knowledge BE small missions Total concept Strong BE involvement GMES End User driven
Earth Observation Weather story: TIROS 1: 1960 Improvement quality weather forecast only 90’s 30 – 40 year delay GMES no time to waste Not at the cost of R&D budget