ESA and European Commission leaders signing their agreement on Copernicus. Photo: ESA

[Via Satellite 10-28-2014] The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission have established the budget for the Copernicus environmental monitoring program. The European Union’s seven-year Multiannual Financial Framework provides nearly $5.5 billion for Copernicus, of which approximately $4 billion will be allocated for the space component.

The Sentinel satellites comprise the backbone of Copernicus. The first satellite, Sentinel 1A, launched on April 3 and entered operations this fall after finishing calibration and data quality testing.

The ESA-European Commission agreement covers the operating costs of the Sentinel satellites until mid-2021 along with the manufacture of next generation satellites. ESA has been tasked with research and development for future Copernicus satellites beyond 2021.