[Satellite Today – 4-14-08] Thales Alenia Space has won a contract worth 305 million euros ($482.1 million) to provide the first Sentinel-3 earth observation satellite to the European Space Agency (ESA), the company said April 14.
    The satellite is devoted to oceanography and land-vegetation monitoring as part of the European Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the satellite’s design, development and integration.
    GMES is one of ESA’s key space programs. It aims to deliver environment and security monitoring services and is being led by the European Commission. It is Europe’s response to the ever-increasing demands of effective environmental policies and is at the same time the European contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.