[Satellite TODAY 09-17-10] RapidEye has passed a European Space Agency (ESA) operational readiness review, which will allow ESA and its user community access to RapidEye’s 5-meter, multi-spectral data through an interface between RapidEye’s ground segment and ESA’s coordinated data access system, RapidEye announced Sept. 16.
    ESA will be using RapidEye’s satellite imagery for its Safer project, a Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program in Europe. GMES aims to implement a European capacity for Earth observation, with an objective to monitor the environment.
    Under a contract signed between RapidEye and ESA in late 2009, RapidEye will provide imagery data to support ESA capacity to better respond to emergency situations deriving from storms fires, floods, earthquakes or landslides.