The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the Sentinel-2A satellite from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Wednesday with the mission anticipated to send back images of the Earth's surface in visible and infrared light.
The data the 1.1 tonne satellite would return will map everything from the rise of megacities to the aftermath of natural calamities such as earthquakes. Sentinel 2A, in particular, is tasked to monitor the performance of the food crops worldwide.
"Sentinel-2 is a polar-orbiting, multispectral high-resolution imaging mission for land monitoring to provide, for example, imagery of vegetation, soil and water cover, inland waterways and coastal areas. Sentinel-2 will also deliver information for emergency services," ESA said.
The satellite's camera sensor will detect wavelengths of light that would provide details on the health of plants and this could provide agriculture and food agencies advance notice of potential famines or poor harvests.
ESA's Earth observations director Volker Liebig said that there 13 spectral bands, four of which are so called "red edge," where chlorophyll and plants reflects lights giving scientists an idea what the plants are doing. Liebig said that the capabilities of the Sentinel-2 will be most helpful in terms of food monitoring and food security.
The mission, for instance, could help World Food Program foresee bad harvest and lessen speculations of the food markets. Speculations on food supply can cost lives because it could skyrocket prices despite the abundance of food supply.
The Sentinel, which is part of the European Union's Copernicus project, is anticipated to start its operation in three to four months, after its instruments have been properly calibrated and it has been thoroughly checked.
The Copernicus program provides timely and accurate information that would understand and reduce the impact of climate change, improve management of the environment, and ensure civil security.
The first of the Sentinel missions was the radar satellite Sentinel-1a, which was launched in April last year. It specializes in detecting land movement and has already played a part in helping experts better understand what caused the catastrophic quake that hit Nepal earlier this year. The newly launched mission will complement the radar-imagery of Sentinel-1A.
"Sentinel-2A, with its optical camera, is a complement to the radar images from Sentinel-1A," Liebig said. "It will support important areas of benefit to society such as food security and forest monitoring,"
