On January 28, 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission announced the addition of a third satellite to the Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring mission, entrusting OHB System AG with its development. This new satellite aims to enhance global coverage, facilitating quicker and more thorough measurements of carbon dioxide and methane emissions from human activities, thereby improving climate mitigation evaluations.
At the 17th Space Conference in Brussels, ESA and the European Commission also reinforced their dedication to integrating commercial data into the Copernicus Contributing Missions (CCMs). Ten established Earth observation (EO) data supply companies signed contracts as part of the CCM initiative, which includes six major European space industry entities and four recognized providers of EO data from non-EU satellites.
Additionally, a symbolic ceremony took place for nine European space scale-ups already contracted with ESA, which will join the Copernicus Space Data Ecosystem (CSDE). This ecosystem serves as a key platform offering free access to Copernicus Sentinel data related to Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. The integration of these emerging companies is expected to enhance the existing Sentinel data portfolio with supplementary EO data.
Simonetta Cheli, ESA's Director of EO Programmes, emphasized the significance of combining institutional and commercial data solutions to maintain Copernicus's global leadership in Earth observation. She stated, “These events show ESA's firm commitment in supporting the European Commission in keeping the Copernicus programme ahead of the game.”