Watch the celebration and scientific workshop on the legacy of the two ERS satellite missions. The events were held on 27 September at ESRIN, ESA's centre for Earth observation, in Frascati, Italy. Earlier this month, the veteran ERS-2 satellite was shut down after its orbit was lowered to reduce the risk of collision with other satellites and space debris. ERS-2 was launched in 1995, four years after ERS-1, the first European Remote Sensing satellite. Read more
After a final thruster firing last week to deplete its remaining fuel, ESA's venerable ERS-2 observation satellite has been safely taken out of service. Ground controllers also ensured the space environment was protected for future missions. The mission ended on 5 September, after the satellite's average altitude had already been lowered from 785 km to about 573 km. At this height, the risk of collision with other satellites or space debris is greatly reduced. With the effects of natural atmospheric drag, ERS-2 is predicted to enter and largely burn up in the atmosphere in about 15 years. Read more
The orbit of ESA's retired ERS-2 observation satellite is being lowered to reduce the risk of collision with other satellites or space debris. The goal is to leave it well below most operating polar satellites by the end of August. The first in a series of thruster firings, each lasting about 300 seconds, was commanded by the mission control team at ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Germany on 6 July to lower the orbit of the Agency's veteran satellite. The burns have since lowered the satellite from its initial 785 km-high orbit to about 700 km. Read more
After 16 years spent gathering a wealth of data that has revolutionised our understanding of Earth, ESA's veteran ERS-2 satellite is being retired. This pioneering mission has not only advanced science, but also forged the technologies we now rely on for monitoring our planet. ERS-2 was launched in 1995, following its sister, the first European Remote Sensing satellite, which was launched four years earlier. Read more
Adding to their unique information from previous tandem missions, ESA's ERS-2 and Envisat satellites have been paired up again - for the last time. Data from this final duet are generating 3D models of glaciers and low-lying coastal areas. Read more
Originally designed to monitor Earth for just three years, ESA's veteran ERS-2 satellite is still in orbit and going strong after 15 years of delivering essential data to improve our understanding of Earth and climate change. ERS-2 was launched on 21 April 1995 to follow on from the first European Remote-Sensing mission, ERS-1, which had been in orbit since 1991. Read more
ESA satellites flying in formation Based on the outstanding success of the first tandem mission between ERS-2 and Envisat last year, ESA has paired the two satellites together again to help improve our understanding of the planet. ERS-2, ESAs veteran spacecraft, and Envisat, the largest environmental satellite ever built, both carry Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments that provide high resolution images of the Earth's surface. By combining two or more SAR images of the same site, slight alterations that may have occurred between acquisitions can be detected. This technique, known as SAR interferometry or InSAR, has proven to be very useful for applications such as glacier monitoring, surface deformation detection and terrain mapping.