Copernicus is part of the European Union Space Programme, which is managed by the European Commission and worked with by EU member states, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), Frontex, SatCen, and Mercator Océan.

The program’s goal is to create a global, continuous, and high-quality system for observing Earth. This system provides accurate, timely, and easy-to-use information to help manage the environment, understand and reduce the effects of climate change, and improve civil security.

Since 2021, Copernicus has been part of the EU Space Programme. This program supports the EU’s space policy in areas such as Earth observation, satellite navigation, communication, space research, and innovation. It also helps fund important infrastructure and new technologies.

Program definition

The goal of Copernicus is to gather large amounts of global data from satellites and from ground-based, airborne, and seaborne measurement systems. This data is used to create timely and accurate information, services, and knowledge. It also provides independent access to information about the environment and security worldwide. This helps service providers, public officials, and international organizations improve the quality of life for people in Europe. In short, Copernicus combines information from environmental satellites, air and ground stations, and sensors to show the overall "health" of Earth.

One advantage of the Copernicus program is that the data and information it produces are available free of charge to all users and the public. This allows other services to use the data to create new tools and resources.

The services provided by Copernicus cover six main areas: atmosphere, oceans, land, climate, emergency response, and security.

Copernicus is built on three parts:

• The space part, which includes observation satellites and ground systems that monitor land, air, and ocean conditions. This includes six satellite families called Sentinel missions managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and other satellite missions from other space agencies.
• In-situ measurements, which are data collected from ground and air-based networks that provide information about oceans, land surfaces, and the atmosphere.
• Services created and managed by Copernicus, which are provided to users and the public.

The program is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, a scientist who lived from 1473 to 1543. His theory about the sun being the center of the universe was an important early contribution to science.

The cost of Copernicus from 1998 to 2020 is estimated at 6.7 billion euros. About 4.3 billion euros were spent between 2014 and 2020, shared between the European Union (67%) and ESA (33%). The economic benefits of Copernicus data to the EU are expected to reach 30 billion euros by 2030. ESA, as a major partner, has designed and helped develop Sentinel missions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Each Sentinel mission includes at least two satellites, with some missions, like Sentinel 1, 2, and 3, having four satellites. ESA also provides instruments for weather satellites like Meteosat Third Generation and MetOp-SG operated by EUMETSAT. ESA and EUMETSAT will work together to share data from more than 30 satellites that support Copernicus.

History

The Copernicus program was created by Regulation (EU) No 377/2014 in 2014. It was based on the earlier EU Earth monitoring program called GMES, which was established by Regulation (EU) No 911/2010.

Over many years, European and national organizations worked hard to develop Earth observation research and technology. These efforts led to many achievements, but the services and products created had some limitations, such as not being able to operate continuously for long periods. The idea of a global and continuous European Earth observation system was first called Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES). Later, the program was renamed Copernicus after the EU began directly funding and developing it. Copernicus continues and expands the work of the earlier €2.3 billion European Envisat program, which operated from 2002 to 2012.

Copernicus shifted from research and development to operational services in stages. Pre-operational services, including Fast Track Services and Pilot Services, were introduced between 2008 and 2010. Copernicus began its initial operations in 2011 and became fully operational in 2014.

• 19 May 1998: European institutions involved in space activities created GMES through a document called "The Baveno Manifesto." At that time, GMES stood for "Global Monitoring for Environmental Security."
• 1999: The name changed to "Global Monitoring for Environment and Security" (GMES), showing that environmental management also affects security.
• 2001: Leaders from European countries requested that the EU help establish a European capacity for GMES by 2008.
• October 2002: The "Security" part of GMES was defined as addressing natural and technological risks, humanitarian aid, international cooperation, treaty monitoring, and border surveillance.
• February 2004: The European Commission proposed an action plan to create a working GMES system by 2008. A Framework Agreement was also signed between the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) to support the space part of GMES.
• May 2005: The Commission outlined priorities for GMES services by 2008, focusing on land and marine monitoring, and emergency response (Fast Track Services). Later services, called Pilot Services, would cover atmosphere monitoring, security, and climate change.
• June 2006: The European Commission created the GMES Bureau to ensure priority services were delivered by 2008 and to address governance and long-term funding.
• May 2007: The European Space Policy Communication recognized GMES as a major goal of the EU's space strategy.
• September 2008: The first three Fast Track Services and two Pilot Services were launched in a pre-operational version at the GMES Forum in Lille, France.
• November 2008: The Commission proposed a plan to discuss how to fund, operate, and manage GMES.
• May 2009: The Commission proposed a regulation to legally establish the GMES program and fund its initial operations from 2011 to 2013.
• November 2010: The regulation for the GMES program and its initial operations (2011–2013) became official.
• June 2011: The Commission proposed a funding plan for the period 2014–2020, suggesting that GMES would be funded outside the usual budget.
• November 2011: The Commission proposed a new funding plan, governance structure, and operations for GMES from 2014 to 2020, including a special GMES fund supported by all EU member states based on their gross national income (GNI).
• April 2012: The Emergency Management Service – Mapping ("EMS-Mapping") became the first fully operational service under GMES.
• December 2012: The program was renamed Copernicus.
• October 2014: The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission created a budget for the Copernicus Program covering 2014–2020. The total budget was €4.3 billion, with €3.15 billion allocated to ESA for satellite operations and construction.
• November 2020: The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was launched to provide precise ocean topography data.
• January 2021: Regulation (EU) 2021/696 established the Union Space Programme with a budget of €5.421 billion under the 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.
• January 2023: The Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, a new gateway for data access, processing, and visualization, was launched. It includes tools like APIs, a web-based analysis interface, and cloud processing.
• October 2024: The UK's decision to rejoin Copernicus after Brexit helped secure funding for the Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions.

Sentinel missions

The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently managing seven missions under the Sentinel program (Sentinel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5P, 5, 6). These missions use radar and special imaging to study land, oceans, and the atmosphere. Most Sentinel missions use groups of at least two satellites to ensure full coverage and reliable data for Copernicus services.

To prepare for the next generation of Copernicus missions (Sentinel 7 to 12), ESA is developing six new missions. These missions will help meet European Union policies and improve the abilities of the Copernicus Space Component. The UK’s decision to join the EU’s Copernicus program again after Brexit was important for securing funding for these new missions.

Sentinel-1 provides radar images of land and oceans, even in bad weather or at night, with a maximum resolution of 5 meters. The first two satellites were launched using European Soyuz rockets from the Guiana Space Centre.
• Sentinel-1A launched on 3 April 2014.
• Sentinel-1B launched on 25 April 2016. The mission ended on 3 August 2022 due to a hardware failure.
• Sentinel-1C launched on 5 December 2024 using a Vega-C rocket.
• Sentinel-1D launched on 4 November 2025 using the third flight of the Ariane 6 rocket from Guiana Space Centre.

Sentinel-2 provides high-resolution images using different types of light to study land, such as vegetation, soil, and water. It also helps with emergency services. The first three satellites were launched using Vega rockets from Guiana Space Centre.
• Sentinel-2A launched on 23 June 2015. It began a trial mission in early 2025 to test having three Sentinel satellites of the same type working together.
• Sentinel-2B launched on 7 March 2017.
• Sentinel-2C launched on 5 September 2024.
• Sentinel-2D is expected to launch in 2028 using a Vega-C rocket.

Sentinel-3 monitors oceans and land using special imaging, measuring tools, and radar altimeters. The first two satellites were launched using a Eurockot Rokot rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
• Sentinel-3A launched on 16 February 2016.
• Sentinel-3B launched on 25 April 2018.
• Sentinel-3C is expected to launch in 2026 using a Vega-C rocket from Guiana Space Centre.
• Sentinel-3D is expected to launch no earlier than 2028.

Sentinel-4, Europe’s first mission to study the atmosphere using hyperspectral imaging in a high orbit, provides data about air quality. It is carried on Meteosat Third Generation satellites.
• Sentinel-4A launched on 1 July 2025 aboard the MTG-S1 satellite using a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida.
• Sentinel-4B is expected to launch no earlier than 2032.

Sentinel-5 Precursor launched on 13 October 2017 using a Eurockot Rokot rocket from Plesetsk. It uses the Tropomi spectrometer to measure pollutants like methane and aerosols in the atmosphere. This mission helps fill the gap in data after the Envisat satellite stopped working in 2012. Sentinel-5 also provides data about atmospheric composition.
• Sentinel-5A launched on 13 August 2025 using an Ariane 6 rocket from Guiana Space Centre aboard the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite.
• Sentinel-5B is expected to launch in 2033 aboard the EPS-SG-A2 satellite.

Sentinel-6 continues precise measurements of sea level as part of the Jason satellite series after Jason-3.
• Sentinel-6A Michael Freilich launched on 21 November 2020 using a Falcon 9 rocket from California.
• Sentinel-6B launched on 17 November 2025 using a Falcon 9 rocket.
• Sentinel-6C is expected to launch no earlier than 2032.

CO2M (Sentinel-7) monitors human-caused CO2 emissions.
• CO2M-A is expected to launch in 2027 using a Vega-C rocket.
• CO2M-B is expected to launch in 2028 using a Vega-C rocket.
• CO2M-C is expected to launch in 2029 using a Vega-C rocket.

LSTM (Sentinel-8) provides high-resolution data about land surface temperature.
• LSTM-A is expected to launch in 2028.
• LSTM-B is expected to launch in 2031.

CRISTAL (Sentinel-9) studies ice and snow topography at the poles.
• CRISTAL-A is expected to launch in 2028.

CHIME (Sentinel-10) uses hyperspectral imaging to study the environment.
• CHIME-A

Contributing missions

Before the Sentinel missions share data with Copernicus, many existing or planned space missions already provide or will provide useful data for Copernicus services. These missions are often called "Copernicus Contributing Missions (CCMs):"

• ERS: The European Remote Sensing Satellite ERS-1 (1991–2000) was ESA's first Earth observation satellite. ERS-2 (1995–2011) collected data about ocean surface temperature, sea winds, and atmospheric ozone.
• Envisat (2002–2012): Launched in 2002, Envisat was the largest civilian Earth observation spacecraft ever built. It carried advanced optical and radar tools, including the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) and the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS). Envisat monitored Earth's land, atmosphere, oceans, and ice caps. ESA ended Envisat's mission on 9 May 2012 after losing contact with the satellite on 8 April 2012.
• Earth Explorers: ESA's Earth Explorers are smaller research missions focused on specific Earth environment topics. These missions study the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and Earth's interior. They aim to understand interactions between these systems and human impacts on natural processes. Two of the nine missions selected as of 2020 contribute to Copernicus: SMOS (launched 2 November 2009) and CryoSat-2 (launched 8 April 2010), which measures floating ice thickness.
• MSG: The Meteosat Second Generation is a joint project between ESA and EUMETSAT.
• MetOp: MetOp is Europe's first polar-orbiting satellite for operational meteorology. It includes three satellites launched between October 2006 and November 2018. The series provides data for weather monitoring and climate studies until at least 2027.
• French SPOT: SPOT (Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre) is a series of Earth observation satellites that provide high-resolution images. SPOT-4 and SPOT-5 include sensors called VEGETATION to monitor land ecosystems.
• German TerraSAR-X: TerraSAR-X is an Earth observation satellite that provides high-quality topographic data. Its data is used for land use mapping, topographic surveys, forest monitoring, emergency response, and environmental monitoring.
• Italian COSMO-SkyMed: COSMO-SkyMed is a satellite system with four first-generation satellites equipped with Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) sensors. It supports seismic hazard analysis, disaster monitoring, and agricultural mapping. A second generation of COSMO-SkyMed satellites is being developed as of 2020.
• UK and international DMC: The Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) includes eight satellites, three of which are active as of 2020. The DMC provides emergency Earth imaging for disaster relief through the International Charter for Space and Major Disasters.
• French-American OSTM/Jason-2 (2008–2019): OSTM/Jason-2 measured ocean surface topography, wind speed, and wave height. These measurements are essential for Copernicus Marine Services and were included in the European Commission's plans for future Copernicus missions, such as Sentinel-6.
• French Pléiades: The Pléiades constellation includes two satellites that provide very high-resolution Earth images.
• Planet Labs: A commercial provider that images Earth daily to monitor changes and identify trends.
• OroraTech: A German-based company that provides thermal-infrared data (MWIR, 2x LWIR) for wildfire monitoring.
• Prométhée Earth Intelligence: A French company planning to launch the Japetus constellation of 20 satellites to provide hyperspectral and multispectral images.
• HiVE: A German satellite system for thermal imaging.

Data from non-European missions (e.g., Landsat, GOSAT, Radarsat-2) is also used by Copernicus.

• DigitalGlobe: An American company that provides high-resolution satellite imagery. Its current satellites include GeoEye-1, WorldView-1, WorldView-2, and WorldView-3. Archive data is also available from Ikonos and QuickBird.
• LANDSAT program: Includes eight satellites, three of which are active.
• GOSAT program: Includes two satellites, both active.
• Radarsat-2 satellite.

In-SituCoordination

The GMES In-Situ Coordination (GISC) was a project funded by the EU's FP7 program. It ran from January 2010 to December 2012 and was managed by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Since 2014, the EEA has been responsible for organizing in-situ data for the Copernicus program under a formal agreement signed on December 1, 2014, between the EU (represented by the European Commission) and the EEA.

In-situ data refers to information collected from the ground, air, or water using tools like sensors and instruments. These data are essential for operating the Copernicus services. They are used in weather and environmental models, help verify the accuracy of satellite data, and fill gaps where satellite information is unavailable.

GISC worked with other programs, such as INSPIRE (a system for sharing spatial data in the European Community) and SEIS (a shared environmental information system), as well as existing networks for data exchange. This approach allowed direct connections between data providers and service providers, following the guidelines of SEIS and INSPIRE. The implementation of INSPIRE was included in GISC through shared standards and metadata. Data is managed as close as possible to its source to create a distributed system, using existing networks and country resources to maintain observation tools and infrastructure.

Services component

Copernicus services are focused on observing and predicting changes in Earth's systems. They help track how the climate is changing. These services also assist with managing emergencies, such as natural disasters, accidents, or crises, and address security issues, like watching the oceans or controlling borders.

Copernicus services cover six main areas:

• Emergency Management Service (see video on Copernicus.eu website: Copernicus Emergency Management Service). This service began working on April 1, 2012.
• Land Monitoring (see video on Copernicus.eu website: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service). This service started on April 1, 2012.
• Marine Environment Monitoring (see video on Copernicus.eu website: Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service). This service began on May 1, 2015.
• Atmosphere Monitoring (see video on Copernicus.eu website: Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service). This service started in July 2015.
• Security (see Copernicus Service for Security Applications).
• Climate Change (see video on Copernicus.eu website: Copernicus Climate Change Monitoring Service).

Before becoming fully operational, the services were developed through projects funded by the European Commission and the EU's 7th Framework Programme (FP7). These projects included geoland2 (land), MyOcean (marine), SAFER (emergency response), MACC and MACC II (atmosphere), and G-MOSAIC (security). Most of these projects also helped monitor climate change.

• geoland2 began on September 1, 2008. It studied topics like land use, soil covered by buildings or roads, water quality, forest management, and food security.
• MyOcean started on January 1, 2009. It focused on ocean safety, preventing oil spills, managing marine resources, climate change, and water pollution.
• SAFER began on January 1, 2009. It addressed emergencies, aid for people in need, and managing security crises.
• MACC started on June 1, 2009. It improved tools from earlier projects and continued through MACC II until July 2014, leading to the operational atmosphere monitoring service.
• G-MOSAIC started on January 1, 2009. It worked with another project called LIMES to study security issues, such as helping with intelligence and managing crisis situations.

Interaction

The information from Copernicus services can be used by people for many different purposes in various fields. These include managing cities, protecting the environment and natural areas, planning for communities, farming, managing forests and fishing, improving health, helping with safety during emergencies, building infrastructure, transportation, and supporting tourism.

Copernicus is part of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), which is an international effort to share geospatial information worldwide.

Some Copernicus services use data from OpenStreetMap to create their maps.

Other relevant initiatives

Other programs will help support the work of Copernicus services:

• INSPIRE: This program helps create a shared system in Europe for spatial data that works across country borders.
• Urban Atlas: Made from thousands of satellite images, the Urban Atlas gives detailed and affordable digital maps. These maps help city planners use the most recent and accurate information about how land is used and covered. This tool helps planners understand risks, like flooding and climate change effects, and find where new roads, buildings, or public transport are needed. All cities in the European Union will be included in the Urban Atlas by 2011.
• SEIS: The Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) is a joint effort by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) to create a shared environmental information system across the European Union with the help of member countries.
• Heterogeneous Missions Accessibility: This is a program by the European Space Agency to make satellite data easier to use across different systems.

Copernicus is one of three related programs studied in the GIGAS project (which includes GEOSS, INSPIRE, and GMES) under the EU 7th Framework Programme.

Third country participation

The Copernicus program includes the 27 countries that are part of the European Union, as well as other countries that participate in different ways. These other countries join through agreements with the European Union. Some countries help pay for the program’s costs, while others share data with the program. Many international partner countries receive special access to Sentinel data in exchange for providing data collected on the ground from their own countries. These countries are:

2014–2020 budget contributing countries
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Iceland
• United States (starting in 2015)
• Australia
• Ukraine
• Serbia
• African Union
• Brazil (starting in 2018)
• Chile (starting in 2018)
• Colombia (starting in 2018)
• India (starting in 2018)
• Canada (starting in 2022)
• Panama (starting in 2022)
• Japan (starting in 2023)

Ongoing discussions with:
• Argentina
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Vietnam
• China (part of the Space Dialogue)

2021–2027 budget contributing countries
• Norway
• Iceland
• United Kingdom: The United Kingdom joined the program again in 2024.