Barbara Kudrycka, Minister of Science and Higher Education was delighted as she announced on Twitter: “Thanks to the efforts of Poland The European Earth monitoring program (GMES) received the name “Copernicus”.”
Established in 2008 in Lille, Global Monitoring for Environment and Security was formerly known as GMES. It is compared with the EU’s ambitious Galileo satellite navigation project.
“By changing the name from GMES to Copernicus we pay tribute to the great European scientist and astronomer – Copernicus. Just as in the sixteenth century he has helped to better understand our world, the European Earth monitoring program allows to deeply understand our changing planet” – said on Tuesday the EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani.
The European Commission points out that in a world increasingly threatened by natural disasters and other catastrophes, the program allows to monitor the state of the environment on land, sea and air, as well as increase the security of the citizens. Moreover, the Copernicus will be a driving force for economic growth and employment, as – according to recent studies – it will allow to create up to 85 thousand new workplaces in the years 2015-2030.
Copernicus includes a set of services, such as data collection, providing information with the use of satellites and ground-based sensors to monitor the environment and natural phenomena that occur on Earth.
The aim of the program is to improve the security of EU citizens, for example by providing more accurate data on natural disasters, which enables faster intervention. It also provides reliable information which are helpful in monitoring and predicting climate change. It also allows to monitor the quality of the atmosphere and oceans.
Source: PAP Nauka
Picture: Jan Matejko-Astronomer Copernicus-Conversation with God.