JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Space and the Arctic Accompanying the document JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Developing a European Union Policy towards the Arctic Region: progress since 2008 and next steps
Date: 2012-06-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Arctic, Canada, China, European Region, European Space Agency, Russia, United States, climate change, environmental monitoring, meteorology, research and development, satellite, satellite navigation, space research

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION FOR 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND 
SECURITY POLICY

Brussels, 26.6.2012  
SWD(2012) 183 final 

JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Space and the Arctic 

Accompanying the document 

JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE 
COUNCIL 

Developing a European Union Policy towards the Arctic Region: progress since 2008 
and next steps 

{JOIN(2012) 19 final} 
{SWD(2012) 182 final} 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

3.4. 

Introduction...................................................................................................................2 

Navigation.....................................................................................................................6 

Monitoring ....................................................................................................................7 

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES).........................................7 

Climate..........................................................................................................................8 

Monitoring - meteorology...........................................................................................10 

Monitoring - vessels ...................................................................................................10 

3.4.1.  ESA EC coordination .................................................................................................10 

3.4.2.  Preparatory Action for Integrated Maritime Policy....................................................10 

3.4.3.   Possibility of mounting AIS receivers on medium orbit satellites .............................11 

3.4.4.  European Space Agency Programmes........................................................................11 

3.4.5.  Possibility of mounting AIS receiver on Sentinel-1B ................................................11 

3.4.6. 

Increase of AIS offer ..................................................................................................11 

3.5. 

3.6. 

3.7. 

3.8. 

Monitoring –contribution to Sustained Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) ...........12 

Monitoring - data access .............................................................................................12 

Monitoring- pollution .................................................................................................13 

Monitoring - research .................................................................................................13 

3.8.1.  Sea ice.........................................................................................................................14 

3.8.2.  Snow cover .................................................................................................................15 

3.8.3.  Glaciers .......................................................................................................................15 

3.8.4.  Lake and river ice .......................................................................................................15 

3.8.5.  Permafrost...................................................................................................................15 

3.8.6.  Svalbard ......................................................................................................................15 

3.9. 

Communication...........................................................................................................16 

3.9.1.  Demand.......................................................................................................................16 

3.9.2.  Current capacity..........................................................................................................16 

3.9.3.  Ongoing initiatives in the United States, Canada, Russia and China .........................16 

3.9.3.1.  United States ...............................................................................................................16 

3.9.1.2.  Canada and Russia ......................................................................................................17 

2

 
 
3.9.3.3.  China...........................................................................................................................17 

3.9.4.  European needs ...........................................................................................................17 

3.9.5.  European options ........................................................................................................18 

3.10.  Decision support and early warnings..........................................................................19 

3.11. 

Standards.....................................................................................................................20 

4. 

5. 

6. 

Conclusions.................................................................................................................21 

Next steps....................................................................................................................22 

Glossary ......................................................................................................................23 

Appendix: Cost of European contribution to monitoring the Arctic ........................................26 

Envisat 

....................................................................................................................................26 

Cryosat  ....................................................................................................................................27 

GMES 

....................................................................................................................................27 

Summary ...................................................................................................................................28 

3

 
 
This document is a European Commission and EEAS staff working document for 
information purposes. It does not represent an official position of the Commission and 
of the EEAS on this issue, nor does it anticipate such a position. 

4

 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  remoteness,  low  population  density,  marked  seasonal  variability1  and 
harsh  meteorological  conditions  in  the  Arctic  mean  that  Earth-orbiting 
satellites  are  essential  tools  for  communication,  navigation  and  observation 
in the region. 

With the entry into force of the “Lisbon Treaty”, article 189 of the Treaty on 
the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union  confers  to  the  European  Union  a 
shared  space  competence  which  it  pursues  alongside  that  of  the  Member 
States.  It  is  the  basis  for  the  definition  of  a  EU  Space  policy2  of  which  the 
two  flagships  are  Galileo,  the  European  GNSS,  and  GMES,  the  European 
Earth monitoring programme. Space research and developments activities are 
funded  under  the  space  theme  of  the  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for 
research. 

(ESA),  established 

The  European  Space  Agency 
is  an 
intergovernmental organisation currently with 18 member states. Its purpose 
is  to  provide  for,  and  to  promote,  for  exclusively  peaceful  purposes, 
cooperation  among  European  States  in  space  research  and  technology  and 
their  space  applications,  with  a  view  to  their  being  used  for  scientific 
purposes and for operational space applications systems 

in  1975, 

A Space and the Arctic workshop was organised on 20 to 21 October 2009 in 
Stockholm, Sweden by the Swedish National Space Board and the Swedish 
Meteorological and Hydrological Institute together with the European Space 
Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT and the European Commission. 

The workshop was held under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the 
Council of the EU as part of a commitment to face the challenges of climate 
change  and  increased  human  activity.  It  focused  on  three  themes:  climate 
change  and  environment;  transport  safety  and  security;  and  sustainable 
exploitation. 

The  aim  of  the  workshop  was  to  identify  the  needs  of  those  working  and 
living  in  the  rapidly  changing  Arctic  and  explore  how  space-based  services 
might  help  to  meet  those  needs.  Increased  activities  in  these  northern  areas 
are expected as a consequence of climate change, technological progress and 
shortages  of  resources.  Oil  and  gas  production,  fisheries  and  shipping  are 
expected  to  move  further  north.  The  workshop  investigated  how  space 
infrastructures  could  facilitate  communication,  environmental  monitoring, 
early warning, navigation and vessel tracking. 

1 
2 

The sea-ice cover varies considerably between summer and winter 
See conclusions of the 4th Space Council meeting 

5

 
 
                                                 
At  the  end  of  the  workshop,  participants  agreed  a  set  of  conclusions  and 
recommendations  as  to  how  space  technology  could  help  Europe  meet  its 
objectives in the Arctic3. 

This document is a European Commission interim report, prepared together 
with  the  European  Space  Agency,  taking  stock  of  current  and  future  space 
programmes  relevant  to  the  Arctic  region  and  assessing  to  which  extent 
actions have been addressed following the workshop. It is a factual account 
showing  that  progress  has  been  made  in  meeting  these  challenges  and  that 
considerable  benefits  to  the  many  interests  in  the  Arctic  have  accrued 
through  collaborative programmes  involving both EU  and non-EU Member 
Statres. 

2. 

NAVIGATION 

Global  and  regional  satellite  navigation  systems  (GNSS)  for  accurate 
positioning  are  now  fundamental  tools  for  safe  transport  on  land,  in  the  air 
and  on  the  sea.  This  is  particularly  true  for  the  cold,  dark,  snowy  Arctic 
which has few other navigation and positioning tools. Positions and timings 
derived  from  GNSS  can  also  contribute  significantly  to  observations  of  the 
Arctic for scientific purposes. 

The further implementation of the European satellite navigation programmes 
(EGNOS and Galileo) was established by the regulation (EC) No 683/2008 
of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  9  July  2008.  The  system 
established under the Galileo programme is an autonomous global navigation 
satellite  system  (GNSS)  infrastructure  consisting  of  a  constellation  of 
satellites  and  a  global  network  of  Earth  stations.  The  objectives  of  the 
Galileo  programme  are  to  ensure  that  signals  emitted  by  the  system  can  be 
used  to  fulfill  the  following  five  functions  :  Open  Service,  free  to  users,  a 
Safety  of  Life  Service  aimed  at  users  for  whom  safety  is  essential,  a 
Commercial Service with improved performance, a public regulated service 
for government-authorised users and a search and resque support service.  

Galileo  is  a  global  system  which  will  cover  also  the  Arctic.  The  Galileo 
services  will  facilitate  safe  navigation  in  the  Arctic,  support  search  and 
resque activities and any activity requiring positioning.  

The  European  Geostationary  Navigation  Overlay  Service  (EGNOS)  is  an 
infrastructure  for  monitoring  and  correcting  signals  emitted  by  existing 
global satellite navigation systems. It is EGNOS that will provide the Safety 
of  Life  function  for  Galileo  by  providing  warnings  when  the  signals  fail  to 
provide  acceptable  margins  of  accuracy.  EGNOS  relies  on  a  system  of  40 
ground stations in Europe and North and three geostationary satellites above 
the  equator  to  Africa  to  assess  the  accuracy  of  positioning  signals  and 
transmit them to users. Since there are no ground stations in the Arctic and 
since  users  above  about  75ºN  cannot  receive  signals  from  geostationary 

3 

http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/EarthObservation/Statement_final.pdf 

6

 
 
                                                 
satellites,  EGNOS  does  not  work  in  the  Arctic.  This  will  mean  that,  under 
current  plans,  satellite  information  cannot  be  certified  for  safety-critical 
applications such as aircraft landing in the Arctic. 

The  European  Space  Agency's  GNSS  Evolution  Programme's  Arctic 
Testbed4 will explore how EGNOS augmentation services can be extended to 
the Arctic. Broadcasting via other satellite systems, including non-European 
ones,  is  an  option  and  will  be  explored  in  the  years  to  come.  The  Arctic 
Testbed  may  later  also  analyse  the  requirements  of  scientific  applications, 
including  those  related  to  climate  change,  mainly  for  more  positional 
accuracy.  

3. 

MONITORING 

The  Arctic  sea-ice  is  being  monitored  by  both  European  and  non-European 
satellites.  Various  providers  use  measurements  from  these  satellites  to 
support  navigation  within  their  own  national  waters.  However  no  single 
provider  is  yet  capable  of  providing  satellite  based  near-real  time  sea-ice 
information  to  ships  in  all  Arctic  waters5.  Ships'  masters  must  therefore 
switch  between  different  presentations  of  satellite-based  ice  maps  as  they 
move from one zone to another. 

3.1. 

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) 

Workshop  Recommendation:  "The  European  Commission  to  ensure  that 
proposals  for  future  operational  GMES  satellites  and  services,  address  the 
special needs of the Arctic (sea ice, icebergs, snow, glaciers, ice sheets and 
permafrost" 

GMES is the EU's Earth monitoring programme. It is a long-term programme 
built  on  partnerships  between  the  Union,  the  Member  States,  the  European 
Space  Agency  (ESA)  and  other  relevant  European  stakeholders.  It  is  also  a 
programme  where  the  EU  plays  an  important  role  in  international 
cooperation  through  bilateral  collaborations  with  other  space  faring  nations 
or  participation  to  global  efforts  in  the  field  of  Earth  Observation  (e.g.  the 
Group on Earth Observations). 

Since its beginning in 1998 the overall funding allocated to GMES until 2013 
by  the  EU  and  ESA  has  reached  over  €3.2  billion  for  the  development  and 
initial operations of the services, and of the space and in situ infrastructures. 

The GMES architecture is based on three components: a service component 
that delivers information in support of environment and security policies, and 
two observation components (space-based and in-situ) that provide the data 
needed for operating the services.  

4 
5 

Budget €4.5 million 
Global pictures provided by EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility are 
of very low resolution and not intended as an aid to navigation. 

7

 
 
                                                 
The satellites under the GMES umbrella that are  most useful  for the Arctic 
are: 

(1)  Sentinel-1A is planned for launch end 2012, Sentinel-1B 2 years later. 
These satellites have been developed to ensure operational monitoring 
of  sea-ice  extent  and  icebergs  within  the  GMES  framework.  Snow, 
glaciers and permafrost were not considered within the original design 
specifications for Sentinel-1 which will nonetheless contribute towards 
their monitoring. 

(2)  The Sentinel-3 constellation will provide useful monitoring capabilities 
for  the  Arctic,  providing  global  land  and  ocean  observations  of 
parameters  relevant  to  the  Arctic  such  as  sea-surface  temperature  and 
topography,  snow  extent  and  sea-ice  thickness.  The  capability  to 
monitor  sea-ice  thickness  will  be  based  on  experience  from  the 
CryoSat  research  satellite  (see  below)  and,  providing  the  appropriate 
infrastructure  is  set  up,  will  allow  near  real  time  monitoring  of  this 
parameter for the first time. The first of the two Sentinel-3 satellites is 
planned for launch in 2013. 

GMES  services  can  be  divided  between  core  services  and  downstream 
services that add value to the core services. It is intended that there should be 
six  core  services  -  emergency  management,  land,  marine,  atmosphere, 
climate change and security. 

The MyOcean project, funded under the Seventh Framework Programme, is 
delivering a prototype marine core service. It includes an 11-16km resolution 
model providing forecasts 10 days ahead. 

Other  components  of  GMES,  whilst  not  particularly  developed  for  cold 
regions, nevertheless contribute  to understanding the Arctic. The  Sentinel-4 
and  Sentinel-5  missions  are  dedicated to  monitoring  the  composition  of  the 
atmosphere  for  GMES  Atmosphere  Services.  Both  missions  will  be  carried 
on  meteorological  satellites  operated  by  Eumetsat  and  could  contribute  to 
monitoring  the  trans-boundary  pollution  that  affects  the  Arctic.  During 
winter  2009-2010  the  near  real  time  analysis  and  forecasting  system  of  the 
GMES  Atmosphere  monitoring  pilot  service  provided  in  depth  analysis  of 
low ozone values including a comparison to previous years. 

3.2. 

Climate 

Workshop recommendation "The European Commission, ESA, and Member 
States to sustain continuous observations ensuring long term data records to 
support  climate  monitoring.  The  European  Space  Agency  and  EUMETSAT 
should discuss the possibility of joint programs with international partners." 

A  new  ESA  programme,  "Global  Monitoring  of  Essential  Climate 
Variables6"  has  been  set  up  to  extract  measurements  from  satellite  data 

6 

Also known as CCI (Climate Change Initiative) 

8

 
 
                                                 
archives in order to produce the long time series of climate-relevant variables 
requested by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the Committee 
on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the United Nations Framework 
Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC. Spatial and temporal data for 13 
essential  climate  variables  will  be  delivered  in  the  first  phase.  This  €72 
million  programme  is  expected  to  provide  a  significant  contribution  to  the 
understanding  of  Arctic  climate  change  issues,  including  measurements  of 
glaciers and sea-ice. At least 3 out of the 13 variables (sea-ice, ice-sheet and 
glaciers)  are  particularly  relevant  to  the  Arctic  although  sea-surface 
temperature  and  sea-level  are  also  useful.  There  are  also  a  number  of  EU 
research projects on climate variables (see section 4.8) 

A conference7 was held in Helsinki, Finland on 16-17 June 2011, organised 
by  the  European  Commission,  involving  ESA,  EUMETSAT  and  several 
national  agencies  to  consider  what  a  GMES  climate  service  could  do  over 
and  above  the  GMES  Sentinel  satellites,  the  GMES  land,  ocean  and 
atmosphere  services  and  the  ESA  programme  on  Essential  Climate 
Variables.  A  User  Forum  has  debated  the  matter.  The  consultation  should 
lead to an operational capacity for Climate Change monitoring. 

A  renewed  cooperation  agreement  between  ESA  and  Canada  provides  the 
continuation  of  a  framework  allowing  inter  alia  coordination  of  satellite 
based  facilities  for  the  Arctic,  including  climate  monitoring  capabilities. 
Examples  are  Canada’s  current  Radarsat  missions  and  the  future  Radarsat 
constellation. 

ESA and EUMETSAT both support a request from the Secretary General of 
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to establish a Polar Science 
Space  Task  Group.  This  will  ensure  the  legacy  of  coordinated  observations 
performed  during  the  International  Polar  Year.  The  Director  Generals  of 
ESA and EUMETSAT have nominated candidates accordingly8. 

The  group  is  being  formed  with  the  support  of  the  Secretary  General  of 
WMO,  and  under  the  auspices  of  the  WMO  Executive  Council  Panel  of 
Experts  on  Polar  Observations  Research  and  Services  (EC-PORS)  -  with  a 
secretariat  to  be  provided  by  WMO  Space  Office.  The  group  will  have  a 
mandate to respond to requirements to support the WMO Global Cryosphere 
Watch  Program,  to  contribute  to  the  Sustained  Arctic  Observing  Networks 
(SAON)  initiative  in  the  context  of  space-borne  measurements,  and  to 
respond  to  the  need  for  sustained  observations  in  support  of  climate 
monitoring  requirements  originating  from  the  GCOS  Requirements  and  the 
IGOS Cryosphere Theme reports. 

7 
8 

See http://ec.europa.eu/gmes 
M. Drinkwater - ESA; and K. Holmlund - EUMETSAT 

9

 
 
                                                 
3.3.  Monitoring - meteorology 

Workshop Recommendation: "ESA and EUMETSAT to review the coverage 
of  meteorological  missions  and  to  identify  the  necessary  priorities  and 
technical solutions for weather forecast" 

Both  EUMETSAT  and  ESA  are  monitoring  closely  the  Canadian  Space 
Agency  work  on  the  Polar  Communications  and  Weather  (PCW)  mission. 
Following  this  programme  from  development  through  to  operations  will 
provide Europe valuable insight into the benefits and opportunities resulting 
from such a mission concept for providing meteorological observations over 
the  Arctic.  EUMETSAT  is  not  presently  considering  specialist  satellite 
missions  of  its  own  but  may  consider  distributing  products  from  PCW. 
Studies are ongoing with ESA to determine whether monitoring stations for 
an  EGNOS  extended  to  the  Arctic  could  deliver  atmospheric  water  vapour 
concentrations. 

3.4.  Monitoring - vessels 

Workshop  Recommendation:  "The  European  Commission  to  consider  the 
needs  of  the  Arctic  when  assessing  the  results  of  the  preparatory  action  on 
receiving Automatic Identification Systems from space". 

3.4.1.  ESA EC coordination 

The  European  Commission  and  ESA  set  up  a  Steering  Committee  that 
regularly  reviewed  the  results  of  the  PASTA-MARE  project,  was  informed 
of  the  results  of  the  ESA  projects  and  checked  the  user  requirements  that 
ESA  had  used  as  a  basis  for  their  design  studies.  The  Committee  was 
dissolved  at  the  end  of  2010  following  the  successful  completion  of  the 
PASTA-MARE project and a follow-up began work at the beginning of 2012 
to examine new issues. examine new issues, such as the planned initiative of 
ESA and EMSA. 

3.4.2.  Preparatory Action for Integrated Maritime Policy 

The  project  PASTA-MARE,  was  a  preparatory  action  of  the  integrated 
maritime policy. The objective was to assess the performance of AIS sensors 
mounted on satellites. 

The PASTA-MARE project produced a global map of traffic density which 
is  publicly  available.  However,  since  none  of  the  satellites  involved  in  the 
project  delivered  sufficient  data  on  the  Arctic  no  actual  vessel  density  data 
plots are available. 

The  project  assessed  performance  of  sensors  by  comparing  signals  with 
signals  from  other  satellites  passing  at  the  same  time  and  with  ground 
stations. This was not possible in the Arctic because no concurrent satellite 
passes  were  found  and  there  are  very  few  ground  receiving  stations  in  the 
region. The project ended in 2010 before the data from other satellites came 
on stream.  

10

 
 
4.4.3. 

3.4.3. Possibility of mounting AIS receivers on medium orbit satellites 

ESA  recently  concluded  a  study  on  a  cooperative  surveillance  system  for 
ships  based  on  a  piggyback  GNSS  payload  as  part  of  its  European  Global 
Navigation  Satellite  System  (GNSS)  Evolution  Programme.The  study 
concluded  that  a  system  for  supporting  the  surveillance  of  ships  could  be 
possible with payloads embarked on medium Earth orbit satellites. However 
the large size of the payload means that a larger satellite platform would be 
required and there are currently no plans to go further with this concept. 

3.4.4.  European Space Agency Programmes 

ESA in cooperation with the European Maritime Safety Agency, EMSA, has 
established  a  SAT-AIS  work  plan  which  includes  developments  of  key 
technologies,  the  setting  up  of  a  Data  Processing  Centre  Demonstrator  and 
continuation of system design activities. It was approved in 2010 by the ESA 
Programme  Board  responsible  for  Telecommunications  and  Integrated 
Applications.. An operational demonstration mission may also be launched, 
possibly for a limited geographical area. At the same time ESA is assessing 
possible schemes for establishing a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the 
development/deployment and/or operation of the infrastructure and provision 
of  SAT-AIS  data  to  institutional  and,  possibly,  private  users.  EMSA  have 
completed a study on "Space-based AIS User Benefit Analysis”. 

3.4.5.  Possibility of mounting AIS receiver on Sentinel-1B 

It  is  planned  that  automatic  identification  system  receivers  be  mounted  on 
board the Candian RADARSAT Constellation Mission and the Spanish /PAZ 
together  with  synthetic  aperture  radar.  This  would  allow  simultaneous 
correlation  of  ship  positions  with  observations  from  the  radar  images  -  the 
only waty to reliably find ships that have disabled their AIS transmissions. 

Studies  are  ongoing  to  determine  whether  an  satellite  AIS  receiver  can  be 
accommodated on the GMES Sentinel-1 satellites. While the development of 
the first satellite (“A-unit”) appears too far advanced to accommodate an AIS 
receiver,  this  might  still  be  possible  for  the  second  satellite  (Sentinel-1  “B-
unit”), provided funding would become available in time.  

3.4.6. 

Increase of AIS offer 

A  number  of  companies  including  Orbcomm,  Comdev/ExactEarth  and 
LuxSpace are already offering a commercial service with AIS. Furthermore 
the  experimental  Norwegian  AISsat-1, 
in  July  2010,  was 
specifically designed for the high north. Between them these satellites cover 
the  whole  Arctic.  Because  of  the  relatively  low  cost  of  the  technology  and 
the  low  shipping  density  in  the  Arctic,  and  because  revisits  are  frequent  at 
these  high  latitudes,  the  accurate  (e.g.  decollision  issue)  and  timely  regular 
monitoring  of  Arctic  traffic  looks  assured.  However  the  performance  still 
needs to be checked. 

launched 

11

 
 
3.5.  Monitoring  –contribution  to  Sustained  Arctic  Observing  Networks 

(SAON)  

Workshop recommendation "ESA to check the requirements of the Sustaining 
Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) for measurements from space. 

The newly established Polar Science Space Task Group will have a mandate 
to contribute to the Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) initiative 
in  the  context  of  space-borne  measurements,  and  should  therefore  be 
concerned with collecting their requirements. 

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Observing System will also contribute. 

3.6.  Monitoring - data access 

Workshop  recommendation  'The  EU,  ESA,  EUMETSAT  and  their  Member 
States  as  well  as  other  involved  parties  to  support  and  implement  a  fully 
open and “obstacle” free data access policy and infrastructure. 

The "marine knowledge 2020" Communication9 confirms the Commission's 
policy: 

The ultimate aim is to provide free access without restriction of use 

The  GMES  programme,  once  in  operational  mode,  will  provide  users  with 
access  to  data  and  information  from  the  dedicated  Sentinel  satellite 
instruments as well as from GMES services. EU Regulation 911/2010 for the 
initial operations of GMES10 foresees full and open access to GMES data and 
information  subject  to  international  agreements,  licensing  conditions  and 
security  restrictions,  The  GMES  policy  on  data  and  information  will  be 
compliant with the EU’s legislative framework governing the availability of 
public and environmental information (access to environmental information, 
PSI and INSPIRE directives11). 

ESA has revised its Earth Observation Data Policy12. The revision intends to 
adapt  the  existing  ESA  Data  Policy  to  the  “Joint  Principles  for  a  Sentinel 
Data Policy”13, as approved by ESA member states in September 2009. The 
revision  of  the  ESA  Data  Policy  aims  to  provide  open  and  free  of  charge 
access  to  the  majority  of  the  EO  data  provided  by  the  ERS,  Envisat14  and 
Earth Explorer missions. 

9 

10 

11 

12 
13 
14  

"marine  data  and  observation  for  smart  and  sustainable  growth",  Brussels,  8.9.2010, 
COM(2010) 461 final  
Regulation  911/2010  of  22  September  2010  on  the  European  Earth  monitoring  programme 
(GMES) and its initial operations (2011 to 2013 
Public  access  to  environmental  information  directive  2003/4/EC,  PSI  directive  2003/98/EC, 
INSPIRE directive 2007/2/EC 
Earth Observation Programme Board paper (ESA/PB-EO(2010)54) 
ESA/PB-EO(2009)98, rev. 1 
ENVISAT's  mission  ended  on  9  May  2012.  However  its  rich  archive  of  past  images  will 
continue to provide material for understanding the Arctic for many years to come.  

12

 
 
                                                 
Data  access  to  EO  data  provided  by  the  ERS,  Envisat  and  Earth  Explorer 
missions has significantly progressed from the data policy principles laid out 
in the original data policy almost a decade ago. The evolution of information 
technology  systems  supporting  the  data  access,  particularly  in  recent  years, 
has  rendered  the  increased  uptake  of  Earth  observation  data  possible.  A 
growing  number  of  Earth  observation  data  sets  are  available  on-line  and 
provided  free  of  charge.  Only  a  subset  of  data,  for  technical  or  financial 
constraints, remains accessible in limited fashion. 

This  development  reflects  a  common  trend  to  make  environmental  Earth 
observation  data  more  easily  accessible  and  freely  available  subject  to 
unavoidable  restrictions,  which  is  actively  supported  by  international 
initiatives  such  as  GEO  Data  Sharing  Principles)and  CEOS.  It  also  reflects 
evolving  user  expectation  as  to  the  accessibility  of  Earth  observation  data 
and the increasing demand for them.  

3.7.  Monitoring- pollution 

Low temperatures and light-level mean that ecological damage from any oil 
spill in the Arctic Ocean is greater than that that would result from spills at 
more  temperate  latitudes.  CleanSeaNet  is  the  European  Union's  satellite 
based  oil  spill  monitoring  and  vessel  detection  service  operated  by  the 
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). It is available to all EU Member 
States, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) States, Acceding Countries 
and the European Commission. Satellite detection of oil-spills requires short 
scale  surface  roughness  The  relatively  flat  Arctic  waters  and  the  ice  would 
make extension to the Arctic difficult.. 

3.8.  Monitoring - research 

Workshop  recommendation  "All  partners  concerned  with  Research  and 
Development  efforts  to  address  issues  such  as  monitoring  of  ice  features, 
permafrost, biodiversity etc" 

The CryoSat mission, launched by ESA in April 2010, is assessing the ability 
of satellites to measure ice thickness. Its Synthetic Aperture Interferometric 
Radar  Altimeter  (SIRAL)  has  been  specifically  designed  for  measuring  ice 
thickness  changes  over  time.  CryoSat  measures  the  height  of  the  sea  ice 
above the water line, known as the freeboard, to calculate the ice thickness. 
The  first  CryoSat  ice  thickness  map  of  the  Arctic  was  generated  from 
January  and  February  2011  data,  as  the  ice  approaches  its  maximum. 
CryoSat provides multi-year elevation data at latitudes never reached before 
by  a  satellite  altimeter,  determining  changes  in  the  thickness  of  marine  ice 
floating in the polar oceans and monitoring changes in the vast ice sheets that 
overlie Greenland and Antarctica, particularly at the margins where icebergs 
are calved 

Although it is not known exactly how much has been spent, successive EU 
Framework Programme projects have not only enlarged our understanding of 
Arctic  processes  but  also  helped  create  a  coordinated  community  of 
researchers who share effort on common challenges. The ALOMAR project 

13

 
 
which finished in 2008 provided access to a worldwide unique ensemble of 
sophisticated  ground-based  instrument  and  a  new  service  of  in-situ 
measurements  through  a  rocket-launch  "Hotel  Payload"  (HotPay).  The 
project  DAMOCLES,  which  focused  EU  efforts  on  monitoring  the  Arctic, 
closed in 2010. The ACOBAR project is developing an observing system for 
the  interior  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  based  on  underwater  acoustic  methods  and 
the  ICE2SEA  Project  will  improve  projections  of  the  contribution  of 
continental ice to future sea-level rise. The ACCESS project which started in 
March  2010  will  provide  access  to  information  on  the  current  status  and 
changes of the Arctic sea ice including use of CryoSat information). This is 
meant on one hand as a baseline against which to compare projected future 
changes and to maintain the critical measurements that are needed to confirm 
and determine the trends in ocean, ice and atmospheric change15 .  

A number of new Seventh Framework Programme projects have started since 
the  Stockholm  conference.  For  instance  the  ACCESS  project  will  provide 
access to information on the current status and changes of the Arctic sea ice 
(including  use  of  CryoSat  information).  This  is  meant  on  one  hand  as  a 
baseline against which to compare projected future changes and on the other 
to  maintain  the  critical  measurements  that  are  needed  to  confirm  and 
determine the trends in ocean, ice and atmospheric change.  

Other  projects  are  devoted  to  testing  and  implementing  methods  for 
calculating parameters based on the satellite measurements. 

3.8.1. 

Sea ice 

The MyOCean project delivers near real-time, forecasts and archived sea ice 
concentration,  edge,  type  and  drift  at  (10km  and  60km  resolution),  surface 
temperature  (1km  resolution)  and  3  dimensional  circulation  parameters 
(12.5km resolution) for all of the Arctic ocean. It delivers iceberg maps from 
the gulf of Boothia in northern Canada in the west to Svalbard in the east  

MONARCH-A16will provide seasonal to interannual changes in sea-ice since 
1980 

SIDARUS will develop new methods for determining sea ice classification, 
albedo and thickness for selected regions in the Arctic as well as forecasts for 
the Barents Sea. 

MAIRES on developing algorithms for ice classification, drift, thickness and 
icebergs for the Barents and Kara seas. 

The  NEWA  project  which  is  concerned  with  European  reconnaissance  and 
surveillance  capacities  in  Moving  Target  Identification  (MTI)  has  assessed 
the feasibility of a possible constellation of satellites to support the. "Iceberg 
Monitoring and Surveillance of the north Atlantic shipping lanes". 

15 
16 

www.ice2sea.eu 
See http://www.nersc.no/project/monarch 

14

 
 
                                                 
ESA's  Polar  View  delivers  near  real-time  sea  ice  products  at  a  range  of 
spatial scales. High-resolution (100 to 500 metres) ice charts are provided for 
the  Baltic  Sea,  the  Barents  Sea  and  Svalbard  areas.  Medium-resolution  (1 
km) ice products are provided for Greenland waters, while low-resolution (3 
to  15  km)  global  sea  ice  extent  and  concentration  are  available  for  the 
northern and hemisphere.  

3.8.2. 

Snow cover 

The MONARCH-A project aims to provide seasonal to interannual changes 
in  snow  cover  since  1980  whilst  Cyoland  will  test  methods  for  measuring 
snow  extent,  snow  cover,  and  snow  properties  at  500m-1km  resolution  in 
selected  European  areas.  Polar  View  provides  snow  extent  and  fractional 
snow cover products in near real-time for major catchments in Scandinavia at 
a spatial resolution of 500 to 1000 metres geared towards flood forecasting 
centres and water management authorities.  

3.8.3.  Glaciers 

MONARCH-A will deliver changes in glaciers (including the Greenland ice 
sheet) over interannual time scales since 1992 whilst Cryoland will provide 
more  detailed  estimates  glacier  areas  and  movement  of  selected  glaciers  in 
the  Alps,  Greenland,  and  Svalbard.  MAIRES  will  assess  glacier  extent  and 
velocity  and  intereannual  variability  for  Russian  glaciers.  Polar  View 
provides  maps  of  glacier  extent,  topography  and  velocity.  estimates  yields 
from  glacial  runoff  and  model  expected  yields  under  different  climate 
scenarios.in northern Europe and Canada. 

3.8.4.  Lake snd river ice 

MONARCH-A  will  estimate  snow  burden  and  freshwater  runoff  to  the 
Arctic  Ocean  whilst  Cryoland  will  deliver  lake  and  river-ice  extent  on 
selected areas in Northern Europe and Russia. Polarview generates products 
on ice-type, extent, break-up and freeze-up dynamics on Canadian rivers at a 
spatial resolution ranging from 10 to 100 metres 

3.8.5.  Permafrost 

The extent and changes of permafrost from 1950 to present in Siberia wil be 
estimated in the MONARCH-A project 

3.8.6. 

Svalbard 

The  preliminary  phase  of  a  Svalbard  Integrated  Arctic  Observing  System 
(SIOS)  was  launched  in  October  2010.  It  is  an  upgrade  of  the  present 
infrastructure  on  Svalbard.  that  integrates  the  studies  of  geophysical, 
chemical  and  biological  processes  from  all  research  and  monitoring 
platforms. 
ice/glacier  and 
atmosphere/space base  

in  and  around  Svalbard 

land,  sea, 

- 

15

 
 
3.9. 

Communication 

Workshop  Recommendation  "ESA 
to  review  communication  satellite 
coverage  and  determine  solutions  that  can  improve  the  situation  following 
priorities identified with all involved parties." 

3.9.1.  Demand 

The  demand  for  data  communications  at  higher  latitudes  is  following  the 
increase  of  activities  related  to  oil  and  gas  surveying  and  exploration, 
maritime  activities,  arctic  shipping,  search  and 
traffic 
management, environmental management, tourism, surveillance, security and 
safety. Data communication can also support applications for navigation and 
positioning,  as  well  as  scientific  purposes.  A  number  of  user  studies, 
including  the  Arctic  Shipping  and  Marine  Assessment  report17  from  the 
Arctic Council have confirmed these developments. 

rescue,  air 

3.9.2.  Current capacity 

Geostationary telecommunication satellites do not cover the Arctic region at 
all  or  only  partly  with  reduced  efficiency.  A  number  of  satellite 
constellations  that  are  in  a  low-Earth  orbit  such  as  Iridium,  Globalstar, 
OrbComm  and  Gonets,  are  serving  the  Arctic  with  low  data-rate  and/or 
messaging services.  

There  are  presently  no  broadband  communications  solutions  available  for 
defence or military users: all European forces currently use U.S. systems. 

3.9.3.  Ongoing initiatives in the United States, Canada, Russia and China 

Due  to  the  need  for  general  broadband  access  and  government  needs 
(security,  search  and  rescue,  safety,  aviation),  the  Governments  of  Canada, 
Russia and the US are currently carrying out definition studies for their own 
dedicated Arctic satcom public and government broadband services.  

3.9.3.1.  United States 

Constellations owned by U.S. companies such as Iridium and Globalstar are 
currently  being  upgraded  to  their  second  generation.  Iridium  NEXT  will 
allow subscriber data rates up to 1 Mbps (contended) and provide complete 
Arctic coverage. Furthermore, Iridium NEXT is planning to offer high-speed 
Ka-band “opportunity” services. 

Globalstar  2.0  is  not  sure  to  cover  the  complete  Arctic  with  their  currently 
planned  inclination.  Like  Iridium,  the  system  is  U.S.  owned,  with  a  strong 
defence and government usage in mind. The U.S. OrbComm system is also 
being upgraded with increased messaging capabilities. 

17 

Arctic Council Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment 2009 Report 

16

 
 
                                                 
A highly elliptical orbit satellite system offering broadband in the Arctic has 
so far only been considered at the level of feasibility studies by the U.S. Air 
Force. 

3.9.1.2.  Canada and Russia 

An  upgrade  of  the  current  Russian  Gonets  (“messenger”)  LEO  system  is 
being  designed  and  would  offer  medium  data-rate  communications  to  the 
Arctic, with low latencies enabled by inter-satellite links. Furthermore, a new 
generation system called KOSMONET is on the drawing table. This system 
can be seen as the Russian Iridium NEXT version. 

The  Canadian  and  Russian  governments  have  started  to  design  their 
respective  PCW  (Polar  Constellation  for  Communication  and  Weather)  and 
ARKTIKA  systems.  The  Canadian  PCW  system  will  offer  broadband 
services only to the regions of Canadian interest in the Arctic, and moreover 
to government users only. The Russian ARKTIKA system will offer low data 
rate communications for government and aeronautical communications with 
a navigation signal overlay, and broadband communications. The coverage is 
more  extensive  than  the  Canadian,  but  for  the  moment  mainly  targeting 
government and institutional use. 

The  Canadian  and  Russian  systems  enjoy  support  from  their  respective 
governments,  although  the  financing  has  not  yet  been  secured.  There  are 
indications  that  private  funding  could  support  an  Arctic  initiative  in  both 
countries. The Canadian Space Agency has commissioned a study to analyze 
the  socio-economic  benefits  of  PCW,  which  will  inform  Canada’s  final 
decision on the mission. Russian state companies from the oil and gas sector 
are considering public-private partnerships with ROSKOSMOS to move the 
Russian system forward. 

Discussions between Canada and Russia on the possible interoperability and 
harmonization between their systems have not been successful so far.  

3.9.3.3.  China 

The  next  generation  of 
the  Chinese  satellite  navigation  system 
BeidouCompass-2 II system will have consist of 5 GEO, 3 IGSO and 4 MEO 
satellites by 2012. To what extent Compass-II and/or Compass-III (extension 
to  a  global  system)  may  offer  additional  communication  capabilities,  is  not 
known at present. 

3.9.4.  European needs 

Taking  into  account  the  developments  sketched  above,  it  is therefore likely 
that  a  number  of  low  and  medium  data-rate  and  messaging  satellite 
communication services offered by non-European entities will be available to 
European users in 2015-2016. 

None of the proposed Canadian, Russian and Chinese systems are planning 
to  offer  broadband  communication  capabilities  to  the  EU  area  of  interest, 

17

 
 
mainly  because  these  systems  are  driven  by  their  respective  government 
needs and have not taken into account European user requirements. 

A  recent  study  from  the  European  Space  Agency  (ESA)  on  "Future  Arctic 
Communications Needs" has concluded, based on consultations with various 
stakeholders,  that  in  the  European  Arctic  the  demand  for  broadband 
communications  could  extend  over  100  Mbps  in  2020.  Maritime  activities 
are considered one of the main drivers of the demand. The supply is virtually 
non-existent, i.e. there is an considerable capability gap.  

kbps 

Russia

Europe
Europe

North America

Demand  in  kbps  in  Russian,  North  American  and  European  Arctic  (above  75  N).  Source: 
ESA/Euroconsult 

In  summary,  taking  into  account  all  planned  developments,  these  will  not 
fulfil the broadband communication requirements for the EU area of interest, 
or  allow  independent  European  communications  capabilities  at  the  higher 
latitudes.  

3.9.5.  European options 

The ESA Directorate for Telecommunications is investigating how inclined-
orbit satellites could meet European needs for communication facilities in the 
Arctic. 

One  option  is  to  push  end-of-life  commercial  telecommunication  satellites 
into orbits that would allow coverage of the European Arctic. Initial findings 
indicate  that  too  much  fuel  needs  to  be  reserved  to  be  able  to  raise  the 
satellite to the appropriate orbits. 

Another option is to combine forces with an Arctic partner: 

(1)  The  Canadian  PCW  system  might  allow  the  embarkation  of  a  small 
European  communication  payload  that  could  serve  the  European 
Arctic.  The  ESA  Directorate  for  Navigation  (in  cooperation  with  the 
ESA  Directorate  for  Telecommunications  and  the  Canadian  Space 
Agency)  is  currently  investigating  the  embarkation  requirements  for 
such a small piggy-back payload by means of an industrial study.  

18

 
 
 
 
(2)  The Russian ARKTIKA system – which is built around larger satellite 
platforms  -  would  also  allow  for  the  embarkation  of  additional 
payloads  that  could  provide  European  coverage  and  serve  European 
requirements.  The  Russian  system  will  also  support  a  mission  for  Air 
Traffic  Management  Communications.  The  ESA  Directorate  for 
Telecommunications is in continuous exchange with ROSKOSMOS to 
identify possibilities for cooperation in this area. 

(3)  Within  the  EC  Russia  Space  Dialogue,  ROSKOSMOS  has  offered 
cooperation  in  the  area  of  a  new  low-Earth  orbit  system,  meant  as  an 
upgrade of the current Gonets system. The new Gonets system would 
the  follow-up 
inter-satellite 
use 
KOSMONET system. 

like  Iridium,  as  would 

links 

(4)  ESA is in contact with Iridium NEXT to understand better the hosted 

payload possibilities and the Ka-band opportunity service. 

The satellites in the Canadian and Russian systems will need to be replaced 
every  10-12  years,  and  the  constellations  foreseen  are  in  addition  each  not 
fully  redundant,  i.e.  Europe  could  offer  to  complement  or  make  these 
constellations 
replenishment  with  European-
manufactured satellites. 

redundant,  or  offer 

Navigation  satellites  in  medium  Earth  orbit  might  also  offer  a  platform  for 
Arctic  Communications.  In  case  the  European  Union  would  embark  on 
inclined  geosynchronous  orbits  for  navigation  satellites  (making  EGNOS 
similar  to  the  Indian  or  Chinese  regional  satellite  navigation  systems)  a 
telecommunication  payload  could  be  added  to  provide  coverage  in  the 
European Arctic. A combined system could be proposed that serves multiple 
missions. 

In the very long-term, a new type of highly inclined satellite orbits – possibly 
enabled by the use of solar sails – could prove to be an interesting solution 
for covering the Arctic. Continuous research is required in this area. 

ESA is currently running a study that will consolidate the user requirements 
for telecommunications in the Arctic for 2015-2020. ESA has also initiated a 
feasibility study for a navigation and a communications payload as a piggy-
back on the planned Canadian PCW satellite mission. At the same time the 
ESA  Iris  Programme  will  assess  whether  satellite  communications  for 
aeronautical 
satellites  are 
interoperable with systems based on highly elliptical orbits 

systems  based  on  geostationary 

safety 

3.10.  Decision support and early warnings 

Workshop  Recommendation  "Scientists  and  operational  users  to  continue 
dialogues  in  order  to  accelerate  the  development  of  operational  decision 
support and early warning systems" 

In  the  field  of  crisis  response  (relevant  to  accidental  pollution,  search  and 
rescue and security crises in the Arctic), both the European Commission and 

19

 
 
ESA  are  presently  investigating  future  solutions  in  terms  of  services  and 
infrastructures for European security actors in a multidisciplinary approach. 
This work might contribute to the development of new operational services 
and  systems 
fields  of  Earth  observation, 
the  emergency 
telecommunications  and  navigation.  This 
managament  service  planned  for  GMES  that  will  contribute  to  European 
structures  such  as  the  Commission’s  future  Emergency  Response  Centre 
(currently DG ECHO/MIC), EMSA, the EEAS and the EU Satellite Centre. 

the  Arctic 

includes 

the 

in 

in 

The  €600,000  PRETEAR  project  co-funded  by  the  EU’s  Civil  Protection 
Financial  Instrument  started  in  October  2009  and  is  co-ordinated  by  The 
Norwegian Fire Protection Training Institute (NBSK) in Fjelldal. PRETEAR 
will  review  the  specific  challenges  faced  by  the  region  and  will  compare 
these to the capabilities currently in place. It will simulate and model critical 
scenarios  and 
identify 
regional  compatibility. 
developments needed in training, mobility and cross-border collaboration.  

It  will  also 

review 

The  European  GNSS  Evolution  Programme's  Arctic  Testbed  will  test 
whether EGNOS can be extended to the Arctic and thus extend the safety of 
landing sites used in rescue operations.  

3.11. 

Standards 

Conference  Recommendation  "Industry  to  establish  and  adopt  common 
guidelines  and  best  practices  to  improve  safety,  security  and  manage  the 
environmental impact of their activities in the Arctic by making further use of 
satellite-based  geo-information  products  to  monitor  operations  in  the  fields 
of oil & gas, shipping and tourism.' 

ESA  organized  a  workshop  on  September  14-15  2010  for  the  Oil  &  Gas 
industry18 which addressed the need for a common set of industry guidelines 
and  best  practices  in  order  to  take  further  advantage  of  satellite  based 
monitoring  capabilities.  And  even  though  the  workshop  had  no  geographic 
focus,  the  Arctic  was  highlighted  as  one  of  the  next  frontiers,  representing 
huge challenges both with respect to operational support and environmental 
monitoring. The recommendations for actions can be found at the workshop 
website 19 at 

An ESA study to investigate how satellite based monitoring can be used for 
tactical navigation of ships in ice-infested waters will also address the need 
for adopting the EO based products to international standards for navigation 
like Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)20.  

An  EU  preparatory  action  under  GMES,  ICEMAR,  will  implement  a  pre-
operational service to deliver ice charting products to the bridges of vessels.  

18 
19 
20 

Presentations can be found at http://earth.eo.esa.int/workshops/gasoil2010/) 
http://earth.eo.esa.int/workshops/gasoil2010/Final_Report.html 
http://www.eomd.esa.int/contracts/contract325.asp 

20

 
 
                                                 
ESA is continuing its work to investigate the need for an EO based product 
certification  scheme.  The  aim  of  such  a  scheme  would  be  to  ensure  that 
products  based  on  satellite  derived  information  is  produced  according  to  a 
standardized set of procedures. A draft set of documents for an EO product 
certification  scheme  has  now  been  drafted  and  will  be  discussed  with  the 
European Association of Remote sensing companies (EARSC). 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

Three years that have passed since the Commission Communication on "The 
EU  and  the  Arctic  Region21"  defined  the  objectives  for  EU  policy  and  two 
years  since  delegates  to  the  Swedish  presidency  event  on  "Space  and  the 
Arctic"  made  a  number  of  recommendations  as  to  how  space  assets  could 
help to achieve those objectives. 

Tentative  conclusions  are  that  certain  objectives  can  probably  be  met  with 
existing or planned programmes: 

(1)  Measurements of sea-ice extent, useful for supporting human activities 
and  monitoring  climate  change,  are  assured  through  the  Sentinel 
satellites of the GMES Space Component. 

(2)  Earth  Observation  based  services  providing  sea-ice  information  for 
navigation are being provided by a multitude of European national and 
private entities. A number of new services are also being tested under 
research programmes. However these currently only covering discrete 
national areas of interest. 

(3)  Up  to  now  satellites  have  not  been  able  to  measure  ice  thickness 
accurately  enough  for  safe  operations  on  multi-year  sea-ice.  The 
experimental  satellite,  CryoSat-2,  launched  in  2010,  is  now  able  to 
measure  changes  in  the  thickness  of  the  polar  ice  sheets  and  floating 
sea  ice  for  Earth  sciences  more  accurately.  Its  Synthetic  Aperture 
Interferometric  Radar  Altimeter  (SIRAL)  has  been  specifically 
designed  for  measuring  ice  thickness  changes  over  time.  As  of  June 
2011, the first maps of ice thickness from January and February 2011 - 
as  the  ice  approaches  its  annual  maximum  –  were  produced.  The 
altimeter  on  GMES  Sentinel-3  will  build  on  the  lessons  learnt  from 
Cryosat-2 in order to provide a long-term monitoring of ice-thickness. 

(4)  Low and medium data rate communications should be assured through 

commercially-operated systems. 

(5)  Because of the low traffic density in the Arctic, effective monitoring of 
vessel  traffic  should  be  assured  by  present  or  planned  commercially 
operated  satellites  carrying  AIS  receivers.  However,  this  should  be 
checked. 

21 

The European Union And The Arctic Region Brussels, 20.11.2008, COM(2008) 763 final  

21

 
 
                                                 
However, a certain number of gaps have been identified: 

(1)  High bandwidth communications will not be available without further 
action.  To  address  this  in  the  near/medium  term  some  buy-in  to 
Russian, Canadian or United States programmes is being investigated. 

(2)  High  reliability  navigation  through  the  European  Geostationary 
Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is presently not possible in the 
Arctic because of the inability of geostationary satellites to reach above 
75ºN.  Broadcasting  of  the  Safety  of  Life  Service  through  other 
channels is under investigation. 

(3)  GMES  services  for  ice  extent  have  been  developed  and  demonstrated 
involving some Arctic user communities and national areas of interest 
but  have  not  yet  achieved  a  complete  circumpolar  uptake.  Services 
supporting  international  trans-Arctic  vessel  traffic  are  still  under 
development. 

(4)  The  Sentinel-3  satellite  will  provide  more  accurate  monitoring  of  ice 
thickness than has been hitherto possible in order to meet the needs of 
science.  However  ground  infrastructure  and  systems  need  to  be 
developed to ensure that the data can be downloaded and processed in 
time to also serve the operational needs of those living or working in 
the Arctic. 

(5)  The  relatively  still  waters  and  ice  cover  make  an  extension  of  the 
satellite  oil-spill  monitong  programme 
operational  European 
CleanSeaNet  to  the  Arctic  challenging..  Further  study  would  be 
necessary before extending the sevice to this region. 

5. 

NEXT STEPS 

The EU is fully committed to its Arctic policy. The flagship programmes of 
the  European  Union,  Galileo  and  GMES,  the  EU  Framework  Programmes, 
and  a  number  of  space  programmes  carried  out  in  the  European  Space 
Agency  will  contribute  to  meeting  EU  objectives  for  the  Arctic.  Climate 
research and environmental protection in the Arctic, monitoring of the ocean 
and  ice,  provision  of  satellite  navigation  in  order  to  ensure  safer  modes  of 
transport in the Arctic all rely heavily on space systems  

Not  all  space  systems  cover  the  Arctic,  and  some  monitoring  requirements 
are specific to polar regions. This region therefore requires special attention. 
In  view  of  the  high  costs  and  long  lead  times  for  deployment  of  space 
systems,  it  is  important  to  continue  a  targeted  collaboration  between  the 
European  Commission,  the  European  Space  Agency  and  Member  States 
space  agencies  and  to  continue  a  dialogue  with  third  countries  in  order  to 
identify  capability  gaps,  establish  synergies  and  identify  potential  areas  of 
cooperation. 

22

 
 
This working  paper can contribute to discussions within the Arctic Council 
and  amongst  coastal  States  whose  prerogatives  are  recognised  by 
international  law  as  to  how  best  to  ensure  that  the  Arctic  environment 
remains  protected  and  that  those  living  and  working  in  the  Arctic  can  cope 
with inevitable future changes. 

A  follow-up  to  the  Arctic  Space  conference  organized  by  the  Swedish 
Presidency  in  2009  was  held  in  Copenhagen  on  13  March,  2012.  The 
recommendations were along the lines presented in this document22. 

6. 

GLOSSARY 

ARKTIKA 

COMPASS 

Cryoland 

Cryosat 

EGNOS 

EMSA 

EO 

ESA 

A  proposed  Russian  satellite  system  purpose-built  to  provide 
observation and communication services to the Arctic 

COMPASS  is  the  Chinese  satellite  navigation  system  that  is 
expected to be operational by 2012 

CryoLand  is  a  seventh  framework  programme  project  aimed  at 
developing,  implementing  and  validating  a  standardized  and 
sustainable service on snow and land ice monitoring 

A research satellite operated by the European Space Agency and 
launched in April 2010, that monitors variations in the extent and 
thickness of polar ice. 

The  European  Geostationary  Navigation  Overlay  Service 
(EGNOS)  system  is  an  infrastructure  monitoring  and  correcting 
signals emitted by existing global satellite navigation systems. It 
consists  of  Earth  stations  and  several  transponders  installed  on 
geostationary  satellites  It  reports  on  the  reliability  and  accuracy 
of signals. 

European Maritime Safety Agency. EU Agency based in Lisbon. 
Portugal 

Earth  Observation;  measurements  taken  from  remote  sensing 
satellites, airborne and in situ monitoring systems. 

is  an 

in  1975, 

European  Space  Agency  The  European  Space  Agency  (ESA), 
intergovernmental  organisation 
established 
currently  with  18  member  states.  Headquartered  in  Paris,  ESA 
has  a  staff  of  more  than  2,000  with  an  annual  budget  of  about 
€3.99  billion  (2011)  ESA's  purpose  is  to  provide  for,  and  to 
promote,  for  exclusively  peaceful  purposes,  cooperation  among 
European States in space research and technology and their space 
applications,  with  a  view  to  their  being  used  for  scientific 

22             http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM1WRAYLZG_index_0.html 

23

 
 
                                                 
purposes and for operational space applications systems 

EUMETSAT 

European  Organisation  for  the  Exploitation  of  Meteorological 
Satellites Its objective is to provide, from space, information that 
can be used in weather forecasting and climate applications 

FP7 

Galileo 

GCOS 

GEO 

GEOSS 

The  EU's  Seventh  Framework  Programme  for  Research  and 
Technological  Development,  covers  the  period  2007  to  2013. 
€1.43 billion is dedicated to space. 

The  system  established  under  the  Galileo  programme  is  an 
(GNSS) 
autonomous  global  navigation 
infrastructure  consisting  of  a  constellation  of  satellites  and  a 
global network of Earth stations. 

satellite 

system 

Global Climate Observing System. GCOS is an organization, co-
sponsored  by  the  World  Meteorological  Organization  (WMO), 
Intergovernmental  Oceanographic  Commission 
(IOC)  of 
UNESCO,  United  Nations  Environment  Programme  (UNEP), 
and  International  Council  for  Science  (ICSU),  established  with 
the aim of ensuring that observations and information needed to 
address climate-related issues are obtained and made available to 
all potential users.) 

The Group on Earth Observations is coordinating efforts to build 
a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS. 

and 

The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a 
coordinating  and  integrating  network  of  Earth  observing  and 
information  systems,  contributed  on  a  voluntary  basis  by 
the 
Members 
intergovernmental  Group  on  Earth  Observations  (GEO).  The 
vision  for  GEOSS  is  to  realize  a  future  wherein  decisions  and 
informed  by 
the  benefit  of  humankind  are 
actions  for 
coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and 
information.. 

Participating  Organizations 

of 

GLONASS 

A  satellite  navigation  system  operated  by  the  Russian  Federal 
Space Agency,. 

GMES 

GNSS 

GPS 

GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) is the 
European  Earth  monitoring  programme  for  the  collection, 
assimilation  and  production  of  information  about  planet  Earth’s 
physical, chemical and biological systems. 

Global Navigation Satellite System. The generic term for systems 
such as GPS, Galileo, COMPASS and GLONASS. 

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the United States space-
based global navigation satellite system (GNSS)  

24

 
 
ICEMAR 

ICOS 

IGOS 

IGSO 

GMES  preparatory  action  aiming  to  deliver  ice  maps  to  the 
bridges of ships 

ICOS is a new research infrastructure to decipher the greenhouse 
gas  balance  of  Europe  and  adjacent  regions.  ICOS  will  provide 
the  long-term  observations  required  to  understand  the  present 
state and predict future behaviour of the global carbon cycle and 
greenhouse  gas  emissions  and  to  monitor  and  assess  the 
effectiveness  of  carbon  sequestration  and/or  greenhouse  gases 
emission reduction activities on global atmospheric composition 
levels,  including  attribution  of  sources  and  sinks  by  region  and 
sector. 

Integrated  Global  Observing  Strategy.  The  objectives  and 
activities of the IGOS theme teams are now being pursued within 
the  framework  of  the  Group  on  Earth  Observations  -  and  the 
various GEO Communities of Practice 

Inclined geosynchronous satellite orbit. An orbit that carries the 
satellite round then Earth once every 24 hours but the inclination 
means that it is not geostationary. 

Iridium NEXT 

Iridium is currently developing, and is expected to launch at the 
beginning  of  2015, 
Iridium  NEXT  a  second-generation 
worldwide  network  of  telecommunications  satellites,  consisting 
of 66 satellites 

KOSMONET 

Proposed  Russian  satellite  system  for  communications  between 
satellites and with ground. 

LEO 

MACC 

MEO 

Low Earth Orbit (160 - 2,000 km above Earth's surface) 

Monitoring  Atmospheric  Composition  and  Climate.  FP7  project 
providing  the  pre-operational  GMES  atmosphere  monitoring 
service. 

Medium Earth Orbit (above low Earth orbit of 2,000 kilometres 
and below geostationary orbit of 35,786 kilometres 

MONARCH-A 

MONitoring  and  Assessing  Regional  Climate  change  in  High 
latitudes and the Arctic - Seventh Framework Programme Project 

MyOcean 

PCW 

GMES FP7 project providing athe pre-operational GMES service 
for marine environment monitoring service 

Polar  Communications  and  Weather  satellite.  A  potential  new 
Canadian  space  mission  called  which  would  provide  24/7  two-
way communications capability to the Canadian north and near-
real time meteorological information products about the north to 
government users throughout Canada 

25

 
 
ROSKOSMOS 

The Russian Federal Space Agency.  

SAON 

SAT-AIS 

Sustained  Arctic  Observing  Networks.  A 
the 
International  Polar  Year.  A  process  to  encourage  coordination 
and sustaining long-term observation. 

legacy  of 

A  system  that  obtains  information  on  ship  positions  by  picking 
up  signals  from  their  anti-collision  automatic  identification 
system from sensors mounted on satellites. 

UNFCCC 

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 

WMO 

World Meteorological Organisation 

APPENDIX: COST OF EUROPEAN CONTRIBUTION TO MONITORING THE ARCTIC 

European countries are making a significant effort to monitor the Arctic from 
space,  largely  under  the  auspices  of  the  European  Space  Agency.  Some  of 
to  fulfil  a  number  of 
these  satellites  are  multi-purpose,  designed 
requirements,  so  it  is  hard  to  identify  exactly  how  much  is  spent  on  the 
Arctic.  

Envisat 

Launched  in  2002,  Envisat  is  the  largest  civilian  Earth  Observation 
spacecraft ever built. It carries ten sophisticated optical and radar instruments 
to  provide  continuous  observation  and  monitoring  of  the  Earth's  land, 
atmosphere, oceans and ice caps.  

The  instrument  most  useful  for  monitoring  the  Arctic  is  the  Advanced 
Synthetic  Aperture  Radar  (ASAR),  operating  at  C-band  which  allows  radar 
beam elevation steerage and the selection of different swaths, 100 or 400 km 
wide. This can measure the extent of Arctic sea ice. 

The total cost of the Envisat for the initial 5-year operation was €2.3 billion. 
Yearly  operation  costs  beyond  this  period  amount  to  €50  million,  with  an 
expected lifetime extended to 10 years, giving an extra cost of €250 million. 
It  is  difficult  to  know  how  much  of  the  cost  to  allocate  to  monitoring  the 
Arctic since many of the costs are unknown.  

A way to calculate the cost would be: 

C

A =

CN
A
T
YN
T

Where 

AC  

Cost of monitoring Arctic 

26

 
 
 
TC  

AN  

TN  

Y  

Total cost of Programme  

Number  of  images  provided  to  users  covering  Arctic 
region 

Total number of images provided to users 

Years of Envisat operation 

TN ,  are  not  readily  available  but  it 
These  parameters,  particularly 
has been estimated that 30% of ASAR images are acquired over the Arctic. 
The cost would then be €70 million per year. 

AN and 

Cryosat 

ESA’s  Earth  Explorer  CryoSat  mission,  launched  on  8  April  2010,  is 
dedicated to precise monitoring of the changes in the thickness of marine ice 
floating in the polar oceans and variations in the thickness of the ice sheets 
that overlie Greenland and Antarctica. Its total cost is €140 Million including 
development, launcher and operations (3 years) of which €75 Million is for 
procuring the satellite. This comes to about €47 million per year. Assuming 
that  70%  of  usage  is  for  the  Arctic,  we  arrive  at  a  cost  of  €33  million  per 
year. 

GMES 

Up to 2013 financial appropriations for the GMES programme have been € 
3.2 bn. This is divided approximately as follows  

European Union 

European Space 
Agency

Total 

Services 
and in-situ 
component
s 

Space 
component 

€ 520 million

€ 240 million

€ 760 million 

€ 780 million

€ 1 650 million

€ 2 430 million 

€ 1300 million

€ 1 990 million

€ 3 290 million 

The  services  component  has  largely  consisted  of  pre-operational  research 
projects  designed  to  develop  and  test  solutions  for  using  satellite  data  for 
purposes  concerned  with  environment  or  security.  Both  “core”  and 
“downstream”  services  have  been  tested.  There  are  no  estimates  of  how 
much of the services budget has been spent on the Arctic. 

27

 
 
 
 
 
The  space  budget  has  been  spent  on  designing  and  building  the  Sentinel 
satellites  The  space  component  of  the  Global  Monitoring  for  Environment 
and Security  (GMES) consists  of six satellites. Four of these will be useful 
for the Arctic. 

– 

– 

The Sentinel-1 series of satellites will provide synthetic aperture radar 
data. Two are planned. 

Sentinel  3  will  provide  ocean  colour  and 
altimetry.Two are planned. 

temperature  and 

The total cost of these is: 

Sentinel 1 A+B development + launch 

€558 million 

Sentinel 3 A+B development + launch 

€637 million 

Ground Segment development23* * 

€191 million 

Total one off cost 

€1386 million

On top of that we will have the operations cost, which today are estimated at 
€138 million/year  for  the  total  operations  of  Sentinel  1+2+3.  Assuming  10 
years of operations, the total cost is in the order of €2.7billion.  

Assuming  that  30%  of  the  imagery  is  used  for  the  Arctic,  the  cost  is  €81 
million per year. 

Summary 

Based  on  the  above,  a  best  estimate  of  annual  costs  for  the  three  satellite 
systems is: 

total cost  years annual cost Arctic use Arctic cost 

Envisat 

€2550M 

Cryosat 

€140M 

Sentinel 

€2700M 

10

3

10

€255M

€47M

€270M

30%

70%

30%

€76M 

€33M 

€81M 

23 

cost for developing the whole ground segment not specific to any sentinel satellite 

28