https://cdn.earthdata.nasa.gov/conduit/upload/5182/KeywordsCommunityGuide_Baseline_v1_SIGNED_FINAL.pdf 24.3 2026-07-08T10:51:38.222Z https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/platforms/affbd015-9373-4413-b76f-e91d01c4f5e3 ERS-2 Date=2016-06-09 User Id=epneff Entity=AltLabel Operation=INSERT User Note=added altLabel System Note=insert AltLabel New Value=id: null text: ERS-2 (EUROPEAN REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE-2) language code: en The second European Remote Sensing Satellite ERS-2, launched on 20April 1995, operates in a sun-synchronous, near-polar orbit at analtitude of 785 km and an inclination of 98.5 degrees ,known as thereference orbit. The mission consists of an only phase (phase A),using a 35 day repeat cycle, from 21 April 1995 to the present.ERS-2 is almost identical to the European Remote Sensing SatelliteERS-1 launched in 1991. ERS-2 is capable of measuring, on a globalscale, the Earth's atmospheric and surface properties with a highdegree of accuracy. In fact it uses advanced microwave techniques tocollect global measurements and images (much of the data are collectedfrom remote areas such as the southern oceans and the Antarctic)independent of time of day and weather conditions. It also undertakesthe measurements of many parameters not covered by existing satellitesystems, including those of sea state, sea surface winds, oceancirculation and sea and ice levels.ERS-2 carries on-board a number of instruments consisting of a coreset of active microwave sensors supported by additional, complementaryinstruments: the Active Microwave Instrument (AMI), which combines aSynthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) operating in image or wave mode and awind scatterometer, the Radar Altimeter (RA), the Along-Track ScanningRadiometer and Microwave Sounder (ATSR-2), the Precise Range andRange-rate Equipment (PRARE), the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment(GOME), and Laser Retroreflectors (LRR).The primary objectives of the ERS-2 mission are the monitoring of theoceans and sea ice providing essential data for:- improved representation of oceans/atmosphere interactionsin climatic models- major advances in the knowledge of ocean circulation andtransfer of energy- more reliable estimates of the mass balance of the Arcticand Antarctic ice sheets- better monitoring of pollution and dynamic coastalprocesses- improved detection and management of land use change.The capability of ERS-2 to acquire vast global data sets of ocean,atmosphere, ice and land phenomena contributes to the following typesof study and application:- Ocean/Ice: ocean circulation, global wind/waverelationships, sea ice and iceberg monitoring, etc.- Physical Earth: accurate determination of the oceangeoid, forestry, glaciology, geology and agriculturestudies, etc.- Climate: contribution to the World Climate ResearchProgramme and to the World Ocean Circulation Experiment- Weather and Sea: short and medium-term weatherforecasting, sea surface State Forecasting wind speed anddirection, location of pelagic fish through the monitoringof temperature fronts- Global Ozone: measures ozone, trace gases, and aerosolsin the troposphere and stratosphereGroup: Platform_Details Entry_ID: ERS-2 Group: Platform_Identification Platform_Category: Earth Observation Satellites Platform_Series_or_Entity: ERS Earth Resource Satellite Short_Name: ERS-2 Long_Name: European Remote Sensing Satellite-2 End_Group Group: Synonymous_Platform_Names Short_Name: ERS-2 End_Group Group: Platform_Associated_Instruments Short_Name: LRR Short_Name: GOME Short_Name: PRARE Short_Name: ATSR-2 Short_Name: RA Short_Name: SAR Short_Name: AMI End_Group Group: Orbit Orbit_Altitude: 785 km Orbit_Inclination: 98.5 deg Repeat_Cycle: 35 day End_Group Creation_Date: 2007-09-19 Online_Resource: http://earth.esa.int/ers/ Online_Resource: http://www.astronautix.com/craft/ers12.htm Sample_Image: http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov/polar/satgifs/ers1.gif Group: Platform_Logistics Launch_Date: 1995-04-21 Launch_Site: Kourou, French Guiana Primary_Sponsor: ESA End_GroupEnd_Group 2016-06-09 10:40:16.0