From 23 to 27 April in Montreux, Switzerland, over 900 scientists from around the world will attend the Envisat Symposium 2007 to review and present results of ESA’s Earth Observation satellites and in particular Envisat.

The main objective of the Symposium, organised by ESA with the support of the Swiss Space Office, is to present the results of ESA Earth Observation missions by providing a forum for investigators to share results of on-going research project activities using Envisat, ERS and ESA Third Party missions. Almost all fields of Earth science will be highlighted, such as greenhouse gas concentrations, ozone hole monitoring, sea level rise, sea surface temperature, ice sheets and sea ice variations, volcanoes and earthquakes, land cover changes, among others. About 800 presentations are planned in 54 themed sessions with participants from over 40 countries worldwide.

In addition, the Symposium will provide a session dedicated to the use of Earth Observation in support of International Environmental Conventions in close collaboration with UN agencies, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) and other key international and European institutional actors, such as the European Environment Agency (EEA).

A special session is planned on the GMES Programme on Thursday 26 April to present the status of the EU-led GMES Programme and the ESA-managed Space Component.

The official opening of the Symposium is scheduled for 23 April at 14.30. ESA Director General Mr Jean-Jacques Dordain will give the welcoming address followed by Mr Jean-Philippe Amstein, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Topography, Mr Daniel Fürst, Director of the Swiss Space Office and Dr Volker Liebig, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes. Five scientists will then present an overview of the most significant results of the Envisat and ERS missions.

Launched in 2002, Envisat is the largest environmental satellite 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, maintaining continuity with the Agency’s ERS missions started in 1991.

Generating some 280 Gigabytes of data products daily, Envisat has gathered 500 Terabytes to date and recently celebrated its fifth year in operation.

The Press is welcome to attend the Symposium starting with the official opening session on Monday 23 April at 14.30.

For further information, please contact:

Franco Bonacina
Media Relations Office
ESA Communication Department
Phone:+33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690

Simonetta Cheli
Head of Coordination Office
Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes
ESA, ESRIN
Phone: +39 06 94180350
Fax: +39 06 94188702
media@esa.int