Thales Alenia Space publishes a new book: "Climate Change & Satellites 2015 – Knowledge for Action "
Paris, September 16, 2015 – In the run-up to the 21st UN international conference on climate change, COP 21, Thales Alenia Space has published a book entitled "Climate Change & Satellites 2015". Featuring contributions from leading climate specialists, space agencies and partners, this book spotlights the challenges inherent in climate change, along with the key role played by the space industry in a number of related areas, including meteorology, environmental management and oceanography.
Culminating in the COP 21 conference, 2015 will be a pivotal year in terms of our environment. The conference in fact faces a daunting challenge, since it aims, for the first time, to reach a global agreement to limit carbon emissions.
This year is also very important for Thales Alenia Space, especially in terms of its contribution to climate studies and environmental monitoring. After the successful launch of MSG-4, the fourth and last Meteosat Second Generation satellite, on July 15, two more environmental satellites built by Thales Alenia Space will be orbited this year: Jason-3, part of a French-American operational oceanography program, and Sentinel-3A, a European mission dedicated to environmental management.
Thales Alenia Space continues to work for the environment as prime contractor for Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellites on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Eumetsat, and the SWOT oceanography satellite for French space agency CNES, as well as through decisive contributions to ESA's Copernicus program. Within the scope of this vast environmental monitoring program, Thales Alenia Space is prime contractor for the Sentinel-1 and -3 missions (each comprising two satellites), and will also provide the ground segment for the second mission and two instruments on Sentinel-6.
Given this wealth of developments, Thales Alenia Space decided to publish a new version of this book. The first edition was in fact published in 2009 and won universal praise from the scientific community, while also being recognized by the United Nations.
This second version, fully updated, includes contributions from Telespazio, ESA, the Italian, French and Brazilian space agencies, Eumetsat, Mercator, NASA and leading climate specialists, including Jean Jouzel, Antonio Nobre, Shaun Quegan, Anny Cazenave, Serge Planton and Lee Lueng Fu. “Climate Change and Satellites 2015” presents a concise picture of current knowledge about climate change and the associated role of space applications. It also clearly reaffirms the need for concrete actions to protect our environment.
Commenting on the publication of this new edition, Thales Alenia Space President and CEO Jean-Loïc Galle said: "The joint determination and fierce commitment of these leading experts in climate change provide our decision-makers with increasingly reliable data concerning the risks inherent in climatic disturbances – all of which is perfectly illustrated in this book. I am extremely proud to see that our customers, our partners and the world's leading climate specialists have all heeded our call, and agreed to contribute to this book. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them from the bottom of my heart."
“Climate Change and Satellites 2015” offers multidisciplinary insights into the climate, environmental issues and risk management, based on first-person accounts by experts in their fields, while also spotlighting Thales Alenia Space's commitment to international collaboration and shared expertise.
To discover the book « Climate Change & Satellites 2015 – Knowledge for Action », click here: http://www.climate-change-and-satellites.com/mobile/
About Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%), is a key European player in space telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, exploration and orbital infrastructures. Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio form the two parent companies' “Space Alliance”, which offers a complete range of services and solutions. Because of its unrivaled expertise in dual (civil/military) missions, constellations, flexible payloads, altimetry, meteorology and high-resolution optical and radar instruments, Thales Alenia Space is the natural partner to countries that want to expand their space program. The company posted consolidated revenues in excess of 2 billion euros in 2014, and has 7,500 employees in eight countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com