One application not used by existing satellite based telecommunication systems and those currently developed is the environmental monitoring. Two variations of this have been discussed under the COURIER Project which can also be combined with each other.

One method involve the operate stationary or mobile sensors on the earth surface with the data collected in a monitoring centre CEMS. This approach represents a special telemetric service application.

Of greater significance and technical more demanding is the installation of sensors on board the space craft. Here a compromise have to be found between the permissible mass, which is sentimental to the telecommunications infra-structure use the working life and the meaning from this and resolution of the sensor. Not least the data throughput of the sensor must be so low that only very small sections of network capacity are used.

GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Safety) is a opto-electronic remote sensing component. The real-time data gathered will be provided for services such as

• Ecological Monitoring
• Geo-information services
• National Security
• Exploration and exploitation of natural resources
• Environmental management
• Agruculture and forestry
• Infrastructure