Europeans Launch New Generation Of Weather Satellites

dankelley writes: "The BBC is reporting that the European Space Agency has successfully launched the first of a new generation of weather satellites. This is 25 years after the first weather satellite, meteosat. This new generation will supply images at 15 minutes, compared with 30 minutes in the first generation. This should help with rapidly-developing weather events. Also, the 'view' will be in 12, rather than 3, visible/IR wavelength bands. The improved spectral resolution is hoped to facilitate climate modelling. Details are available on the ESA webpage devoted to the launch."

Comments

just weather?

[tps12]

I'm curious. It seems like an odd time to launch any kind of weather satellites. Europe is still making the transition to the EU, and the Middle East and Africa are in chaos. It strikes me as an unlikely time to invest in new technology, especially given the rising cost of rocket launches with the oil shortage.

I'm wondering if this satellite doesn't have some, shall we say, additional capabilities. Maybe nothing as complicated or as threatening as a missile defense system, but at the very least some surveillance equipment. After all, the difference between taking pictures of clouds and taking pictures of people under those clouds is just an adjustment in focus.

Any Europeans reading Slashdot might want to start carrying an umbrella. Remind anyone else of 1984?

WHAT?

[216pi]

Europe (I live in Germany [cnn.com]) has MAJOR problems [spiegel.de] (German news site, but just browse the pics) with the weather. Only Germany has estimated damages of something around 50 billion dollars only caused by this flood after heavy rainfalls.

Weather is NOT just a question if you can have a BBQ on weekend.

Please ask your president to sign the Kyoto contracts, thanks.

Re:WHAT?

[Yokaze]

Can you spell "troll"?

>> Unlikely time... Middle East and Africa are in chaos.
At what time were they not in chaos.

>>rocket launches with the oil shortage.

I've still to see a rocket stopping at a petrol station.

> flood after heavy rainfall
>>clouds and taking pictures of people under those clouds is just an adjustment in focus.

And the difference between seeing through a wall and at a wall?
Well, a bit more seriously... The satellite is orbiting at an altitude of 35,780km.
A bit too high to make a good spy satellite, which orbit at about 1,200km to 2,400km.

>>Remind anyone else of 1984?
Yeah, sure provoke the "if you don't have anything to hide..." and "just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean that they are not watching" fractions.

>>as threatening as a missile defense system
When this doesn't provoke a flame war...

>please ask your president to sign the Kyoto contracts, thanks

...this does.

(Me, hoping it was water instead of oil)

Re:WHAT?

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah, Unsustainable Development, as proned by Bush (who is getting a spanking in the european press right now)...

try attac or johannesburg for some education.

But it could be a good thing that the US is incapable of adapting to the new century.

The absence of the US at Johannesburg is enabling the rest of the world to drive past them, with Europe filling the vacuum they have left.

something is on the move here that is way bigger than the north american short lived ego trip.

TIROS I (1960) was the first weather satellite

[Dammital]

...25 years after the first weather satellite, meteosat

Somebody has to quibble. TIROS Iwas launched over 42 years ago!

Re:TIROS I (1960) was the first weather satellite

[Lars T.]

25 years after their first weather satellite, meteosat