The European Space Agency (ESA) and Finland have announced a collaborative effort to establish the Sodankyla Arctic Space Centre as a supersite for Earth observation. This initiative, part of ESA's FutureEO research and development program, will enhance the accuracy of satellite data over high latitudes and provide opportunities for Finnish companies to develop cutting-edge environmental sensors and technologies.
The Sodankyla Arctic Space Centre, located in northern Finland, is strategically positioned to validate and calibrate data from ESA's Earth observation satellites. Its high-latitude location and surrounding boreal forest, representative of the circum-polar forest and tundra ecosystem, make it an ideal site for this purpose. The supersite will improve the quality of satellite-based information, leading to advancements in scientific understanding and the development of new services and applications relevant to the Arctic region.
ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, emphasized the importance of the supersite, stating, "The centre's high-latitude position and being surrounded by boreal forest, which is representative of the wider circum-polar forest and tundra ecosystem, make it ideal to validate and calibrate data from our satellites as they orbit above. The new supersite will help improve the quality of satellite-based information and stimulate new services and applications relevant to the Arctic."
The collaboration will also foster innovation and growth within Finland's space industry. Petteri Taalas, Director General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, highlighted the benefits, saying, "The new centre will significantly enhance the impact of Finland's space activities internationally and creates growth opportunities for Finnish space activities and industry while improving scientific knowledge."
The Sodankyla Arctic Space Centre has already been utilized by ESA for calibration and validation procedures for satellite missions like SMOS and various experimental instrument projects. The expansion to a supersite will further enhance its capabilities, supporting a wide range of future satellites, including those dedicated to monitoring anthropogenic carbon dioxide, imaging microwave radiometry, hyperspectral imaging, polar ice and snow topography, and radar observations.
This partnership between ESA and Finland represents a significant step towards advancing our understanding of the Arctic and fostering innovation in space technology and environmental research.