On 8-12 September 2008, meteorologists, scientists and researchers will meet for the 2008 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference in Darmstadt, Germany. The conference will be hosted by EUMETSAT, with the support of the Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD), the German Meteorological Service. The conference will promote international cooperation in the operational use of satellite data for weather and climate monitoring. The event will also look ahead to future generations of advanced systems being prepared for launch. Moreover, the conference will be an opportunity for high-level talks by senior international experts. The conference will be attended by more than 300 participants from 40 countries. The opening session on the first day of the conference will be addressed by Dr. Lars Prahm, Director-General of EUMETSAT, Mr. Thilo Schmidt, Director General for Civil Aviation and Aerospace in the German Federal Ministry for Transport, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Mr. Wolfgang Kusch, President of the DWD.

The first session will include presentations on future satellite programmes in Europe, the United States, and China. Other sessions will cover nowcasting, oceanography, climate monitoring with operational satellites, data services with real-time application, advanced sounding, sensor calibration, monitoring land use, meteorological training activities, hydrometeorology, atmospheric composition, and Numerical Weather Prediction applications. The conference will also feature a dedicated exhibition on the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs), offering each consortium, in addition to the scheduled verbal and poster presentations, the opportunity to interact with users and to show examples (and even real-time data) of the relevant SAF products. The Jason-2 ocean altimetry satellite and, in particular, the Ocean Surface Topography Mission, will also be given prominence during the week.