By signing the contract, e-GEOS has confirmed its status as the European multi-mission hub for high resolution optical and radar satellite data. GMES is a joint program run by the European Commission and the ESA to develop European Earth-observation capacity, with the primary aim of monitoring and better understanding climate change and contributing to the security of all European citizens. The images supplied by e-GEOS will mainly be used for the fast-track services geoland2 and SAFER and for the pilot service G-MOSAIC.
In the field of emergency management, e-GEOS can also make a vital contribution to meeting the operational needs of the GMES program, thanks to the unique characteristics of the COSMO-SkyMed satellite system, which is capable of acquiring multiple images of a specific area on the same day, anywhere in the world and in any weather. The COSMO-SkyMed constellation, funded by the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Defence Ministry, currently consists of three operational satellites, with plans to launch a fourth satellite in 2010. The system is controlled from Telespazio's Fucino Space Centre, while civil-sector data is gathered and processed by e-GEOS at the Matera Space Centre. The Neustrelitz station in Germany will organise and process high-resolution data from the GeoEye-1 and IKONOS optical satellites covering Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. The station is operated on behalf of e-GEOS by its subsidiary GAF/Euromap, in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR).