...its provision of RADARSAT-2 satellite imagery to Europe's Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. The additional RADARSAT-2 imagery addresses the gap in data availability created by the recent loss of the European Space Agency's (ESA) ENVISAT satellite and fulfills ESA's maritime monitoring needs until the full operational capacity of the Sentinel-1A satellite is available, which is expected around mid-2014.

The RADARSAT-2 imagery will be used to provide mission critical information for sea ice monitoring of the Baltic Sea, Arctic Ocean, and Antarctic Ocean throughout the ice seasons, improving the safety of maritime navigation and supporting environmental monitoring as part of the GMES program. GMES was established to provide users in Europe with access to accurate and timely information services to better manage the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security.