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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091030085742/http://gmes-atmosphere.eu/ '''MACC'''] started on 1 June 2009. The project continued and refined the products developed in the projects [https://web.archive.org/web/20090429095113/http://gems.ecmwf.int/ GEMS] and [http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20100604181907/http://www.gse-promote.org/ PROMOTE]. A second phase (MACC II) lasted until July 2014 allowing the now operational Copernicus atmospheric monitoring service (CAMS, see above).
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090826161936/http://www.gmes-gmosaic.eu/ '''GMOSAIC'''] started on 1 January 2009. Together with the LIMES project [https://web.archive.org/web/20100124033856/http://www.fp6-limes.eu/ Wayback Machine] (co-funded by the European Commission under FP6), [[GMOSAIC]] specifically dealt with the Security ___domain of Copernicus addressing topics such as Support to Intelligence and Early Warning and Support to Crisis Management Operations.
== Service limitations ==
Severe flooding in [[Emilia-Romagna]], Italy in May 2023 posed significant challenges for the use of the European Union's Copernicus program in providing timely and effective disaster relief. While Copernicus aims to provide geospatial data to support disaster management, several factors limited its effectiveness during this flooding event:
* The Copernicus Sentinel-1B satellite, which can provide synthetic aperture radar imagery for flood mapping, suffered an onboard instrument fault just days before the flooding began, leaving only Sentinel-1A operational. This reduced revisit frequency over the affected area to every 3-4 days, meaning significant flood movement could occur before new imagery was acquired.
* Other optical and radar satellites in the Copernicus constellation have longer revisit intervals of up to 5 days, not providing imagery quickly enough for an evolving flood situation. With only 1-2 satellites per family, constellation coverage and responsiveness was limited.
* While the 10 meter resolution imagery from Sentinel-2 was useful for broader flood mapping, higher resolution commercial satellite data had to be purchased for more detailed damage assessment. Copernicus did not have adequate high-resolution optical assets.
* Data processing and analysis was still a bottleneck, as the Italian authorities struggled to rapidly translate raw satellite data into usable flood maps, at times relying on non-governmental initiatives like the [[International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters']] to provide map products.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Redazione |date=23 May 2023 |title=Le aree alluvionate della provincia ravennate viste dai satelliti. L'azienda ravennate Studiomapp rende disponibili le mappe aggiornate |work=RavennaNotizie |url=https://www.ravennanotizie.it/0-copertina/2023/05/24/la-mappa-delle-aree-alluvionate-nel-ravennate-studiomapp-rilascia-un-aggiornamento-grazie-alle-immagini-dei-satelliti/}}</ref>
With damage in the billions of euros, the failures and gaps highlighted in Copernicus during this major flood event raise concerns about its capacity to cost-effectively support disaster response across Europe. While satellite technology has progressed enormously, challenges around operating limited satellite constellations, data timeliness, and translating data into usable information remain. Ultimately, lives and property were lost that may have been spared with a more responsive emergency observation system.
== Interaction ==
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