The European ERS-1 satellite was launched in 1991 and the ERS-2 satellite followed in 1995. Both satellites have provided Earth observation data that has been essential for the scientific research performed at the Nansen Center during the last 20 years.

Only two weeks after the launch of ERS-1 the Nansen Center derived sea ice information from the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to in near real-time guide the French vessel lÁstrolabe through the ice covered waters along the Russian coast of Siberia. During the last 20 years also several Russian (nuclear and other) icebreakers and other merchant vessels operating in the Northern Sea Route, including the Kara Sea, have received sea ice information from the Nansen Center in Bergen and the Nansen International Center in St. Petersburg, based on high resolution SAR radar data from the European ERS and Envisat satellites.

When ESA should present the 20 years achievements of ERS satellites in a movie their natural choice was to visit the Nansen Center to document some of the scientific research and applications being developed using the ERS sensors. Please enjoy the Space News and ESA´s 12 minute movie “A Satellite’s Story”.