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Paris, 13 December 2002
Press Release
Nø 81-2002

Innovative instrument on board MSG-1 delivers
  key information about the Earth's climate
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The GERB instrument onboard the MSG-1 (Meteosat Second Generation)
satellite took its first measurements yesterday, Thursday 12 December. 
The results of such measurements are pictured in images that identify 
the likely areas where there is a net gain or loss of energy in the 
Earth's climate system.

GERB (Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget) is a research instrument
initiated by   the European Space Agency (ESA). It will enable experts 
to study the Earth's  radiation budget and its potential influence on 
the climate. Flown on board EUMETSAT's MSG-1 geostationary satellite, 
it will provide continuous measurements covering a whole hemisphere.

Eva Oriol-Pibernat, MSG Mission Manager at ESA: "GERB will enable us 
to follow trends in key climate parameters from a fixed point in 
orbit.  Combining these results  with data gathered by ESA's Envisat 
and ERS-2 satellites, Europe will thus be able to contribute 
significantly to the monitoring of climate and the environment".

GERB is a scanning radiometer with two broadband channels, one 
sensitive to the Earth's total outgoing radiation, the other covering 
a short waveband only. The difference between the two channels 
provides an estimate of the energy radiated out from Earth to space. 
This measurement can be used to estimate the energy driving the 
Earth's climate system.  Used in synergy with SEVIRI, the main imager 
on MSG-1, GERB will enable scientists to study the role of clouds or 
water vapour in the radiation balance, which will have a direct impact 
on climate models.

GERB development has been supported scientifically by an international
team headed by Professor J. Harries from Imperial College in London, 
UK.  The instrument was funded by a European consortium from the UK 
(Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - RAL, as a leader), Belgium (Royal
Meteorological Institute of Belgium - RMI, Advanced Mechanical and 
Optical Systems - AMOS) and Italy (Officine Galileo). GERB instruments 
will also be flown on MSG-2 and MSG-3, and funded by Eumetsat.

The MSG programme consists of three advanced meteorological satellites 
and is a ESA/EUMETSAT joint programme.  ESA developed the first 
satellite and is procuring the others on behalf of EUMETSAT. EUMETSAT 
defines user requirements and is responsible for all launches, ground 
segment development and  system operations  for at least 12 years. 
Procurement of a fourth satellite in the same family is currently 
under discussion.

For further information contact:

Eva Oriol-Pibernat,
ESA MSG Mission Manager
Tel: +39 06 94180408
Fax:  +39 06 94180362 

ESA Media Relations Service
 Tel + 33 1  53 69 71 55
Fax: + 33 1 53 69 77 90

More info on ESA at:
http://www.esa.int

More info on EUMETSAT at:
http://www.eumetsat.de

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