Sentinel-3C satellite and ASPIM project enhance environmental monitoring

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released the first images from the Sentinel-3C satellite, part of the Copernicus program. Captured on September 30, 2026, the images include views of the Italian peninsula, the Alps, the Po Valley, and the Mediterranean Sea. The mission, launched from French Guiana, aims to provide continuous data on ocean, land, and atmospheric conditions to support climate change research and public administration decisions.

Complementing these orbital observations, the ASPIM project has established a digital monitoring network for eleven Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas in Italy. Developed by ETT under the PNRR DigitAP program with support from ISPRA, the system utilizes solar-powered surface buoys equipped with sensors. These devices collect approximately 2 million data points annually—including temperature, salinity, oxygen levels, and chlorophyll—to enable continuous environmental monitoring from the surface down to 40 meters deep.