In 2000 the European Space Agency ESA will launch is most ambitious earth observation satellite ENVISAT. It will carry several instruments that provide new opportunities to measure oceanographic variables. These are the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), the Radar Altimeter (RA), the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and the Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR). Together, they represent the main measurement techniques of satellite oceanography, and complement each other in an ideal manner.
