The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat) has confirmed the ground station for its ocean observing satellite, Jason-2, which is scheduled to be launched within two years.

The station, located in Usingen, Germany, is an important part of Eumetsat’s contribution to the Ocean Surface Topography mission. This is a joint cooperation between the French Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Eumetsat and NOAA will be responsible for operating the system and product distribution. CNES and NASA are the developing agencies for the Jason-2 satellite.