The loss of the Envisat satellite is affecting services by Europe's Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme. Efforts are being coordinated with other space agencies to fill some of the gaps, but the situation adds further urgency to launch the Sentinel missions.

Carrying an array of sophisticated instruments, Envisat provided a continuous stream of information about the state of our planet for 10 years.

Envisat not only advanced science, but also supplied data for many operational services to monitor the environment and respond to crisis such as oil spills - and, importantly, paved the way for developing Europe's future monitoring services.

Headed by the EU, the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme has been established to support European policies and provide decision-makers with key information services.