ESA and Thales Alenia Space signed the contract for Sentinel-3 Earth Observation satellite on 14 April 2008 in Paris.
From left to right: Pascale Sourisse, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space and Volker Liebig, ESA Director of Earth Observation, signing the contract in the presence of Jean-Philippe Saint-Martin, deputy director of Valérie Pécresse's Cabinet, Minister for Higher Education and Research, Dominique Bussereau, French Secretary of State for Transport at the Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development & Land Management Ministry, Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA Director General and M. Valère Moutarlier, European Commission, Head of GMES Bureau.