ESA to consult the science community on Earth Explorer selection


Different spheres of the Earth system
 
Earth Explorers are developed in direct response to the needs of the science community and cover a broad range of science issues to further our understanding of the Earth system. Earth Explorers focus on the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and Earth’s interior, with the overall emphasis on learning more about the interactions between these components and the influence human activity is having on natural Earth processes.

A-SCOPE measuring concept
 
The A-SCOPE mission concept aims to observe total column carbon dioxide with a nadir-looking pulsed Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL). A-SCOPE, along with five other candidate missions, is currently undergoing assessment.

BIOMASS measuring concept
 
The objective of the candidate Earth Explorer BIOMASS mission is to acquire global measurements of forest biomass to assess terrestrial carbon stocks and fluxes. The mission is envisaged as a novel spaceborne P-band synthetic aperture polarimetric radar operating at 435 MHz and 6 MHz bandwidth.

CoReH2O measuring concept
 
The CoReH2O mission concept aims to fill the gaps in current information on snow, glaciers and surface water. The concept employs twin frequency synthetic aperture radars (9.6 and 17.2 GHz) in two consecutive mission phases to deliver all-weather, year-round information on regional and continental-scale snow-water equivalent.

FLEX measuring concept
 
The main aim of the FLEX concept is to make global observations of photosynthesis through the measurement of chlorophyll-fluorescence. The concept employs a very high-spectral resolution imaging spectrometer. FLEX, along with five other candidate missions, is currently undergoing assessment.

PREMIER measuring concept
 
The PREMIER mission aims to advance our understanding of the processes that link trace gases, radiation and chemistry in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The instrumentation will consist of an infrared limb-imaging spectrometer and a millimetre-wave limb-sounder.

TRAQ measuring concept
 
The TRAQ mission concept focuses on air quality and the long-range transport of air pollutants. The instrumentation concept consists of imaging spectrometers operating in ranges between ultraviolet and short-wave infrared, spectrometers in the thermal infrared, a multi-directional polarization imager and a cloud imager. TRAQ, along with five other candidate missions, is currently undergoing assessment.



Release date: 13 January 2009