It is crucial, however, that we continue to learn more about our planet if we are to understand the Earth system and its processes, especially within the context of global change. This will equip us better for predicting the effects a changing climate may bring.

As our quest for knowledge continues to grow, so does our demand for accurate satellite data to be used for numerous practical applications for protecting and securing the environment.  
 
Responding to these needs, ESA's Living Planet Programme comprises a science and research element, which includes the Earth Explorer missions, and an Earth Watch element, which is designed to facilitate the delivery of Earth observation data for use in operational services.

Earth Watch includes the well-established meteorological missions with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat).

In addition, the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) Sentinel missions, which form part of the GMES Space Component, will collect robust, long-term climate-relevant datasets. Together with other satellites, their combined data archives will be used to produce Essential Climate Variables for climate monitoring, modelling and prediction.
 
 

ESA's gravity mission

The Earth Explorer missions are designed to address key scientific challenges identified by the science community whilst demonstrating breakthrough technology in observing techniques. Involving the science community right from the beginning in the definition of new missions and introducing a peer-reviewed selection process ensures that a resulting mission is developed efficiently and provides the exact data required by the user.

This approach also gives Europe an excellent opportunity for international cooperation, both within the wide scientific domain and also in the technological development of new missions.
 
 

	ESA's water mission

The family of Earth Explorer missions is a result of this strategy. Currently there are six missions in this category and a further three undergoing feasibility study:

GOCE: ESA's gravity mission
Launched on 17 March 2009, the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission is proving the dataset required to accurately determine global and regional models of Earth's gravity and geoid. It will advance research in areas of ocean circulation, physics of Earth's interior, geodesy and surveying, and sea-level change.

SMOS: ESA's water mission
Launched on 2 November 2009, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission will provide global maps of soil moisture and ocean salinity to further our understanding of Earth's water cycle and contribute to climate, weather and extreme-event forecasting.
 
 

ESA's ice mission

CryoSat: ESA's ice mission
Launched on 8 April 2010, the CryoSat mission will determine variations in the thickness of Earth's continental ice sheets and marine ice cover to further our understanding of the relationship between ice and climate change. The CryoSat-2 satellite replaces the original CryoSat, which was lost at launch in 2005.
 
 
Swarm: ESA's magnetic field mission
Due for launch in 2012, Swarm is a constellation of three satellites to acquire high-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength and direction of the magnetic and electric fields. The geomagnetic models resulting from the mission will provide new insights into Earth’s core, mantle and crust. This information will lead to a better understanding of atmospheric processes, and also have practical applications in areas such as space weather and radiation hazards.

ADM-Aeolus: ESA's wind mission
Due for launch in 2013, the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM-Aeolus) will make novel advances in global wind-profile observation and will provide much-needed information to improve weather forecasting. Aeolus is seen as a mission that will pave the way for future operational meteorological satellites dedicated to measuring Earth's wind fields.

EarthCARE: ESA's cloud and aerosol mission
Due for launch 2015, the Earth Clouds Aerosols and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission is a joint European-Japanese mission to improve the representation and understanding of Earth's radiative balance in climate and numerical weather forecast models.

Future Earth Explorers
Earth Explorer 7: Following ESA's Call for Ideas for the seventh Earth Explorer in 2005 and the subsequent selection in 2009, three missions – Biomass, CoReH2O and PREMIER are undergoing the next stage of development (feasibility study).

Earth Explorer 8: As a result of the Call for Proposals for the eighth Earth Explorer released in October 2009, the Florescence Explorer (FLEX) and CarbonSat missions have been approved to move forward to Phase A/B1. Approval was given by ESA's Earth Observation Programme Board on 24 November 2010.
 
 

	Sentinel-1

Sentinel missions
ESA is developing a suite of new mission families called Sentinels, which aim to serve both the observational needs of the European GMES initiative, as well as broader requirements for climate monitoring and prediction.

The five Sentinel families include: the C-band radar Sentinel-1 mission for land and ocean services; the high-resolution optical imaging Sentinel-2 mission for land services; Sentinel-3 carrying an altimeter, optical and infrared radiometers for ocean and global land monitoring; Sentinel-5 Precursor, Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 for atmospheric composition monitoring from geostationary and polar orbits, respectively.
 
 
Meteosat Third Generation
The Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) will take the relay in 2017 from Meteosat 11, the last of a series of four Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites. This is a joint project between ESA and Eumetsat following the success of the first generation Meteosat satellites. The first of four MSG satellites was launched in 2002, entering into service with Eumetsat in early 2004 as Meteosat-8. The second MSG satellite, renamed Meteosat-9, was launched in December 2005.
 
 

MetOp

Eumetsat Polar System
Launched in October 2006, MetOp-A is Europe's first polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational meteorology. It represents the European contribution to a cooperative venture with the United States, providing data to monitor climate and improve weather forecasting.

MetOp is a series of three satellites to deliver data until at least 2020 and forms the space segment of Eumetsat's Polar System (EPS). MetOp-B is scheduled for launch in 2012. Preparations have also started for MetOp Second Generation or 'Post-EPS', the next step for the Eumetsat Polar System.
 
 
Data into services
Turning data into operational services requires that long-term relationships are developed between research institutes, service organisations and user communities.

ESA's Data User Element (DUE) aims to raise awareness with respect to the applicability of Earth observation in day-to-day operations. ESA's Value Adding Element (VAE), which builds on results of its precursor Earth Observation Market Development (EOMD) programme, complements the DUE by providing the framework for organising service chains capable of leveraging Earth observation data into commercial tools.
 
 
Last update: 13 September 2011