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 ESA's Living Planet Programme
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.
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.
GOCE: ESA's gravity mission
SMOS: ESA's water 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
EarthCARE: ESA's cloud and aerosol mission 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.
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.
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
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