Preparing for tomorrow

The European Space Agency’s Council at Ministerial Level is the time for bold vision and decisive action. In November, ESA’s Member States, Associate States, and Cooperating States will unite to elevate Europe’s role in space and secure its continued leadership for the benefit of citizens.At the heart of ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes stands FutureEO – a driving force for innovation and excellence across satellite missions, Earth system science and Earth action, all in pursuit of a more sustainable and resilient future.Designed to anticipate and address the challenges of tomorrow, FutureEO is poised to enter a new era of growth, ambition and global impact.

After meticulous preparation and rigorous evaluation, ESA’s Member States have selected WIVERN to become the 11th Earth Explorer mission to be implemented through the agency’s prestigious FutureEO programme.

On 9 July 2025, leading scientists and experts in Earth observation will gather in Prague, Czechia, for a pivotal moment in Earth science – to delve into and debate the strengths of the two finalist candidate satellite missions, CAIRT and WIVERN, as they compete to be selected as ESA’s eleventh Earth Explorer.

ESA has reached a significant milestone in its commitment towards a deeper understanding of Earth's dynamic processes and addressing pressing environmental challenges with the selection of two new candidates – Cairt and Wivern – to progress to the next development phase as part of the process of realising the Agency’s eleventh Earth Explorer satellite mission.

Held on 7–8 July 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia