Esa Bulletin February 1996 [antikvár]

Earth Observation Programmes and Plans Department, Directorate for Observation of the Earth and Its Environment, ESA, ParisIntroductionEarth observation from space has clearly demonstrated its growing scientific, social, economic and political importance in recent years by contributing to regular monitoring and hence a better understanding of the Earth and its environment, by supporting a wide rangé of applications, and by providing essential data for geopolitical purposes. Over the past 25 years, Europe has achieved a high level of expertise and experience in this sector, both at a national and on a cooperative European level. Within ESA, the development and operation of the Meteosat series of satellites (Fig. 1), followed by ERS-1 and ERS-2 (Fig. 2), are well-recognised examples of those achievements (Figs. 3-5).The strategy for ESA's post-2000 Earth observation activities was approved at the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level in Toulouse (F) on 18-20 October 1995. This 'Dual Mission Strategy' is based on two categories of missions, known as 'Earth Explorer' and 'Earth Watch' missions. The Earth Explorers are research/demonstration missions designed to advance our understanding of planet Earth, whilst the Earth Watch missions will serve specific Earth-observation applications.Earth observation is alsó evoiving rapidly, with a growing community of users from different sectors - public and priváté, and research as well as applications oriented - with increasingly varied and often incompatible requirements. Against this background of markét growth, and in view of the increasing strategic importance of Earth observation from space, there is more than ever a need for a coordinated approach between the European players. Consequently, the Agency, in close cooperation with the European Commission, Eumetsat and the Member States, has developed a proposal for a European Policy for 'Earth Observation from Space' for the next 25 years.Within this policy framework, the Agency has developed a strategy for its post-2000Earth-observation activities (beyond Envisat which is currently under development), known as the 'Dual Mission Strategy'. It involves two specific types of missions, known as 'Earth Explorer' and 'Earth Watch' Missions, in order to best address both the existing and anticipated requirements of the scientific and operational applications users.Both the policy proposal and the Agency's Dual Mission Strategy were well-received by Ministers at the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level in Toulouse last October, and the Agency is now in the process of elaborating concrete proposals for its imple-mentation.