r bulletin 94 — may 1998

The Future ESA Earth-ObservationStrategy and 'Living Planet' Programme

H. Arend & R. BonnefoyDirectorate of Applications Programmes, ESA, Paris

D. SouthwoodDirectorate of Scientific Programmes, ESA, Paris

Earth observation in EuropeThe 'Living Planet' programme sits firmly withinthe overall ESA programme, contributingstrongly to each of its four primary axes:– the pursuit of scientific knowledge– dedication to enhancement of the quality of

life– an independent capability for Europe as the

key to cooperation– promotion of a European industry based on

innovation and added-value servicesas given in the ESA Director General's proposalfor the next ESA Council Meeting at MinisterialLevel.

global markets and the related highly qualifiedemployment are now in serious jeopardy. Apartfrom cooperative activities with Eumetsat (theEuropean Organisation for the Exploitation ofMeteorological Satellites), the present AgencyEO programme has no planned space missionbeyond Envisat, which is planned to belaunched in 1999.

In recent months, the Agency has interrogatedthe major players in European Earth Observ-ation, the Member State Delegations, Europe-wide entities like the European Commission(EC), Eumetsat, the Western European Union,and the European Environmental Agency. Bothindustry and the scientific community havegiven their inputs on what should be the futureapproach. The overall consensus is that thedays of pure technical demonstration are over:Europe has already proved its capabilities.However, Europe's global position is also underthreat.

For Europe, there are three fundamentalobjectives for Earth Observation:– developing our knowledge of the Earth– preserving the Earth and its environment– managing life on Earth in a more efficient

way.

To achieve these objectives new approachesare now needed: new ways of working, newuser-orientated technical solutions, and newprocedures for rapid implementation.

Decisions critical to the future of ourindependence in terms of industrial, researchand policy-making capabilities need to betaken now. Industry has emphasised the needfor immediate action. It finds itself in a verycompetitive situation, in a global marketdestabilised by newly released technologyfollowing the end of the Cold War. Furthermore,major initiatives in the USA in particular, wherepublic money is underwriting both technicaland market risk, threaten Europe’s ability to

Europe began to establish its position in EarthObservation (EO) in the 1970s, both throughESRO/ESA initiatives (initially with Meteosat)and via national programmes (most notably,through the French SPOT programme). It hasdeveloped strong EO capabilities since, andthrough programmes like ERS-1 and ERS-2,Envisat and the Meteosat series, as well asother national programmes, Europe hasbecome a front-line player in Earth Observa-tion.

However, Europe's position at the forefront ofEO science and technology, the competitivenessof European EO industry, its presence in growing

Our space capabilities are continually evolving and must be at theservice of mankind both for research and for new applications. As anintegral element of the Director General's proposal for a EuropeanSpace Strategy, the ESA Earth Observation Strategy is an essentialcontribution to allow Europe to face up to the environmental,economic and political challenges of the next century. For a budget25% less than the current annual expenditure, the 'Living Planet'programme provides the scale and the continuity for Europe to mounta broad and effective programme. It will enable Europe, itsresearchers and its industry to advance the use of space for obtainingcritical information in many fields, such as environmental and climatechange, resource and disaster management, sea, air and landtransport, regional and development policies, and support toDeveloping Countries.

esa’s future earth-observation strategy

compete and there is a real risk of Europebecoming a captive market for productsdeveloped elsewhere. As we enter a newcentury in which increasingly there will beneeds to manage the environment moreeffectively, to monitor resources efficiently, andto understand evolving climate conditions,Europe must react effectively to maintain itsskills and independent sources of information.

The ‘Living Planet’ programme is the responseto the challenges posed. It combines an EarthObservation Envelope Programme (EOEP) anddedicated optional Earth Watch applicationsmissions, as we describe below. Research andapplications are combined in a programmewhose implementation approaches are tunedto the new user-driven requirements.

The origin of the new ESA Earth Observa-tion StrategyIn Toulouse in 1995, the ESA Council ofMinisters had already set a course for aEuropean Earth-Observation Strategy, endors-ing a 'Proposal for a European Policy for EarthObservation from Space' put forward jointly byESA, the European Commission (EC) andEumetsat.

Objectives were set for Europe in EarthObservation at that time: developing ourknowledge of the Earth, preserving the Earthand its environment, and managing life on Earthin a more efficient way. But the meeting also setconditions. Any European Earth Observationprogramme must seek to satisfy user needs ona permanent basis. It should stimulate industrial profitability and competitiveness bypromoting the widest possible market (includingmilitary). It should achieve strategic objectives,ensuring guaranteed access to data essential tothe security of Europe and to the preservation ofits environment. The aims and conditions set in Toulouse have been incorporated into theLiving Planet approach and are subsumed inthe three basic objectives given earlier in theintroduction.

The principle of two types of Earth Observationmissions was also adopted in Toulouse:

– Earth Explorer: research/demonstrationmissions to advance the understanding ofthe different Earth system processes,including the demonstration of newobservation techniques

– Earth Watch: prototype operational

AGRICULTURAL MONITORING

r bulletin 94 — may 1998 bull

The Task Force was supported by an ESA Ad Hoc Industrial Working Group (see also 'Report of the ESA Ad Hoc IndustrialWorking Group on Earth Observation', 28November 1997, prepared by Eurospace), awide consultation of European and Canadianindustry (undertaken by Eurospace), and by an industrial workshop held at ESTEC inOctober 1997. The Task Force also made use of the work of the Earth Sciences AdvisoryCommittee (ESAC), which developed 'TheEarth Explorer Document’. A further document,'ESA Strategy for Earth Observation', buildson the tri-lateral coordination and co-operationbetween ESA, the European Commission and Eumetsat, which has been furtherstrengthened since the Toulouse MinisterialCouncil Meeting, and on the strong support foraction voiced by the European Parliament inJanuary 1998.

In summary, the key elements of the new ESAStrategy for Earth Observation are:– a user-driven approach through improved

communication with users, better responseto scientific and market requirements, andimproved exploitation of Europe’s scientificand technological capabilities for researchand applications

missions serving the operationalapplications-oriented needs of the market.

Further guidance was provided by the ESACouncil at Ministerial Level in Paris in March1997, where it was agreed that two overallprinciples should guide the review of theAgency's mission and strategy. These are:– a scientific and technological policy fostering

the improvement of human knowledge,innovation, quality of life and economicdevelopment in a cost-effective manner

– an industrial policy aimed at improving theworldwide competitiveness of Europeanfirms.

In order to respond to these challengingguidelines, an ESA Earth Observation StrategyTask Force was established in April 1997,which completed its work in early 1998 andoutlined an ESA Strategy for Earth Observation.This Task Force was chaired by ESA’s Directorof Scientific Programmes (R. Bonnet) andcomprised representatives of the EuropeanCommission (C. Patermann, M. Paillon) andEumetsat (T. Mohr, D. Williams), the chairmenof, respectively, PB-EO (S. Briggs), EARSC (C. Borg) and ESAC (G. Megie), as well as asenior consultant (R. Gibson).

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