European Space Agency releases new strategy for Earth observation

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released its new Earth Observation Science Strategy, Earth Science in Action for Tomorrow’s World. Responding to the escalating threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and extreme weather and the need to take action to address these threats, this forward-looking strategy outlines a bold vision for Earth science through to 2040.

By leveraging advanced satellite-based monitoring of our planet, ESA aims to provide critical data and knowledge to guide action and policy for a more sustainable future.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, “As a space agency, it is our duty to harness the unique power of Earth observing technology to inform the critical decisions that will shape our future.

“Our new Earth Observation Science Strategy underscores a science-first approach where satellite technology provides data that contributes to our collective understanding of the Earth system as a whole, so that solutions can be found to address global environmental challenges. The choices we make today help create a more sustainable world and propel the transformation towards a resilient, thriving global society.”

The new strategy presents a bold and ambitious vision for the future of ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes. It shifts focus towards understanding the feedbacks and interconnections within the Earth system, rather than targeting specific Earth system domains.

Developed through dedicated studies and over a year of extensive consultation with the Earth science community and key stakeholders, the new strategy includes six major thematic objectives: the water cycle, the carbon cycle and chemistry, energy fluxes, ecosystem health, extremes and hazards, and interfaces and coupling in the Earth system.

These themes, along with a comprehensive set of Guiding Questions, provide a blueprint on where to focus future efforts aimed at understanding our planet.

These questions, 23 in all, encapsulate critical Earth system science issues and knowledge gaps in which Earth observation satellite technology provides a unique contribution, by either leveraging existing or near-future data sources, or by developing new observations from space.

As well as overarching science themes identified during the study period, these questions provide a clear framework for the Science Strategy, which now paves the way for shaping future activities within ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes.

Cheli added, “From our groundbreaking Earth Explorer research missions, which push the boundaries of observation technology to achieve scientific excellence, to our pivotal role in developing the Copernicus Sentinel satellites with the European Union, ESA continues to define the state-of-the-art for monitoring Earth’s evolving environment.

“The Science Strategy builds on these accomplishments, aiming to drive the next generation of satellite innovations essential for tackling the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

“With this strategy now in place, we are poised to advance Earth science even further, equipping policymakers, scientists, and societies with the data and insights needed to create a more sustainable and resilient future for all.”