Published: 31/01/2019

ESA’s next Earth Explorer

Using cutting-edge technology, Earth Explorer missions reveal new insights into how the oceans, cryosphere, atmosphere, land and Earth’s interior work as a system. While science continues to reap the benefits of these missions, we are now in a new era where Earth observation is benefiting society at large. – Released 17/11/2015 4:01 pm. Copyright ESA © Id 350062
Simulated high-resolution ocean-surface currents as expected from ESA’s Earth Explorer 9 candidate SKIM mission. These new measurements would improve our understanding of vertical and horizontal ocean-surface dynamics over the global ocean every few days. – Released 30/01/2019 9:20 am. Copyright ESA © Id 415830

According to the European Space Agency’s news service on 30 January the date has been set for the Earth observation science community to come together and discuss the merits of the two satellite concepts competing to be ESA’s next Earth Explorer: 16-17 July 2019.

It is understood that the series of Earth Explorer missions use innovative measurement techniques to yield new insight into different aspects of the Earth system and the interactions that bind the system as a whole.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Josef Aschbacher, commented: ‘These cutting-edge missions address questions that have a direct bearing on issues that humankind is facing now and will face in the future such as the availability of food, water, energy, natural resources, public health and climate change.’