The explanation of the complex processes of the Earth remains a paramount challenge at the beginning of the third millennium. Earth observation satellites are undoubtedly important to help improving the understanding of processes of our Changing Earth. This knowledge forms the basis for the development of current and future measurement systems for science and applications. It is important on one hand to ensure that missions complement terrestrial, airborne and marine systems, and on the other hand that satellite data are provided over long periods of time with consistency in applied standards, chosen reference systems, applied corrections, calibration and of course quality.
ESA has more than thirty years experience in developing and managing Earth observation satellites. Today, its flagships ERS-2 and Envisat are used for a wealth of scientific studies and applications. Their observations underline the trend of global climate change, having detected an accelerated level of global warming and sea level rise - they have shown the shrinking of the Arctic ice cover and a decrease in snow extend on both hemispheres. Furthermore, they help to increase the knowledge of global change processes by monitoring clouds and aerosols, greenhouse gas concentrations, vegetation extent, ocean salinity and many other aspects. For example, availability of archived data and data reprocessing are means towards achieving consistency over long periods of time.
ESA aims at serving the user community by distilling needs expressed in international context like GEOSS but also by using services offered by GGOS like IGS or IERS. GMES, developed together with the European Commission, will be the European contribution to GEOSS. Data from space are used for a wealth of practical applications, ranging from oil spill, crop or iceberg monitoring to disaster management. The International Charter for Space and Major Disasters, launched in the aftermath of UNISPACE 3 in 1999, has gained increasing value and importance for relief operations around the world.
The presentation will not only explain the status and prospects of ESA's Earth Observation programmes such as GMES and the suite of science-driven Earth Explorer missions, but will also address the immense importance of cooperation - as exemplified by the field of disaster management - for making satellites a beneficial tool for managing life on Earth.