10
Chapter 2
cost and performance. Full advantage will be made of small satellites
developed quickly, optimized for specific applications, and lofted using
cheap launch opportunities. A market-driven approach will lead to a more
efficient allocation of public resources, and should eventually reduce the cost
of operational services to the public authorities. In such an environment
European EO industry (ranging from aerospace manufacturers to value
adding services) should undergo whatever restructuring, consolidation, and
integration may be necessary to maintain and strengthen competitiveness in
the global arena. A robust EO industry will ensure the necessary continuity
of service.
The role of the space agencies in EO will be to ensure that the
underpinning essential technologies and scientific data are available, to help
industry mount user-led missions during a transitional phase, and to assist
other public bodies in procurement. This is implicit in the proposed Earth
Explorer and Earth Watch initiatives of ESA.
In certain circumstances it may be appropriate to create new public
operators, drawing perhaps on the experience of EUMETSAT, or to
establish novel public/private partnerships. One key obstacle is the
widespread under-valuation of EO in the eyes of users. This is partly due to
the past availability of free or cheap data, and partly to a disappointment in
current systems and services which have often failed to meet requirements
because of an inadequate space segment for operational needs.
2.
A COMMON EUROPEAN STRATEGY
The European Commission does not act alone, and it does not intend to
replace or unnecessarily duplicate other initiatives. A tripartite framework
for European co-operation in the field of EO has been proposed jointly by
the main institutions concerned: ESA, EUMETSAT and the Commission.
This proposal was tabled at Ministerial level at the ESA Council of 1995.
The Commission then set out its broad intentions for action in its third
Communication on space, which was published in December 1996. The
Communication has been largely endorsed by the Council of Ministers, the
European Parliament, and the Economic and Social Committee.
The European Space Agency, in consultation with its European partners,
has undertaken a profound review of its strategy for EO in the coming 15
years, focusing on the post-ENVISAT era. The new strategy is laid out in a
proposal for a ’Living Planet’ program, built around the concept of Earth
Explorer Missions for scientific goals, and operational Earth Watch Missions
for eventual operational applications.
Chapter 2
cost and performance. Full advantage will be made of small satellites
developed quickly, optimized for specific applications, and lofted using
cheap launch opportunities. A market-driven approach will lead to a more
efficient allocation of public resources, and should eventually reduce the cost
of operational services to the public authorities. In such an environment
European EO industry (ranging from aerospace manufacturers to value
adding services) should undergo whatever restructuring, consolidation, and
integration may be necessary to maintain and strengthen competitiveness in
the global arena. A robust EO industry will ensure the necessary continuity
of service.
The role of the space agencies in EO will be to ensure that the
underpinning essential technologies and scientific data are available, to help
industry mount user-led missions during a transitional phase, and to assist
other public bodies in procurement. This is implicit in the proposed Earth
Explorer and Earth Watch initiatives of ESA.
In certain circumstances it may be appropriate to create new public
operators, drawing perhaps on the experience of EUMETSAT, or to
establish novel public/private partnerships. One key obstacle is the
widespread under-valuation of EO in the eyes of users. This is partly due to
the past availability of free or cheap data, and partly to a disappointment in
current systems and services which have often failed to meet requirements
because of an inadequate space segment for operational needs.
2.
A COMMON EUROPEAN STRATEGY
The European Commission does not act alone, and it does not intend to
replace or unnecessarily duplicate other initiatives. A tripartite framework
for European co-operation in the field of EO has been proposed jointly by
the main institutions concerned: ESA, EUMETSAT and the Commission.
This proposal was tabled at Ministerial level at the ESA Council of 1995.
The Commission then set out its broad intentions for action in its third
Communication on space, which was published in December 1996. The
Communication has been largely endorsed by the Council of Ministers, the
European Parliament, and the Economic and Social Committee.
The European Space Agency, in consultation with its European partners,
has undertaken a profound review of its strategy for EO in the coming 15
years, focusing on the post-ENVISAT era. The new strategy is laid out in a
proposal for a ’Living Planet’ program, built around the concept of Earth
Explorer Missions for scientific goals, and operational Earth Watch Missions
for eventual operational applications.