Chapter 27
ESA’S PLANS AND STRATEGY FOR OPTICAL
REMOTE SENSING OF TERRESTRIAL
SURFACES IN THE NEXT DECADE
M. Rast
ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
1.
OBJECTIVES OF ESA’S EARTH OBSERVATION
ACTIVITIES
In the past, ESA has focused mainly on the development of Earth
Observation techniques addressing oceanographic and atmospheric
applications. Microwave technology was the main technology developed in
line with the views of the ESA Member States as demonstrated by the
payloads of ERS-1 and ERS-2. Out of more than 6000 scientific ERS1/ERS-2 publications during the past years, about 70% address land
applications (ESA, 1995, 1998a). Considering the large number of SAR land
applications, and realizing the need for complementary optical data, the
development of new optical sensor systems will play an important role in
addressing ESA’s long-term Earth Observation objectives, as outlined in
detail in the ‘Living Planet Program’ (ESA, 1998b).
Future Earth Observation missions will contribute to the four ‘Living
Planet’ Themes. These are:
Theme 1 – Earth Interior:
Advancing understanding of the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s
crust and interior.
Theme 2 – Physical Climate:
The study and monitoring of the Earth’s climate as well as the
269
M.M. Verstraete et al. (eds.), Observing Land from Space: Science, Customers and Technology, 269–278.
© 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
ESA’S PLANS AND STRATEGY FOR OPTICAL
REMOTE SENSING OF TERRESTRIAL
SURFACES IN THE NEXT DECADE
M. Rast
ESA ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
1.
OBJECTIVES OF ESA’S EARTH OBSERVATION
ACTIVITIES
In the past, ESA has focused mainly on the development of Earth
Observation techniques addressing oceanographic and atmospheric
applications. Microwave technology was the main technology developed in
line with the views of the ESA Member States as demonstrated by the
payloads of ERS-1 and ERS-2. Out of more than 6000 scientific ERS1/ERS-2 publications during the past years, about 70% address land
applications (ESA, 1995, 1998a). Considering the large number of SAR land
applications, and realizing the need for complementary optical data, the
development of new optical sensor systems will play an important role in
addressing ESA’s long-term Earth Observation objectives, as outlined in
detail in the ‘Living Planet Program’ (ESA, 1998b).
Future Earth Observation missions will contribute to the four ‘Living
Planet’ Themes. These are:
Theme 1 – Earth Interior:
Advancing understanding of the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s
crust and interior.
Theme 2 – Physical Climate:
The study and monitoring of the Earth’s climate as well as the
269
M.M. Verstraete et al. (eds.), Observing Land from Space: Science, Customers and Technology, 269–278.
© 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.