27. ESA’S PLANS AND STRATEGY FOR OPTICAL REMOTE
SENSING OF TERRESTRIAL SURFACES IN THE NEXT DECADE
271
SEVIRI on Meteosat Second Generation
MERIS and AATSR on Envisat.
MERIS and AATSR are the main sensors from which strong
contributions to optical terrestrial remote sensing are expected in the near
future. Through its spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared, MERIS
will mainly allow assessments to be made of the status and health of
vegetation by observing the vegetation “red-edge”. AATSR will, by
observing land-surface temperatures, contribute to the bio-geophysical
modeling of land surface processes and energy balance investigations. For
both sensors, algorithms supporting the establishment of data products are
being developed for implementation in the Envisat ground segment. For
MERIS, this will include an improved vegetation index and for AATSR a
land surface temperature product.
Considering this, and taking into account the objectives of the new
‘Living Planet’ program, there is a clear and pressing need for additional
missions focussing on land observations.
The future strategy for Earth Observation, beyond the currently
operational missions and those presently being developed, is being
elaborated with the user community, scientists, industry and the Delegations
of the ESA Member States. In general two classes of missions are proposed,
which are intended to complement each another:
1.
2.
The EARTH EXPLORER Missions, these are research/demonstration
missions concerned with advancing understanding of the different Earth
System processes and/or the demonstration of new observing techniques.
Each mission will focus on a limited set of objectives. No two missions
would be the same.
The EARTH WATCH missions, these are pre-operational missions
concerned with the operational needs of user communities. There is a
need to ensure the continuous provision of data so many of the
individual missions will be identical. A key element of these is the
identification of a partner who ultimately will assume total responsibility
for these missions.
3.
THE EARTH EXPLORER MISSIONS
The Earth Explorer component of the ‘Living Planet’ program is the
implementation of research and demonstration missions for advancing
understanding of the different Earth System processes. It will build on the
heritage of research missions such as ERS, TOPEX/POSEIDON and
SENSING OF TERRESTRIAL SURFACES IN THE NEXT DECADE
271
SEVIRI on Meteosat Second Generation
MERIS and AATSR on Envisat.
MERIS and AATSR are the main sensors from which strong
contributions to optical terrestrial remote sensing are expected in the near
future. Through its spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared, MERIS
will mainly allow assessments to be made of the status and health of
vegetation by observing the vegetation “red-edge”. AATSR will, by
observing land-surface temperatures, contribute to the bio-geophysical
modeling of land surface processes and energy balance investigations. For
both sensors, algorithms supporting the establishment of data products are
being developed for implementation in the Envisat ground segment. For
MERIS, this will include an improved vegetation index and for AATSR a
land surface temperature product.
Considering this, and taking into account the objectives of the new
‘Living Planet’ program, there is a clear and pressing need for additional
missions focussing on land observations.
The future strategy for Earth Observation, beyond the currently
operational missions and those presently being developed, is being
elaborated with the user community, scientists, industry and the Delegations
of the ESA Member States. In general two classes of missions are proposed,
which are intended to complement each another:
1.
2.
The EARTH EXPLORER Missions, these are research/demonstration
missions concerned with advancing understanding of the different Earth
System processes and/or the demonstration of new observing techniques.
Each mission will focus on a limited set of objectives. No two missions
would be the same.
The EARTH WATCH missions, these are pre-operational missions
concerned with the operational needs of user communities. There is a
need to ensure the continuous provision of data so many of the
individual missions will be identical. A key element of these is the
identification of a partner who ultimately will assume total responsibility
for these missions.
3.
THE EARTH EXPLORER MISSIONS
The Earth Explorer component of the ‘Living Planet’ program is the
implementation of research and demonstration missions for advancing
understanding of the different Earth System processes. It will build on the
heritage of research missions such as ERS, TOPEX/POSEIDON and