272
Chapter 27
Envisat, set within the general forum of Europe’s operational missions,
namely Meteosat, Metop and SPOT.
Europe has the ability to design and implement, in a coordinated way,
scientific space missions addressing each of the four ‘Living Planet’ themes.
Only by defining such a long-term program will Europe be in a position to
play a key role in the coordination of international activities and in the
implementation of fruitful collaboration. The requirement for continuity is
associated automatically with the need for a long-term view of the program.
However, this must be complemented by an appropriate flexibility to take
advantage of shorter-term opportunities and evolving requirements.
This need is covered by the implementation of two types of Earth
Explorer missions, namely, the Earth Explorer Core Missions, which are
larger research/demonstration missions lead by ESA and the Earth Explorer
Opportunity Missions, which are smaller research/demonstration missions
not necessarily ESA lead. Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions will be
implemented on shorter intervals providing the scientific flexibility required.
The consultation of the scientific community led to the ESA consultation
meeting in Granada in 1996. During this meeting the wide span of interests
of Europe’s scientists in the Earth Explorer component of the Living Planet
Program was highlighted by the set of nine Explorer Core mission, which
was reviewed at that meeting. See ESA (1996) for a detailed description of
these nine missions.
Out of the nine proposed Explorer Core missions, four were selected for
Phase A studies, which are:
The Gravity Field and Steady State Ocean Circulation Mission - GOCE
The Atmospheric Dynamics Mission - ADM
The Earth Radiation Mission - ERM
The Land Surface Processes and Interactions Mission - LSPIM
The first two are currently selected for further studies. In addition, the
Agency released a Call for Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions. The high
level of response (27 proposals) to this call serves to highlight the high
interest of the European scientific community in the Earth Explorer
missions. Of these 27 proposals a scientific evaluation resulted in three
missions being retained for further consideration. These missions are:
Cryosat, a mission addressing the study of ice sheets and their influence
in sea level change.
SMOS, a mission addressing the quantification of soil moisture and sea
surface salinity and
ACE, a mission studying temperature and Ozone profiles in the upper
troposphere.
Of all missions currently studied and envisaged by the Agency the LandSurface Processes and Interactions Earth Explorer Core Mission is the Earth
Chapter 27
Envisat, set within the general forum of Europe’s operational missions,
namely Meteosat, Metop and SPOT.
Europe has the ability to design and implement, in a coordinated way,
scientific space missions addressing each of the four ‘Living Planet’ themes.
Only by defining such a long-term program will Europe be in a position to
play a key role in the coordination of international activities and in the
implementation of fruitful collaboration. The requirement for continuity is
associated automatically with the need for a long-term view of the program.
However, this must be complemented by an appropriate flexibility to take
advantage of shorter-term opportunities and evolving requirements.
This need is covered by the implementation of two types of Earth
Explorer missions, namely, the Earth Explorer Core Missions, which are
larger research/demonstration missions lead by ESA and the Earth Explorer
Opportunity Missions, which are smaller research/demonstration missions
not necessarily ESA lead. Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions will be
implemented on shorter intervals providing the scientific flexibility required.
The consultation of the scientific community led to the ESA consultation
meeting in Granada in 1996. During this meeting the wide span of interests
of Europe’s scientists in the Earth Explorer component of the Living Planet
Program was highlighted by the set of nine Explorer Core mission, which
was reviewed at that meeting. See ESA (1996) for a detailed description of
these nine missions.
Out of the nine proposed Explorer Core missions, four were selected for
Phase A studies, which are:
The Gravity Field and Steady State Ocean Circulation Mission - GOCE
The Atmospheric Dynamics Mission - ADM
The Earth Radiation Mission - ERM
The Land Surface Processes and Interactions Mission - LSPIM
The first two are currently selected for further studies. In addition, the
Agency released a Call for Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions. The high
level of response (27 proposals) to this call serves to highlight the high
interest of the European scientific community in the Earth Explorer
missions. Of these 27 proposals a scientific evaluation resulted in three
missions being retained for further consideration. These missions are:
Cryosat, a mission addressing the study of ice sheets and their influence
in sea level change.
SMOS, a mission addressing the quantification of soil moisture and sea
surface salinity and
ACE, a mission studying temperature and Ozone profiles in the upper
troposphere.
Of all missions currently studied and envisaged by the Agency the LandSurface Processes and Interactions Earth Explorer Core Mission is the Earth