# The future of ESA Earth Observation

ESA has shown Europe's determination to put observation of the Earth and its environment right at the centre of space exploration in proposing two new missions : ENVISAT and METOP. An enhanced mission, carrying many more instruments than ERS-1 and ERS-2, is scheduled to take over in 1998/1999: ENVISAT-1. Compared to ERS-1 and 2, ENVISAT-1 will incorporate a more advanced imaging radar and better instruments for monitoring the atmosphere and ocean characteristics.

ESA is also developing a successor to the current series of Meteosat weather satellites, scheduled for launch in 2000. A 12-channel radiometer will deliver images with much more detail than the current series and the weather data will come in every five minutes instead of currently thirty. Forecasters need two different types of satellite weather data : global images sent back very frequently - this is the domain of Meteosat - and very detailed and precise information on clouds, temperature, humidity and so forth once every twelve hours. METOP-1, scheduled for launch in 2000, will supply such data. It is like the Meteosat-successor, a joint ESA/EUMETSAT Project.

ESA Earth Observation