ESA Earth Explorers: Science and Research Missions

Truly, everything is in a constant state of flux, from the activities of the people that populate Earth to the very land and water that compose it. From climate change to population change, these alterations in the balance of the planet’s resources can cause major adjustments to the way in which people live. Of central importance is the ability of people to understand these changes through the many facets of observation.

The European Space Agency has set up the Living Planet Programme to further explore how the world is evolving and enhance the current understanding of both natural and manmade change. Earth Explorers is a part of the Living Planet Programme that takes a scientific approach to the research of the elements above and below the surface of the planet, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, and interior layers of the Earth.

Though the planet is made up of many individual parts, the reality is that all of these parts work together through interactions that certainly influence one another. The goal of the Earth Explorers is to study how these components interact, why they interact, and how they affect one another. Additionally, the program is set up to learn more about what the human population is doing to alter the natural changes of the Earth. How are the activities of people speeding up or slowing down changes that were already in effect? What changes have people caused and which ones have they prevented? All of these questions are highly important to the understanding of the Earth and how the human race affects it, an understanding that is crucial to the success of the race as a whole.

Because the mission of the Earth Explorers may seem a bit broad, the individual studies that take place within the program are categorized as either Core missions or Opportunity missions. Anything that is directly connected to issues that would be of public concern are considered Core missions. Opportunity missions, on the other hand, are much smaller studies that address quickly resolved questions that consider environmental concerns that require immediate action.
The studies that are undertaken by the Earth Explorers are chosen by the scientists, researchers, and analysts that are involved with the program. This allows the scientific community the opportunity to select studies that it believes will bring about the most progress concerning the growing understanding of the world.

Though it is natural for the planet to face a series of changes, as it is constantly evolving and adapting, many of the changes that are occurring today may be rooted in human activity. Through the work of the ESA Earth Explorers, the activities that are acting as a catalyst to these changes can be studied. Not all change is negative; however, understanding how our actions affect the planet will help us determine the consequences of our activities.