Introduction

ESA’s Earth Observation (EO) Science Strategy expresses ESA’s science vision, and presents priorities and accompanying strategies that reflect the user communities shared values and responds directly to both scientific and societal challenges. The Science Strategy is cross-cutting and applicable to all ESA EO programme activities. It provides the framework that connects scientific research and development, innovative new EO mission ideas and technologies, and mission data exploitation, with applications that address urgent and major Earth system science and deliver societal benefits.

An ambitious science-driven future ESA EO Programmes landscape requires a renewed EO Science Strategy that takes into account the current EO landscape and developments, and strengthens and makes explicit the links between critical science challenges and addressing gaps in Earth system understanding as well as societal benefits. The EO Science Strategy Workshop represents a key event in this process and will support the elaboration of a new ESA EO Science Strategy to be published before the end of 2024.

• Consult EO user community on their views and future EO science priorities to be considered in the new EO Science Strategy.
• Communicate the role that the future ESA EO Science Strategy will play in ESA EO Programmes and how it will be elaborated. This includes the role of the future science strategy in:
  • Providing the context and defining priorities for future EO missions;
  • Providing the context and defining science priorities for EO Research and Development activities and EO in support of the climate crisis;
  • Reinforcing and linking the EO science strategy as the basis for digital innovation, applications and support to societal benefits and international programmes;
  • Ensuring continued relevance of the ESA EO programmes up to 2030 and beyond.
• Communicate and review candidate science questions and inputs developed through the on-going EO Science Strategy Foundation Study and collect feedback/recommendations from the wider community for further work.

Therefore, ESA would like to extend a warm invitation to you to participate in the upcoming Earth Observation Science Strategy workshop. This is a valuable opportunity for you to share your feedback, insights, and expertise to help shape the future of EO science. Your contributions will be instrumental in supporting ESA as we update our EO Science Strategy. We hope you will join us in this collaborative effort to advance our understanding of our planet and its systems.