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At the dawn of the third millennium, humankind faces many severe challenges. Our collective responsibility
is nothing less than to manage a planet, our planet, for the benefit of all the citizens of the world, and even
more importantly, for the generations that follow. What should give us confidence in this undertaking is the
fact that we have already successfully developed the tools and means required, and also, that we have learned
to cooperate.
GEO, the Group on Earth Observations, represents such an endeavour. It is the result of an inter-
governmental effort to advance our understanding of Earth and consequently managing life thereon.
Space technologies constitute a tool to support this challenging objective. We have learned to develop
platforms that use of the unique capabilities space offers, in order to deliver applications for the benefit of all.
Communication, navigation and observation form the magic triangle of space applications.
ESA’s Earth observation satellites, such as Envisat, the world’s largest environmental satellite ever built,
provide huge amounts of daily data for users and institutions worldwide. The view from Earth observation
satellites gives us a new perspective: what has always seemed an unimaginable expanse has been transformed
in to a blue sphere that can be orbited in just 90 minutes.
More than ever, satellites play a vital role in managing our lives and understanding the human impact on
our environment. They feed Earth system sciences, the global climate change discussion, applications,
business cases and disaster management efforts. As such, space has become a type of natural asset. GMES,
the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme managed by the EU and ESA, constitutes
the European contribution to GEO.
It is a demanding task the GEO faces to integrate all these efforts, from space and in situ observations, to
governments and organizations, from regions and countries, to systems and stations. I am convinced that
GEO’s mission should be at the top of political agenda. It’s a difficult task. But I am confident that the GEO,
in establishing a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, will succeed in providing decision makers with
all data they need to act quickly and confidently. Such a success will benefit every single one of us.
Jean-Jacques Dordain
Director General of the European Space Agency
STATEMENT FROM JEAN-JACQUES DORDAIN,
DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY