The book focuses on the topic of trends and challenges with regards to satellite-based earth observation. Contributors include legal experts in the field and representatives from institutions such as the European Space Agency, the European Space Policy Institute, academia and the private sector.

This book shows how artificial intelligence, including neural networks and deep learning, can be applied to the processing of satellite data for Earth observation. The authors explain how to develop a set of libraries for the implementation of artificial intelligence that encompass different aspects of research.

The result of a workshop bringing together an international advisory board of experts in science, satellite technologies, industry innovations, and public policy, this book addresses the current and future roles of satellite Earth observations in solving large-scale environmental problems. The book showcases the results of engaging distinct communities to enhance our ability to identify emerging problems and to administer international regimes created to solve them. It also reviews the work of the Policy and Earth Observation Innovation Cycle (PEOIC) project, an effort aimed at assessing the impact of satellite observations on environmental policy and to propose a mission going forward that would launch an "innovation cycle". The achievements of such a mission would feed back to innovations in next-generation observation technology, thus contributing to global policy demand for policy-relevant information. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

Global change involves complex and far-reaching variations in the Earth’s systems, and satellite observations have been widely used in global change studies. Over the past five decades, Earth observation has developed into a comprehensive system that can conduct dynamic monitoring of the land, the oceans and the atmosphere at the local, regional and even global scale. At the same time, although a large number of Earth observation satellites have been launched, very few of them are used in global change studies. The lack of scientific satellite programs greatly hinders research on global change. This book proposes using a series of global change scientific satellites to establish a scientific observation grid for global environmental change monitoring from space, and offers the first comprehensive review of lunar-based Earth observation. These scientific satellites could provide not only basic datasets but also scientific support in facilitating advances in international global change research.

The following listing represents a survey and a short description of 'Earth Observing Mis sions' in alphabetical order. The listing in Part A considers completed-, operational-as well as planned missions on an international scale (Earth observations from space know no na tional boundaries). A look into past activities is important for reasons of heritage, context and of perspective. The document is intended for all who want to keep track of missions and sensors in the fast -growing field of Earth observations. There cannot be any claim to com pleteness, although a considerable effort was made to collect and integrate all known mis sions and sensors into this book. Earth observation by remote sensing changes our view and perception of the world. We be gin to realize the global character of remote sensing, its multidimensional and complemen tary nature, its vast potential to many disciplines, its importance to mankind as a whole. Re mote sensing permits for the first time in history a total system view of the Earth. The view from space toward Earth has brought about sweeping revisions in the Earth sciences, in par ticular in such fields as meteorology, oceanology, hydrology, geology, geography, forestry, agriculture, geodynamics, solar-terrestrial interactions, and many others.

The result of a workshop bringing together an international advisory board of experts in science, satellite technologies, industry innovations, and public policy, this book addresses the current and future roles of satellite Earth observations in solving large-scale environmental problems. The book showcases the results of engaging distinct communities to enhance our ability to identify emerging problems and to administer international regimes created to solve them. It also reviews the work of the Policy and Earth Observation Innovation Cycle (PEOIC) project, an effort aimed at assessing the impact of satellite observations on environmental policy and to propose a mission going forward that would launch an “innovation cycle”. The achievements of such a mission would feed back to innovations in next-generation observation technology, thus contributing to global policy demand for policy-relevant information. This book is open access under a CC BY license.

The 6th IAA Symposium on Small Satellites for Earth Observation, initiated by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), was again hosted by DLR, the German Aerospace Center. The participation of scientists, engineers, and managers from 24 countries reflected the high interest in the use of small satellites for dedicated missions applied to Earth observation. The contributions showed that dedicated Earth observation missions cover a wide range of very different tasks.

A translation from German of a 1929 treatise by the author. Deals with the problem of the space travel. Expresses ideas about rocketry and space travel. Extensive treatment of the engineering aspects of a space station. Extensive bibliography. 100 drawings.

CEOS was established under the auspices of the Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations in 1984 in response to a recommendation from a panel of experts in remote sensing within the Working Group on Growth, Technology and Employment (CEOS, 2009). The panel recognized the collective value of the world’s Earth remote sensing capabilities and the advantages that would be gained by the coordination of civil Earth observing satellite missions. By cooperating in mission planning and the development of compatible data products, applications, services and policies, the national space programs would maximize the bene?ts of their individual inve- ments and be able to better address the environmental challenges of the entire international community. CEOS was to serve as the focal point for this inter- tional coordination and to provide the forum for the change of policy and technical information. The members of CEOS are governmental organizations that are international or national in nature and are responsible for a civil space-borne Earth observation program that is currently in operation or in an advanced stage of system devel- ment. CEOS also has established Associate Members that are similar governmental organizations with a civil space-segment activity in an early stage of system dev- opment or those with a signi?cant ground-segment activity that supports CEOS objectives. Associate Members may also be existing satellite coordination group and scienti?c or governmental bodies that are international in nature and have a signi?cant programmatic activity that likewise is aligned with the goals of CEOS.

This book was compiled from contributions given at the 7th IAA Symposium on Small Satellites for Earth Observation, May 4–8, 2009, Berlin (IAA – International Academy of Astronautics). From the 15 sessions for oral presentations and two poster sessions, 52 contributions were selected which are representative for the new developments and trends in the area of small satellites for Earth observation. They re ect the potentials of a diversity of missions and related technologies. This may be based on national projects or international co-operations, single satellites of constellations, pico-, nano-, micro- or mini-satellites, developed by companies, research institutions or agencies. The main focus is on new missions to monitor our Earth’s resources (Part I), and the environment in which our Earth is emb- ded (Part II). Part III deals with distributed space systems, a unique feature of small satellites and in most cases impractical to do with large satellites. Here we concentrate on constellations of satellites with focus on future missions relying on co-operating satellites. For all the new developments and projects we need well e- cated specialists coming from the universities. Many universities included already the development and implementation of small satellites in their curriculum. The u- versity satellites chapter (Part IV) shows the high quality which is already reached by some of the universities worldwide.