ESA advances three candidates for its next Earth Explorer
ESA advanced three of four candidate missions after scientific consultation and advisory review: ECO, Keystone and CryoRad. Only one will be selected for implementation as Earth Explorer 12, with launch expected around 2036. [5]
Why it matters
The choice will determine which measurement gap this mission addresses: Earth's energy imbalance, the upper atmosphere or conditions inside polar ice sheets. Each targets a different limitation in understanding environmental change. [5]
Key insights
- ECO would target global mean Earth Energy Imbalance, which ESA's scientific adviser described as a longstanding gap in quantifying climate change and assessing mitigation. [5]
- Keystone would measure atomic oxygen alongside temperature, wind and atmospheric constituents at altitudes of 50–250 kilometres. [5]
- CryoRad would directly measure temperatures and basal conditions within polar ice sheets to improve understanding of ice dynamics and future sea level. [5]
- The advisory ranking placed ECO first, Keystone second, CryoRad third and Hydroterra+ fourth; the board advanced the first three. [5]