Pragmatic assessment of the role of small satellites in European earth observation programs

There is concern that the exploitation of Earth observation data in Europe is not progressing sufficiently quickly towards operational status. Although Earth observation data have been available for approximately 20 years, financial and programmatic responsibility has not been transferred from the national and international space agencies to users, except in very limited cases. As this is one long term goal, it is important to assess what is required by European programs to achieve operational status. This must be considered within the broader international environment where an increasing number of small satellite missions are being proposed. Although small satellites can be considered as a response to shrinking budgets, they are also more consistent with some user requirements and have the potential to play an important role in the development of operational capabilities.