Observation of the Earth and its Environment

The eoPortal is based on the foundational work of Dr. Herbert Kramer whose years of publication of contents on the Portal have created a valued community resource. Since July 2022, the eoPortal's content has been curated by a dynamic team of contributors, remaining focused on satellite missions that provide observations of the Earth and its environment.

The eoPortal is operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) to serve as an information source to the Earth observation, space, and broader community. The eoPortal is also supported by mission metadata provided by The Earth Observation Handbook and associated CEOS Missions, Instruments and Measurements (MIM) Database. The CEOS Database provides information on satellites based on an annual survey of Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) member agencies, and represents the only official consolidated statement of agency programmes and plans. The eoPortal complements this database, with further details on satellite missions launched or planned by CEOS Agencies, alongside other commercial, academic and Earth Observation related organisations. Links to specific mission data can be found through the 'related resources' section of the various articles that direct to relevant ESA Earth Online pages, as well as through the CEOS MIM Database links.

The eoPortal also provides user access to the FedEO Client (Federated Earth Observation missions), offering a single stop shop to discover (and access) Earth Observation datasets from CEOS agencies , as well as to the FedEO Gateway and relevant documentation.

Realising Our Objectives

The eoPortal pursues its objectives by:

• Growing awareness of space systems, Earth observation satellites and their applications
• Supporting current and future users of services provided from space, focused on Earth observation, by providing valuable, usable reference information
• Increasing understanding of the purpose and roles of space systems and Earth observation satellites
• Engaging the broader technology sector in the importance and capabilities of space systems and Earth observation satellites
• Providing pathways for users to progress from knowledge about space systems and Earth observation satellites to adoption of these technologies, and incorporation into their work and activities
• Nurturing and engaging the community of eoPortal users to bring about advocacy for Earth observation and space systems more broadly
• Participating in, and shaping the dialogue around Earth observation and space communities about important societal and commercial services from space

Serving The Community

The content of the eoPortal is developed for:

• Space community - those involved in space systems whose mission is not primarily Earth observation. This may include government space agencies or other government departments who are heavily involved in space activities, as well as the space industry.
• Technology community - including those involved in the application of various, often integrated, technology solutions for research and development, product or application development, and generally the development of non-space technologies.
• Research community focused on basic research topics which may be directly or indirectly related to the development of Earth observation systems, and may or may not be technically oriented.
• Policy and decision makers - looking at the drivers for the development of space and broader technology policy, including decisions around which space systems to build, design, fund, or invest in.
• Educational community - across all educational levels and sectors who teach, learn, or are interested in learning more about Earth observation technologies.
• Enthusiasts and the general public - who are curious about the capabilities of space systems, Earth observation, and how they work.
• Anyone interested in exploring!

Citations

We recommend the below citations to be used when referencing the website:

• For the broad website: EO Portal. www.eoportal.org. Accessed on [DD MMM YYYY].
• For a specific page: [Page name], EO Portal. [page URL]. Accessed on [DD MMM YYYY].