CNES Earth Observation Programme and our vision for the monitoring of the water cycle

Abstract

The French Space Agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), is responsible for shaping and implementing France’s space policy at national, European and international levels. Among its five key domains (launchers, science, Earth observation, telecommunications and defence), the Earth Observation programme is a fundamental pillar which covers a full scope of activities: from science and technology needs and priorities to the development of applications and services, with a strong core in infrastructure and data management.Earth Observation (EO) is becoming increasingly accurate and essential to tackle major challenges for the future: advancing our understanding of the functioning of the Earth system, in particular the water, energy and carbon cycles, understanding and assessing climate change and its effects, and the impact of humans on the environment. This research and the development of new space missions both contribute to satisfying major societal needs for up-to-date and qualified environmental information. CNES, along with its national and international partners, is working to develop and to renew the space infrastructure needed for continuous innovation to address those needs and, on the other hand, support new actors to develop the market.In this presentation, we will show how CNES EO program addresses the challenges of the monitoring of the water cycle, from the science and climate drivers to the downstream applications, with a focus on current satellite missions’ achievements such as SWOT. Ongoing developments and future missions addressing the different components of the water cycle will also be presented: Trishna, a thermal-infrared mission to measure surface temperature of land surfaces and coastal strips at high temporal and spatial resolution; The Atmosphere Observing System AOS, a mission to examine links between aerosols, clouds, convection and precipitation. C3IEL, an innovative mission dedicated to water vapor, convective clouds and lightning, and their impact on climate. ODYSEA, a mission to understand ocean currents and winds, and the sea-air interactions. SMASH, a high-revisit altimetry mission designed to provide river and lakes water level.