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SUMMARY:Earth Observation Stepping Stone Missions - Information Day
DTSTART:20260320T073000Z
DTEND:20260320T160000Z
DTSTAMP:20260411T105900Z
UID:indico-event-633@indico.esa.int
CONTACT:Andromachi.Griva@ext.esa.int
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Nicola Melega (Esa)\n\n\nIntroduction\nThe Earth Obs
 ervation Programme Directorate of the European Space Agency (ESA) responds
  to the growing demand for Earth Observation (EO) information arising from
  evolving National\, European\, and International environmental policies a
 nd frameworks. These include\, among others\, the European Green Deal\, th
 e EU Climate Law\, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030\, as well as interna
 tional frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 
 the Paris Agreement.\nIn this context\, ESA is initiating a new activity e
 ntitled Stepping Stones (SpS). The objective of the SpS activity is to ac
 celerate the maturation and deployment of new space-based observation capa
 bilities by reducing technical\, programmatic\, and adoption risks along t
 he pathway from mission concept to mature\, commercially viable services. 
 \nStepping Stone Missions are designed to complement and enhance existing 
 public space and ground infrastructures\, acting as precursors to sustaine
 d\, operational capabilities. They build upon established reference missio
 ns while targeting gaps that are not fully addressed by current systems. T
 hey address a niche in the current Earth Observation Ecosystem by respondi
 ng to the need for quality-proven data at the time-and space sampling scal
 es required to address the National\, European\, and International environ
 mental policies and realize commensurate societal benefits.\nSpecifically\
 , Stepping Stone Missions are characterized by the following principles:\n
 \nUser-driven requirementsMission objectives are driven by user’s identi
 fied requirements addressing environmental regulations.\nService-oriented 
 mission definitionMissions are conceived with a clear service perspective\
 , targeting ownership and operation by commercial entities once performanc
 e\, data quality\, and operational readiness have been demonstrated and ce
 rtified in orbit.\nScalability and evolutionMission concepts are designed 
 to be scalable and adaptable in order to accommodate future user needs\, p
 olicy evolution\, and market expansion.\nEnd-to-end validationMissions are
  supported by comprehensive validation and verification through user-orien
 ted pilots\, ensuring fitness-for-purpose prior to implementation.\n\nESA 
 is planning to issue an industrial Invitation To Tender (ITT) for Stepping
  Stone Missions Definition Studies. Planned for a duration of 24 months\, 
 their objective is to establish a solid technical\, programmatic\, and ser
 vice-oriented foundation for new mission concepts. This would demonstrate 
 the feasibility and credibility of the proposed concepts\, potentially ena
 bling a subsequent fast and efficient implementation phase.\nInterested in
 dustrial entities and institutions are invited to participate in a one-day
  Information Day. \nTo increase awareness of the Stepping Stone Missions 
 prior to the initiation of the Definition Studies. \n\nhttps://indico.esa
 .int/event/633/
IMAGE;VALUE=URI:https://indico.esa.int/event/633/logo-2656065545.png
LOCATION:Hybrid: ESTEC-Newton1+2 & Online
URL:https://indico.esa.int/event/633/
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