Phase 0 UCM Presentation for the Earth Explorer 12 Candidate Mission ECO

This presentation forms the basis for recommending up to two mission candidates to proceed to Phase A, for the twelfth Earth Explorer mission, within the European Space Agency’s Future Earth Observation (FutureEO) Programme. It presents the ECO mission concept, which has successfully completed its Phase 0 preparation.

ECO would deliver the first direct measurements of Earth’s Energy Imbalance (EEI), the fundamental driver of our climate. Since the industrial revolution, the balance between incoming solar radiation and the Earth’s radiation has been disrupted by the emission of greenhouse gases. Using a unique satellite constellation combining Sun and Earth radiometers, and wide-field visible and infrared imagers, ECO would resolve the global radiation budget, benchmark Earth system models, constrain climate trajectories, and provide timely objective evidence to steer climate action.