B1.1 (1) Increasing the Impact of Earth Observations to enable a More Resilient World: Update from the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites

The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) is the principal international forum for the coordination of civil space-based Earth observation (EO) programs. Comprised of 35 Members and 32 Associate Members from across the globe, CEOS coordinates multi-agency satellite missions through its eight Virtual Constellations, and addresses topics from coordination of new missions, to calibration and validation of related missions, to capacity building and disaster management – all to deliver sustained, integrated, and user-focused Earth system observations to optimize societal benefit and inform decision-making. This keynote will update IAC attendees on the latest coordination of international EO missions, data and impacts. CEOS is also working with commercial data providers on areas of interoperability to increase the use of data between government and commercial missions.

The 2026 CEOS Chair – “Team Australia,” composed of CSIRO, Geoscience Australia, and the Bureau of Meteorology – has focused its leadership on the headline theme “Positioning for Success in a Rapidly Changing Context,” bringing environmental adaptation and resilience into renewed focus, and driving an ambitious expansion of the CEOS Analysis Ready Data (ARD) strategy – recognizing that interoperable, trusted, easy-to-use ARD is a foundational enabler of greater CEOS impact. This “Future ARD Strategy” will expand access to high-quality EO datasets from government and non-government sources alike, promote consistency across platforms, and accelerate adoption across diverse applications, empowering users worldwide to make informed decisions based on reliable satellite data. The 2026 CEOS Chair will also focus the world’s attention on the use of satellite data to support polar science, bringing space leaders together in Australia’s gateway to Antarctica – Hobart (Nipaluna), engaging youth and the need to drive cutting-edge science and technology for water quality applications.

Working closely with Team Australia, NASA, the 2026-2028 CEOS Strategic Integration Team (SIT) Chair, has launched two interconnected priorities to leverage international EO capabilities: “Water Planet,” and “Connected Data for Community Resilience.” The first addresses one of the world's most pressing resource challenges — mounting water scarcity, degraded quality, and escalating flood and drought hazards — by harnessing the collective power of CEOS missions to deliver integrated data products and user-driven solutions. International contributions in new missions measuring water, including SWOT, PACE and Sentinel-6B provide critical information to address water resource challenges through integrated, multiplatform and multispectral data products, and user-driven solutions. The second priority responds to growing data complexity and escalating extreme events by enhancing data interoperability and cross-CEOS collaboration to deliver actionable information that supports resilience at global, regional, and local scales.

Together, the Australian Chair themes and NASA SIT Chair priorities reflect a unified focus on addressing global, and dynamic challenges through internationally coordinated, interoperable, and impactful Earth observation. This paper will highlight efforts across CEOS related to these areas of focus and underscore the essential role of CEOS’ unique technical international cooperation in equipping decision-makers with the highest quality EO information and tools needed to coordinate EO missions and information to build a more resilient world.