Reaping the rewards - coordinating Europes Earth Observation Ground System

The Global Monitoring of Environment and Security (GMES) programme is based on a fleet of European Earth observation satellites, built and operated by ESA, member states and commercial entities. GMES will also offer data from non-European satellites. In order to provide operational and sustainable user services and to avoid unnecessary duplication in technologies, the challenge is to harmonise the various approaches to the ground segments of the different satellites and to involve the users. To begin this harmonisation process, a Ground Segment Coordination Body was created to adopt a common, coordinated and cost-effective approach that responds to the needs of Earth observation users.