ESA selects three mission candidates for Earth Explorer program

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected three mission concepts—ECO, Keystone, and CryoRad—to advance to the next preparatory phase of the Earth Explorer program. This decision marks a significant milestone toward the agency's 12th satellite mission.

The ECO mission is prioritized due to its focus on Earth Energy Imbalance (EEI), a critical variable for quantifying climate change. The Keystone mission aims to provide the first global direct observations of atomic oxygen at altitudes between 50 and 250 km, alongside measurements of temperature and wind.