ESA Earth Observation Satellite missions and their mission requirements - from cradle to grave

Paul Ingmann, Head/Atmospheric Section Mission Science Division, Science, Applications and Futures Technologies Department, ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk/NL

Defining initial Mission Requirements is an essential pre-requisite for implementing any satellite mission nowadays. Developing mission requirements in the different phases of a satellite project based on user requirements has become the standard in ESA Earth Observation together with the concept of the Mission Scientist. The presentation will address this concept which includes the formation of a Mission Advisory Group representing the user community. These groups advise on the science and/or user aspects of a mission via recommendations to ESA.
Complementing this, an overview over the different classes of Earth Observation missions will be provided consisting of operational missions, i.e. for operational meteorology together with Eumetsat and Copernicus together with the European Commission, and research (R&D) missions. The emphasis of the talk will be related to the latter missions as they are central in this context. They form the test bed for developing new mission concepts and for exploiting new avenues for technical implementation that could lead to new applications and new operational missions in the future. 
It is in the context of R&D missions that mission requirements and the process of maintaining them is highlighted using examples. This will be complemented by ‘take home messages’ at the end of the talk.

CURRICULUM VITAE
Dr. Paul INGMANN
Borne: 25 September 1954 in Cologne/Germany
Senior scientist specialised in the establishment and maintenance of requirements for future Earth observation satellite missions and coordination of international science and mission advisory groups. 
Professional Membership

Career Since 01/1997

Member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS)
Agency Observer to the Science Working Group of EUMETSAT STG
Head, Atmospheric Section, Mission Sciences Division, ESA-ESTEC.

01/1994 - 12/1996

Scientist in the Atmospheric Unit, Earth Sciences Division, ESA-
ESTEC.

09/1986 - 12/1993

Employed as mission engineer in the Meteosat Second Generation

Section, Earth Observation Preparatory Programme, ESA-ESTEC
Definition and drafting of specifications for Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) in cooperation with EUMETSAT.

03/1985-08/1986

Employed as young graduate trainee in the Future Missions Division, ESA-ESTEC.

07/1980-02/1985

Scientific assistant at the ‘Institut für Radioastronomie’ at Bonn University; studies on astronomy, geophysics, and aeronomy; Doctorate (Ph D) in Astronomy "Using VLF-Sferics as a quantitative measure of lightning activity".

10/1974-06/1980

StFor references please consult Google Scholar:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=ingmann&btnG=Searchudent of meteorology, mathematics and geophysics at Bonn University, Diploma degree (M Sc) in Meteorology.