Mission Science Division

European Space Research and Technology Centre

ESTEC in Noordwijk, Netherlands
Abbreviation	ESTEC
Location	Noordwijk, Netherlands
Parent organization	European Space Agency
Website	www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESTEC/index.html

The Mission Science Division is a group of ESA mission scientists, research fellows, young graduates, and administrative staff working at the European Space Agency (ESA) within the Science, Applications and Future Technologies Department of the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes. The Division is located at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, South Holland, The Netherlands.

The Mission Science Division (MSD) supports the preparation, development and operations of scientific research and operational missions within the Earth Observation Programmes Directorate. The Division is responsible for ensuring the application of scientific and other user community requirements in all phases of the development of Earth Observation missions, from precursor studies through to in-orbit satellite operations, and for ensuring coherence throughout with the objectives expressed in the mission requirements documents, including the management of mission-, instrument-specific, or ad-hoc advisory structures (as required).

In support of the preparation of new mission concepts, or development and operations of each ESA approved Earth Observation mission, the Division conceives, initiates and conducts supporting scientific studies (in house and external) to ensure that the mission is "fit for purpose". In addition, the Division organises, coordinates and executes Campaigns for the purpose of acquiring airborne, balloon-borne, or in-situ data. Campaigns are specifically designed in support of technology or mission concept development, mission development, data simulation, and instrument calibration or product validation purposes. Campaign data are distributed publicly.

The Mission Science Division management team are:

The Mission Science Division has prepared and contributed to the approval of eight ESA Earth Explorers [1], with two new mission candidates to be selected from proposals resulting from a 2015 call for the ninth Earth Explorer mission, namely:

A Call for proposals for new Earth Explorer missions was released in November 2015 [5].