Support for global Science: Remote sensing's challenge

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Abstract
Remote sensing today uses a wide variety of techniques and methods. Resulting data are analyzed by man and machine, using both analog and digital technology. The newest and most important initiatives in the U.S. civilian space program currently revolve around the Space Station complex, which includes the core station as well as co‐orbiting and polar satellite platforms. This proposed suite of platforms and support systems offers a unique potential for facilitating long term, multi‐disciplinary scientific investigations on a truly global scale. Unlike previous generations of satellites, designed for relatively limited constituencies (e.g., Landsat for the land scientist and Seasat for the oceanographic community), Space Station offers the potential to provide an integrated source of information which recognizes the scientific interest in investigating the dynamic coupling between the oceans, land surface, and atmosphere. Earth scientists already face problems that are truly global in extent. Problems such as the global carbon balance and regional deforestation and desertification require new approaches, which combine multi‐disciplinary, multinational teams of researchers, employing advanced technologies to produce a type, quantity, and quality of data not previously available. The challenge before the international scientific community is to continue to develop both the infrastructure and expertise to, on the one hand, develop the science and technology of remote sensing, while on the other hand, develop an integrated understanding of our global life support system, and work toward a quantitative science of the biosphere.

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