WMO Space Programme Implementation Activities

The WMO Space Programme was established by the Fourteenth WMO Congress in May 2003 and inaugurated on 1 January 2004 as a new major cross-cutting Programme. The paper describes the current status of the expanded space-based component of the World Weather Watch's Global Observing System (GOS) including access by WMO Members to new data streams from R&D space missions and their impacts for operational use. The paper also describes activities accomplished in the first two-years of the WMO Space Programme including matters related towards the establishment of an International Geostationary Laboratory (IGEOLAB) as well as an Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service (IGDDS), and a high-profile training event planned for 2006. Additionally, the paper describes efforts to provide for continued utilization of satellites scheduled for retirement and matters arising from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) on the establishment of a Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS).

The IGEOLAB concept is based on a partnership and sharing of the benefits of a geostationary demonstration mission across several space development agencies, operators of operational meteorological satellites, and satellite data users. The WMO Space Programme has been requested by the Co-ordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) to act as a catalyst to further the concept and provide for a discussion within the sixth session of the WMO Consultative Meetings on High-level Policy on Satellite Matters to be held in January 2006. Several IGEOLAB Focus Group meetings have been held and the results and recommendations from the meetings are elaborated.

At the invitation of the United States of America, on 31 July 2003 in Washington DC, thirty-three nations, and the European Commission, joined together at the first Earth Observation Summit (EOS-I) to adopt a Declaration that called for action in strengthening global cooperation on Earth observations to promote the development of a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system of systems. The second Earth Observation Summit (EOS-II) held in Tokyo, April 2004 confirmed the undertaking and at the third Summit (EOS-III) in Brussels, February 2005 an implementation strategy was adopted. The paper describes WMO activities towards the establishment of a Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) including the hosting of the GEO Secretariat in Geneva. Additionally, the paper describes how the WMO Space Programme will be one of the core contributors to the space component of GEOSS. The similarities of objectives of GEOSS and WMO fully justified the willingness of WMO, through its recently established WMO Space Programme, to play a significant driving role in the GEOSS process. The WMO Space Programme is well placed to participate in GEOSS activities and WMO strongly supports actions that address four axioms and recommendations as described in the paper.