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The 2027 agenda

Eight bounded questions open the 2027 Earth observation agenda. Each comes from a baseline finding, names the initiative that will carry it and the first output due in the 2027 Earth observation edition.

5 min read0 figures6 tables5 notesNR-SECTOR-EO-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE

Contents
  1. ·Edition home
  2. ·Executive summary
  3. 1Observation is where evidence begins
  4. 2Key findings
  5. 3Systems and sectors at baseline
  6. 4Risks and capability
  7. 5Observation gap under an extreme season
  8. 6Readings from the other desks
  9. 7The 2027 agenda
    1. 7.1 Questions for the operational series
    2. 7.2 Portfolio proposed for the Q1 2027 alignment
    3. 7.3 The pathway
    4. 7.4 Universe 2027: evidence pack for the Earth observation candidate mission
    5. 7.5 Handoffs and routing
    6. 7.6 Feeds and signal register
  10. 8Systems in depth
  11. AMethodology
  12. BData appendix
  13. CReferences and record
  14. ·Complete edition, for print

7.1Questions for the operational series

  1. O-01

    How would an observation gap that coincides with an extreme season travel through water, food and health at once?

    INI-GS12-GAP-01 · observation gap under extremes; first output: concurrency analysis for six regions.

  2. O-02

    Which long records depend on a single mission, and when does each reach end of life?

    INI-GS12-REC-02 · record continuity register; first output: record and mission register.

  3. O-03

    Where do in situ gaps limit the value of satellite products, and what would close them?

    INI-GS12-INS-03 · in situ gaps; first output: gap map by region.

  4. O-04

    How reliable are data-driven Earth observation and forecast products outside their training conditions?

    INI-GS12-VAL-04 · validation of data-driven products; first output: benchmark protocol.

  5. O-05

    Where does early warning reach people, and where does it stop at the national level?

    INI-GS12-EWS-05 · warning reach; first output: service-tier table.

  6. O-06

    Which shared data hubs and ground stations lack operational contingency arrangements?

    To be admitted in 2027; first output: arrangement overlay.

  7. O-07

    What energy, water and carbon footprint does Earth observation data processing carry?

    To be admitted in 2027; first output: scoping note.

  8. O-08

    Which observing capabilities have been tested in a real loss, and which are only planned?

    Earth observation capability register; first output: rung evidence for 15 functions.

7.2Portfolio proposed for the Q1 2027 alignment

Five initiatives and one Universe mission candidate are proposed for the 2027 Earth observation portfolio. They are programme objects: no partner, funder or member is attached to them in this edition.

Table 7.1Objects proposed for the first operational quarter
IDObjectKindQuestionState
INI-GS12-GAP-01Observation gap under extremesInitiativeO-01PROPOSED
INI-GS12-REC-02Record continuity registerInitiativeO-02PROPOSED
INI-GS12-INS-03In situ gapsInitiativeO-03PROPOSED
INI-GS12-VAL-04Validation of data-driven productsInitiativeO-04PROPOSED
INI-GS12-EWS-05Warning reachInitiativeO-05PROPOSED
MSN-GS12-2027-01Observation gap Universe missionMissionO-01Candidate

7.3The pathway

The Earth observation edition reads national Earth observation chapters, regional observing-network evidence and the global edition through one governed evidence graph. At baseline the federation is designed and no national Earth observation chapter is bound yet. This page states what exists today and what comes next.

  1. 01

    National Earth observation chapters

    observation and data chapter of each national edition

    PLANNED · further national baselines

  2. 02

    Observing-network evidence

    shared in situ networks, satellite constellations and data hubs

    PLANNED · regional Baseline Editions

  3. 03

    Earth observation sector model

    the sensing layer of the systems

    v0 SPECIFIED · v1 with federation evidence

  4. 04

    Global and strategic links

    GLB · SR-02 Critical Infrastructure and Lifeline Systems · SR-04 Critical Minerals and Strategic Materials

    PLANNED · strategic baselines

  5. 05

    Universe

    annual proving environment

    CANDIDATE MISSION · mandate in 2027

  6. 06

    Global Earth Observation Report

    this series

    BASELINE DRAFT · 2027 annual edition

  7. 07

    Evidence and correction

    one graph, many projections

    OPEN · first correction cycle in 2027

7.4Universe 2027: evidence pack for the Earth observation candidate mission

  1. 01

    Mandate

  2. 02

    Core Build · 1 month

  3. 03

    Action · 1 week

  4. 04

    Evidence seal

  5. 05

    Portfolio correction

  6. 06

    Next mandate

Table 7.2Universe 2027: evidence pack for the Earth observation candidate mission
ItemRecordStateTiming
F1Annual mandate recordPLANNEDafter the Q2 2027 alignment
F2Core Build recordPLANNEDone month before the exercise
F3Exercise evidencePLANNEDduring the Action week
F4Decision packetsPLANNEDexercise state only
F5Proof receiptsPLANNEDscoped to each recorded check
F6After-action reportPLANNEDwithin one quarter
F7Upgrade docketPLANNEDrouted to the Portfolio
F8Portfolio renewalPLANNED2027 global annual edition
F9Public synthesisPLANNEDpublic-safe extracts only

Mission

ID
MSN-GS12-2027-01 · Observation gap Universe mission
Role spine
Leadership sponsor · Institutional anchor · Mission lead: drawn from national pathways
Receiving actors
to be identified with the mandate

7.5Handoffs and routing

Where the baseline’s findings go next. A handoff routes a finding for awareness, review or work; it transfers no authority.

Table 7.3Handoffs and routing
FindingRouted toPurposeClass
CLI-001 · temperaturepublic recordreference for the 2027 seriesPUBLIC
DAT-004 · open dataINI-GS12-INS-03in situ gaps and data accessPUBLIC
DAT-005 · LandsatINI-GS12-REC-02record continuity registerPUBLIC
HLT-009 · warningINI-GS12-EWS-05warning reachPUBLIC
GOV-008 · flagship endsINI-GS12-GAP-01 · key F reviewobservation gap under extremesPUBLIC
AIC-011 · data-driven modelsINI-GS12-VAL-04validation of data-driven productsPUBLIC
INF-003 · orbital environmentregional consortiaobserving network overlayPUBLIC
SYS-012 · compound pathwayMSN-GS12-2027-01Universe candidateCONSORTIUM
Table 7.4Routing rules by publication class
ClassWhere it goesWho can see it
PUBLICthe published edition and its evidence bundleanyone
CONSORTIUMgoverned rooms of the federationconsortium members under agreement
CONTROLLEDneed-to-know channelsnamed competent actors only

7.6Feeds and signal register

Table 7.5Feeds watched from 2027
FeedProducerLatencyFeeds into
Global Climate Highlights and monthly bulletinsCopernicus Climate Change Servicemonthly and annualCLI-001
State of the Global ClimateWMOannualCLI-002
Space Environment ReportESAannualINF-003
Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem annual reportESA and partnersannualDAT-004
Landsat archive statisticsUSGSannualDAT-005
Global status of early warning systemsUNDRR and WMOannualHLT-009
Tree cover loss dataWRI and University of MarylandannualBIO-010

Escalation routes

  • none · keep monitoring
  • research question
  • project
  • risk object
  • annual publication
  • signal report
Table 7.6Signals at baseline
IDSignalCorroborationSystemsRoute
SIG-GS12-001Flagship end-of-science dates in 2027 and 202812CORROBORATEDINF · CLIresearch question O-02
SIG-GS12-002Loss of MethaneSAT and end of microwave data processing2315CORROBORATEDINF · CLIinitiative O-02
SIG-GS12-003Data-driven forecasting in operations2627PARTIALAIC · CLIresearch question O-04

Notes

Numbers are the edition’s reference numbers, so a note reads the same in every chapter. The full list, with every source and its licence, is in Annex C. Annex C, references

  1. 12NASA (ed.), Terra: The End of an Era (with end-of-science projections for Terra, Aqua and Aura). National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  2. 23Environmental Defense Fund and MethaneSAT (eds.), MethaneSAT loses contact with satellite, project update of 1 July 2025. Environmental Defense Fund, New York. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  3. 15NSIDC (ed.), User notice: SSMIS data processing to end by 30 June 2025, with update extending processing through 31 July 2025. National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  4. 26ECMWF (ed.), ECMWF’s AI forecasts become operational, 25 February 2025. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Reading. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  5. 27ECMWF (ed.), ECMWF’s ensemble AI forecasts become operational (AIFS ENS), 2025. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Reading. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back

Cite this chapter

Valadbaygi, S. (Ed.). (2026). Chapter 7: The 2027 agenda. In Global Earth Observation Risk and Resilience Report 2026: Baseline Edition, The State of the World’s Earth Observation and Planetary Intelligence. (Baseline Edition 2026, Report No. NR-SECTOR-EO-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE) [Draft under review]. The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI).

Every citation form of the whole report, BibTeX and RIS included, is on the edition home. Cite this report

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