The Earth Climate Observatory (ECO) space mission candidate goes forward to Phase A
The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected the Earth Climate Observatory (ECO) space mission candidate for further development as an Earth Explorer 12 (EE12) candidate. ECO – with as Lead Proposer Steven Dewitte from the Royal Observatory of Belgium – targets the first ever direct measurement from space of the most fundamental climate variable, the Earth Energy Imbalance (EEI).
The decision follows a 2-year Phase 0 feasibility study, the presentation of its results at a User Consultation Meeting (UCM) held on 7-8 July 2026 in Tallinn, and an assessment of the merit of 4 candidate missions by ESA’s Advisory Committee for Earth Observation (ACEO). ACEO ranked ECO on the first place of the four presented candidate missions, based on its “outstanding scientific value, clear relevance to the ESA Earth Observation Science Strategy, and exceptional potential impact for climate science and society”.
During Phase A, the ECO team will have to reconcile the targeted EE12 Cost at Completion of 550 M€ (in the economic conditions of 2022) with the ECO mission scientific performance.
Go, ECO team, go!
The ECO team at the EE12 User Consultation Meeting in Tallinn, held on 7-8 July 2026. Credit: ECO.
More information
ESA announcement Phase A selection: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/Three_Earth_Explorer_candidates_go_forward
UCM documents and presentations: https://atpi.eventsair.com/ee12ucm/ucm-doc
UCM ECO recording: https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos/2026/07/Earth_Explorer_12_User_Consultation_Meeting_ECO
ECO website: https://eco.oma.be/
ECO selection for Phase 0: https://www.astro.oma.be/en/the-earth-climate-observatory-new-space-mission-concept-for-monitoring-the-earth-energy-imbalance/