Building a sustainable Earth Observations Enterprise together
Earth’s Space Future (ESF) seeks to identify the unique challenges in developing cost-effective new and sustained Earth Observations (EO) through a workshop that focuses on the full value chain of EO through the entire Earth Observation Enterprise (EOE). The 2.5-day workshop includes a half day virtual meeting and an in-person meeting in the Washington DC area in October/November 2026. The purpose is to bring together diverse stakeholders including traditional and non-traditional participants from procurement, aerospace finance, business development, and policy sectors. Participants can be nominated but will be selected through an open application process. Participants will evaluate recommendations from existing reports, assess implementation strategies, and identify challenges in developing cost-effective EO missions.
The Earth Observations Enterprise (EOE) represents public, private, academic and philanthropic sector endeavors to produce information, provide services, generate solutions, and expand social and economic benefits to every American, every day, generated from EO. (Adapted from 2023 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations)
ESF is an initiative focused on advancing sound investment in satellite Earth observations to inform societal needs. Led by a group of Earth observation practitioners, enthusiasts, analysts, scientists and policy experts from across industry, government and associations, ESF seeks to examine what it really takes to build sustainable Earth observing satellite systems across an array of civil uses in an austere federal funding environment.
Convening experts for 2.5 days with a creative facilitation team, the focus is on the challenges and opportunities in the development of sustainable Earth observing satellite systems. Through all-hands interactive tabletop exercises, the workshop will explore the political, economic, sociocultural, and technological inhibitors and enablers that will realize new cross-sector business models and value chains to support both new and sustained EO in light of challenging congressional budgets. A final report will be published and presented to stakeholders across the EOE.
ESF received funding from a NASA grant to support the work effort to convene a workshop in Fall 2026 in the DC metro area. This workshop will gather thinkers, practitioners and doers in the planning, funding and building of civil EO satellites in the public, private and philanthropic sectors. We are seeking to engage 80-100 diversely skilled experts from across the EOE who know what it takes to make a civil space mission a success–from contract experts and technologists to legal practitioners and business development leads.
Policy - Policy Consultants, Policy Analysts
Economics - Business Models, Funding Sources
Sociocultural - Workforce, Science, Applications
Technology - R&D, Providers, Operations
Definition: SMEs are individuals with deep, specialized knowledge, skills, or experience. SMEs act as go-to authorities within their organization for providing authoritative insights, validating accuracy, and solving complex problems in areas like technology, law, or engineering.
Please nominate a subject matter experts to be personally invited to the Earth's Space Future workshop application process. While the application is open to all, nominations ensure that these subject matter experts directly receive an invitation to apply and will be considered during the application down-selection process.
Please nominate someone to attend this conference by filling in the ESF Nomination Form.
There are several levels of engagement:
Stakeholder - someone who might not shape the final report as a participant, but someone who would greatly benefit from the final report because of role/ responsibility/ interest alignment. Opt-in to our mailing list for updates.
Participants - table top exercises at the in-person workshop
Sponsors - visionaries who are interested in attending a reception (TBC) and helping to host the event
This workshop is funded in part by the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Earth Science Division (ESD) in response to Topical Workshops, Symposiums, and Conferences (TWSC-24) in Space and Earth Sciences and Technology (NNH24ZDA002N).
Reception costs (venue and food) are paid for through sponsorships that will be listed on this website as they are confirmed.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please reach out to us.
