Previous Science Challenge Workshops

Past Science Challenge Workshops include:

Earth Explorer 10 Candidate Mission Challenge Workshop (December 2018)
This joint CEOI / NCEO Workshop looked to identify potential future UK activities related to the three candidate ESA Earth Explorer 10 missions. (Stereoid, G-CLASS, Daedalus) 


Earth Observation Showcase – Emerging Applications Powered by Innovative Technologies (October 2017)
The Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI) and the Satellite Applications Catapult hosted a joint technology showcase workshop on Thursday 26th October 2017 at Satellite Applications Catapult Harwell Campus, aiming to foster links between cutting-edge EO instrumentation specialists and users of both the data and downstream applications coming from these technologies.


Polar Observing Challenge Workshop (November 2016)
This meeting was run jointly by Airbus, British Antarctic Survey and CEOI. It drew together leading actors from the UK scientific, policy and operational user communities, and from the UK’s infrastructure development community, to provide guidance to the UK Space Agency.  Its aims were to:

  • Elaborate the importance of polar observations from space to science, policy & operations.
  • Assess the gaps in current observations and the opportunities for complementary observations
  • Confirm the capabilities and interests in UK for the participation in the development & exploitation of polar observations under the ESA programme.

CEOI/NCEO Copernicus Workshop (June 2016)
The NCEO and CEOI held a joint meeting in June 2016 to consider the future evolution of the Copernicus Space Segment with a number of speakers from science and industry. The meeting took place on 29th June 2016 during the NCEO 2016 Science Conference, held at the University of Warwick Conference Centre.


Challenge Workshop on Future Science for EO – Needs and Missions (March 2015)
CEOI-ST held its challenge workshop to look at “Future Science for EO – Needs and Missions”, on the 31st March 2015 at College Court, in Leicester.
The workshop looked at future science needs for Earth Observation, the technology needs for ESA Earth Explorer 9 and other Science-driven Missions and developed an understanding of how CEOI-ST can further support science-driven EO missions.


Affordable Space Challenge Workshop (October 2014)
The CEOI-ST held a Challenge Workshop on “Affordable Space” on Thursday 16th October in Bristol.  The workshop explored the technology needs and cost drivers for EO missions in the context of recognising the range of ESA and national missions that can be enabled by reducing cost.


Arctic Polar Region Challenge Workshop (June 2013)
The CEOI Workshop on ‘Challenges for Exploitation of the Arctic Polar Region’ was held on 25th June 2013 at the Satellite Applications Catapult in Harwell. The workshop considered the opportunities and challenges, together with the implications for future space missions of this important potential market area.


Future Missions Challenge Workshop (June 2013)
The CEOI Challenge Workshop held on Friday 7th June 2013 surveyed UK mission ideas and invited experts to comment on mission selection, promotion and opportunities in the near term


Future Platforms for Earth Observation (February 2013)
The CEOI held a Challenge workshop to explore the potential of a range of future platforms for Earth observation on February 28th 2013 at the University of Leicester to work with the community to identify future platform needs and utility. The workshop considered EO and remote sensing from balloons, high altitude platforms, airborne demonstrators, sounding rockets, techdemo-SAT/CAT-SAT type platforms and the international space station. Active participation from the community was encouraged in order to provide future direction.