A timeline of past, present, and planned ocean colour sensors.
For a consolidated and comprehensive view of the Earth observation programmes and plans of the world’s civil space agencies, including the many other sensors that are sometimes leveraged for ocean colour application, please consult the CEOS EO Handbook, as well as the CEOS Missions, Instruments & Measurement (MIM) database, available at: www.eohandbook.com.
The sixth International Ocean Colour Science (IOCS) meeting will take place in Darmstadt, Germany from 1 – 4 December 2025, hosted by EUMETSAT and ESA with support from other agencies.