Vision: Enable a healthy public, economy, and planet through an integrated comprehensive and sustained Earth observation system.

In 2005, USGEO was established under the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to lead federal efforts to achieve a national Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS).  Through USGEO, the U.S. further supports cooperative, international efforts to build the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). GEOSS is being developed through the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), a partnership of 80 countries, the European Commission, and nearly 60 international organizations.

USGEO includes representatives from 17 federal agencies and the Executive Office of the President.  USGEO is co-chaired by representatives of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

GEOSS is being developed from the many thousands of individual land-, sea-, air- and space-based Earth observations working around the globe.  Because these systems tend to work separately, information can be incomplete, providing only snapshot assessments that can lead to critical gaps in scientific understanding.  Moreover, data being collected today are just a fraction of what can be put to excellent, lifesaving use in all regions of the world.

GEOSS is driving the interoperability of these separate systems so they work in an integrated manner, more as nature does.  Turning Earth into a new frontier, GEOSS offers the opportunity to deliver a fuller picture, to move further ahead of the curve by working with many partners to link and leverage the capabilities of existing and planned Earth observation systems.

With a focus on nine essential societal benefit areas, the shared aim is to foster prediction, preparedness and prevention in every region of the globe.