The international community long has recognized the need to coordinate observations of Earth from space. In 1984, this situation provided the impetus for creating the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), an international mechanism charged with coordinating international civil spaceborne missions designed to observe and study planet Earth. Currently, several international organizations, most prominently the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS), are focusing on the requirements for Earth observation from space to address key science questions and societal benefits related to our terrestrial environment.