ESA Initiates Study on Earth System Tipping Points with OHB and AWI

Bremen, October 15, 2026 - OHB, in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute and the University of Exeter, has embarked on a new study commissioned by the European Space Agency. The EO4TIPP project focuses on early detection of abrupt changes in the Earth system. Dr. Hajo Eicken, AWI's new director, recently visited OHB's Bremen facility to discuss the study's goals and the current challenges in climate research.

The two-year study aims to evaluate Earth's observation systems for monitoring tipping points. It highlights potential threats like permafrost thawing, Amazon rainforest dieback, and the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the AMOC. Identifying critical observation data and finding existing gaps are key objectives, with a goal of enhancing future Earth observation missions.

Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB, emphasized cooperation between science and industry for strengthening Europe's Earth observation capabilities. OHB's ongoing projects, such as Copernicus CO2M, underline this collaboration. These initiatives contribute to understanding planetary dynamics and monitoring climate change.