In the field of Earth Observation, citizen science complements and assists with satellite, aerial, or ground-based image interpretation and classification; it provides in-situ data for calibration and validation activities; and integration of satellite and citizen observations can fill data gaps. Moreover, science and technology continue to be of great interest to the worldwide public. Citizen science provides a pathway for outreach initiatives and engages the public’s interest and ingenuity. The role of citizen science in Earth Observation has revealed trends in applications, covering a diverse set of fields including weather, climate change, sustainable development, air quality monitoring, vector-borne disease monitoring, food security, flood, drought, natural perils’ monitoring, and land cover and land-use change, among other topics.

In line with the 70th IAC theme, “Space: The Power of the Past, the Promise of the Future,” the Next Generation Plenary panelists will share their ideas and work innovatively, incorporating crowdsourcing and citizen science into traditional workflows for the future of Earth Observation. The panelists will also address how they envision addressing challenges associated with new technology trends, data quality, and the formulation of policies that will facilitate their work.