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to orbit by the space shuttle and by expendable rockets; and experiments attached to the space station. A crucial, and often overlooked element would be data management system that would process and integrate the information, and make it available for analysis by scientists in a variety of disciplines worldwide. 

Since this is a global study, making global observations, it not only invites international participation, it requires it. It is inherently international in scope, and must be an international effort. Other nations have supported the concept, and have endorsed Mission to Planet Earth as a primary focus of International Space Year in 1992. I believe the United States should provide the leadership for Mission to Planet Earth, with all members of the international community invested and encouraged to provide both space- and ground-based experiments. The NASA study suggested, for example, that two of the polar platforms and two of the geostationary platforms be provided by other nations or groups of nations. 

NASA has the technical and scientific expertise, and the experience in directing earth observations from space, to lead a Mission to Planet Earth. It should be emphasized, however, that an understanding of global change cannot be gained from space-based measurements alone. An extremely important part of this research is ground-based, or in situ, data acquisition. The interdisciplinary nature of this initiative requires the involvement and close cooperation of several US government agencies. A high priority should be given to defining and assigning roles and responsibilities to the various government agencies. 

Again, it is only from earth's orbit that we can get the proper perspective to perform this global study. We know what to observe, and how to observe it. An initiative such as Mission to Planet Earth is responsible to what may be a time-critical need. While it may be overly dramatic to say that our survival on the planet depends on an understanding of global change, it is not overly dramatic to say that

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