Abstract:2013 is a special year for the world remote sensing community. In 1962, the First Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment was held in Michigan, United States. From that date, remote sensing as a discipline began to come of age. Earth observation technologies, the unique vantage point of space, provide the valuable and cost effective means of acquiring Earth system information such as atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and glacier, which is not available using any other means. Long-term data sources of Earth observations have been systematically collected and analyzed, enhancing and improving our ability for understanding Earth system. Planet Earth is being rediscovered. This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Remote Sensing. It is a delightful and meaningful experience reviewing the history and development of the Earth observation technologies over the years. This article provides summary of the overall status of world Earth observation missions since 1962, based on the latest database developed by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). As an important step into the direction of Earth observation system, the development of national and global Earth observation projects, such as NASA’s EOS mission and GEO’s Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) are presented. China''s past and current Earth observing missions are also introduced, regarding to China has become an important member of the world remote sensing community. After presenting future Earth observation missions of other countries, the suggestions of the development of China’s future Earth observation system are proposed.