The main objective of the Envisat programme was to endow Europe with an enhanced capability for remote sensing observation of Earth from space, with the aim of further increasing the capacity of participating states to take part in the studying and monitoring of the Earth and its environment.

The primary objectives of Envisat were:

• to provide for continuity of the observations started with the ERS satellites, including those obtained from radar-based observations
• to enhance the ERS mission, notably the ocean and ice mission
• to extend the range of parameters observed to meet the need of increasing knowledge of the factors determining the environment
• to make a significant contribution to environmental studies, notably in the area of atmospheric chemistry and ocean studies (including marine biology)

These were coupled with two linked secondary objectives

• to allow more effective monitoring and management of the Earth's resources
• to better understand solid Earth processes

The mission intended to continue and improve upon measurements initiated by ERS-1 and ERS-2, and to take into account the requirements related to the global study and monitoring of the environment.