Press releases - Observing the planet
- Greek fires seen by SPOT 5 satellite
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The image is being used as part of the programme launched by Europe and its member states to help Greece combat the forest fires.
The Spot satellites, manufactured by Astrium, are operated by the Astrium Services subsidiary Spot Image.
As well as their operational use in giving detailed information about the extent of damage across large areas, satellite images also help the wider public see first hand the impact of major catastrophes and build awareness of the need to protect the environment and ensure the safety and security of those affected.
To download the image (©CNES2009/Distribution Spot Image):
ftp://ftp.spotimage.fr/incoming/ExtCOMM-dgcom/Grece_imageSpot/
Commercial operator of the SPOT satellites and a supplier of imagery from a range of other optical and radar Earth-imaging satellites, Spot Image is a world-leading supplier of geospatial products and services derived from satellite imagery.Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2008, Astrium had a turnover of €4.3 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment and Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS generated revenues of €43.3 billion and employed a workforce of more than 118, 000.
Contacts presse:
Astrium
Daniel Mosely (Astrium UK) Tel.: +44 (0)1 438 77 8180
Matthieu Duvelleroy (Astrium FR) Tél. : +33 (0) 1 77 75 80 32
Spot Image
Jennifer Newlands Tél. :+33 (0)5 62 19 40 10
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- Space technology used to fight forest fires in Greece
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- Astrium’s subsidiary, Infoterra France, is coordinating operations
- SAFER is an emergency service that produces maps from satellite images as part of the GMES programme
Developed as part of the European Commission’s Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security (GMES) programme, SAFER is an emergency service that produces maps from satellite images to help the work of disaster and emergency services. The European Space Agency will ask several satellite operators, including Spot Image, to supply images of the Athens area. The Greek Civil Protection teams will then receive a series of maps showing how the situation is developing on the ground. The maps will also allow Greek authorities to accurately measure the extent of the damage caused by the fires.
Introduced in January 2009, SAFER is now operational with teams on standby 24/7. Astrium’s subsidiary, Infoterra France, is coordinating operations. The service draws on the skills and know-how of many service providers and European research centres that specialise in Earth observation and risk management, such as SERTIT, CNES, DLR and Telespazio.
Since early July 2009, the GMES SAFER service has been called on four times: satellite images have already been used to fight fires in Marseille, Sardinia and Aullène in southern Corsica.Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2008, Astrium had a turnover of €4.3 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment and Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS generated revenues of €43.3 billion and employed a workforce of more than 118, 000.
The image shows the situation as viewed from the European Space Agency’s Envisat satellite. The size of the plume of smoke, seen from an altitude of 800 km, clearly indicates the extent of the fires.
Further information will be available soon on www.emergencyresponse.eu
Press contacts:
Astrium
Daniel Mosely (Astrium UK) Tel.: +44 (0)1 438 77 8180
Matthieu Duvelleroy (Astrium FR) Tel.: +33 (0) 1 77 75 80 32
Ralph Heinrich (Astrium GER) Tel.: +49 (0) 89 607 33971
Francisco Lechón (Astrium SP) Tel.: +34 91 586 37 41
www.astrium.eads.net
Infoterra
Fabienne Grazzini (Infoterra FR) Tel.: +33 (0)5 62 19 63 26
Gil Denis (Infoterra FR) Tel: +33 (0)5 62 19 62 53
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- Astrium to supply Serbia with a national spatial data infrastructure
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- In partnership with IGN France
International, Spot Infoterra – a division of Astrium Services – will
supply a complete system including geoinformation data and services to the
Serbian Geodesy Institute
Marc Tondriaux, CEO of the Spot Infoterra Group, declared: “The flexibility and interoperability offered by the proposed solutions, which are based on the proven expertise of our consortium in the field of national spatial data infrastructures (NSDIs), will provide the RGZ with the infrastructure to quickly implement a powerful and upgradeable system.”
According to Nenad Tesla, CEO of the RGZ, “This tool will allow Serbia to improve the exchange of information and communication between its various administrations. This infrastructure will also allow us to introduce online services, which will be a major asset ensuring the decentralisation, diversity and quality of the services offered to our fellow citizens.”
Geoinformation is a key decision-making tool in numerous fields (town and country planning and development, protection of the environment, security, etc.). Ensuring the availability of this data, ensuring it is up-to-date, and allowing local and national government, the private sector and citizens to access it has almost become an obligation for any country dedicated to improving the effectiveness of its general government and to supporting the sustainable development of its economy.
The IGIS programme, which is being managed by the Spot Infoterra Group (Astrium Services) and implemented together with co-prime contractor IGN France International, will provide the RGZ with all of these services. The RGZ will also be able to deploy an NSDI that will facilitate the production and maintenance of mapping data, and develop geoinformation services.
The project has three parts:
- The provision of a set of satellite and airborne remote sensing data, which will supply several families of applications of national interest, in the fields of mapping, town and country planning, agriculture and the environment
- The deployment of the entire IT infrastructure needed for data hosting, management and access, as well as the implementation of production workshops for transforming remote sensing data into geoinformation. Various applications for mapping and managing natural areas and farm land will then be introduced.
- The provision of a vast support programme (training and knowledge transfer, operational support) that will allow the RGZ to carry out this project independently through to its conclusion. The work is scheduled for completion in three years.
Spot Infoterra Group
The Spot Infoterra Group is a global provider of geo-information products and services bringing decision-makers sustainable solutions to increase our security, protect the environment and monitor natural resources.
With unique access to SPOT and TerraSAR-X satellites, and a broad range of spaceborne and airborne acquisition capabilities, the group offers an unrivalled combination of Earth imagery.
This combination forms the solid base for an extensive portfolio of products and services spanning the entire geo-information value chain. Furthermore, building on synergies within Astrium Services, the Group develops innovative and highly-competitive end-to-end solutions combining Earth observation, navigation and worldwide communications capabilities.
Combining the talent and capabilities of Spot Image and Infoterra, the Spot Infoterra Group, with a turnover of 160 M€ in 2008 and more than 800 staff, is established in twelve countries and is part of Astrium Services, an Astrium subsidiary.
IGN France International
Since 1986, IGN France International has been the worldwide subsidiary of the French National Geographical Institute (IGN).
Over the years, IGN has become a leading player in its two sectors of activity:
- Geoinformation (acquisition, processing, modelling)
- Geoinformation systems (implementation and integration)
IGN France International is involved in all types of projects in the following sectors:
- Land registry and administration
- Town and country planning
- Energy
- Environment
- Risks (natural, industrial, related to climate change, etc.)
- Water
- Security/high-precision work
Approved by every multilateral development bank, IGN France International offers its expertise all over the world – particularly in Africa and Asia, where it has mapped over 12 million km².
The company is internationally recognised for its know-how and expertise.
Astrium
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2008, Astrium had a turnover of €4.3 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment and Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS generated revenues of €43.3 billion and employed a workforce of more than 118, 000.
Press contacts:
Astrium
Daniel Mosely (Astrium UK) Tel.: +44 (0)1 438 77 8180
Matthieu Duvelleroy (Astrium FR) Tel.: +33 (0) 1 77 75 80 32
Ralph Heinrich (Astrium GER) Tel.: +49 (0) 89 607 33971
Francisco Lechón (Astrium SP) Tel.: +34 91 586 37 41
www.astrium.eads.net
Spot Infoterra
Nathalie Pisot Tel. : +33 (0)4 97 23 23 46
IGN France International
Aude Lareste Lamendour Tel. :+33 (0)1 42 34 56 54
- In partnership with IGN France
International, Spot Infoterra – a division of Astrium Services – will
supply a complete system including geoinformation data and services to the
Serbian Geodesy Institute
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- Astrium wins satellite contract worth €263 million
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- Agreement signed at International Aerospace Exhibition ILA
- EarthCARE is ESA’s sixth Explorer project for “Living Planet"
- Environmental satellite keeps an eye on clouds, aerosols and radiation
Berlin, 27 May 2008 – Europe’s leading space company, Astrium, has been commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build the EarthCARE Earth observation satellite. The contract worth € 263 million was signed today in Berlin on the occasion of the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) by Volker Liebig, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation, Evert Dudok, CEO of Astrium Satellites and Uwe Minne, Director of Earth Observation and Science at Astrium (Friedrichshafen, Germany), in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and Head of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) Johann-Dietrich Wörner.
EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) will focus on clouds, tiny particles in the atmosphere – aerosols – and their influence on atmospheric radiation. Among other things, EarthCARE will draw up vertical profiles of natural and man-made aerosols, register the distribution of water and ice and their transport by clouds, and investigate the interrelationships between clouds and precipitation and their effects on radiation. It will be possible to derive profiles of atmospheric heating and cooling by clouds from a combination of the measured aerosols and “cloud elements”.
“The role of aerosols in cloud formation and the interaction with radiation is not completely understood by science but plays an important role in climate and weather modelling. This is why the EarthCARE proposal was selected” said ESA’s Earth Observation Director Dr. Volker Liebig.
EarthCARE will thus contribute to a better understanding of our climate and deliver valuable data for the numerical forecasting models of climate researchers and meteorologists. Weighing around 1.7 metric tons, the satellite is scheduled to lift off into space in September 2013. EarthCARE will spend three years taking measurements from a polar orbit (97° inclination) at an altitude of about 400 kilometres.
“By offering an innovative and future-oriented range of products, Astrium is helping to achieve a better understanding of Earth’s sensitively balanced ecosystem and encourage people to treat it with greater care,” said Astrium Satellites CEO Evert Dudok to journalists in Berlin. “The experience and know-how gained from projects such as EarthCARE or the recently awarded contracts for the Sentinel family of satellites and the polar-orbiting weather satellite Metop give us an excellent basis and serve as a reference for future tasks such as the third generation of Meteosat satellites.”
Astrium (Friedrichshafen, Germany) will be responsible for the industrial management of EarthCARE and the integration and test activities. The satellite is equipped with four instruments, two passive and two active sensors that will supply a unique data package with only one satellite mission. Astrium (Toulouse, France) will supply the active laser instrument ATLID, while the platform (Astrium), the Multi-Spectral Imager MSI (SSTL) and the Broadband Radiometer BBR (SEA) are being produced in the UK. The fourth instrument is the Cloud Profiling Radar CPR, which will be supplied by the Japanese Space Agency, JAXA.
Astrium and the Earth Explorer
EarthCARE is the sixth Earth Explorer mission to be launched by ESA as part of its “Living Planet” Earth exploration programme. It is being implemented jointly with the Japanese space agency JAXA. Astrium is the prime industrial contractor.
Astrium also plays an important part in the other satellites for Earth Explorer missions that are currently under construction. Astrium (Friedrichshafen) is prime contractor for the ice investigation satellite Cryosat-2 and the three-satellite Swarm mission to investigate the Earth’s magnetic field. It is also supplying the platform for the Goce mission to measure the Earth’s gravitational field. Astrium UK is the prime contractor for the ADM-Aeolus wind mission, for which Astrium France is developing the Aladin instrument. Astrium Spain is developing and building the Miras payload for the SMOS mission to study soil moisture and ocean salinity.
About Astrium
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2007, Astrium had a turnover of €3.5 billion and 12,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, and Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment, and its wholly owned subsidiary Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2007, EADS generated revenues of €39.1 billion and employed a workforce of more than 116, 000.
Media Contacts:
Matthieu Duvelleroy (Astrium FR) Phone: +33 (0) 1 77 75 80 32
Jeremy Close (Astrium UK) Phone: +44 (0)1 438 77 3872
Mathias Pikelj (Astrium GER) Phone: +49 (0) 162 29 49 666
Francisco Lechón (Astrium SP) Phone: +34 (0) 91 586 37 41
- EarthCARE at a glance:
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- Astrium missions to study Earth-bound asteroid Apophis win international prizes
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- Infoterra Group expands into Spain
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- Astrium-led consortium implements a new national disaster management system
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- TerraSAR-X exceeds all expectations
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- German radar satellite transmits first data in record time
- Ground station receives first images only five days after launch
- About Astrium
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- About Infoterra
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- About DLR
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- Press contacts
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- TerraSAR-X at a glance
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- CryoSat-2: a satellite on an icy mission
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Integration start for new research satellite at Astrium
Global ice measurement from space will commence in 2009
Friedrichshafen, 14 March 2007 - One of the greatest challenges to be met by man in the coming years is to understand and contain global climate change. This also includes investigation into whether and to what extent the ice masses are changing at the Earth poles. This question will be answered by Cryosat-2, a new research satellite being developed and built by Europe’s largest space company Astrium for the European space agency ESA. First hardware components have arrived in recent days at the Astrium satellite centre in Friedrichshafen, thus enabling the start of the mechanical integration of CryoSat-2. The satellite is expected to commence its space activities in March 2009.
Scientists assume that the polar ice masses will retreat considerably due to global warming; up to now, however, there is little selective data on these large, unpopulated and difficult-to-access polar regions. The radar satellite CryoSat-2 will remedy this information deficit and provide a global overview for researchers.
For at least three and a half years, CryoSat-2 will measure the thickness of sea-ice and changes at the land-ice margins with a precision previously unattained. The radar satellite data will help to pin down the connection between the melting of the polar ice and the rise in sea levels.
The first CryoSat was completed by Astrium in 2005. But because of a technical launcher defect, the satellite plunged into the Arctic Ocean during the launch attempt in October 2005. A few months later, ESA decided to build the satellite again. the design and configuration of CryoSat-2 are mainly based on CryoSat-1. Nevertheless, as many as 85 modifications are implemented in CryoSat-2.
Polar ice as a climate factor
Polar ice plays a key role in regulating the global climate. Despite being thousands of kilometres away from the most inhabited areas, the ice has a profound effect on the climate in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Three aspects are most important:
Firstly, the polar ice reflects a large portion of the sun's light. As polar ice melts, less sunlight is reflected, leading to the polar regions becoming warmer. Consequently, more ice begins to melt and the reflective capacity is further reduced. This could result in a self-accelerating cycle of global warming.
Secondly, open water radiates a large quantity of heat during the night. Thick sea-ice has a negative effect on this. To a certain extent, it acts as a thermal blanket and therefore plays a significant part in regulating the heat balance of the Earth.
Thirdly, melting polar ice can greatly affect the ocean currents with unforeseen consequences for the climate. They act as giant heat pumps, distributing the energy stored in the oceans around the globe. The best known example is the Gulf Stream, which transports warm water from the tropical latitudes across the Atlantic to northern Europe.
Radar provides more detailed views of ice
CryoSat-2 will circle the Earth in a polar orbit at an altitude of 720 kilometres. The special on-board radar instrument will provide data to determine the thickness and circumference of the polar ice sheets and sea-ice cover. Earlier radar satellites, such as the European ERS 1 and 2 or Envisat, are only equipped with a single antenna which enables them to gather information about uniform ice surfaces over a large area. CryoSat-2, on the other hand, has two antennas. Similar to the way in which humans, with two eyes, can see in 3-D, CryoSat's double radar will be able to scan the surface very precisely. This is called radar interferometry.
With this system, an average accuracy of one to three centimetres can be reached. Thus it can also collect data on non-homogeneous ice structures with very steep sides in the polar seas, glaciers or ice sheets. CryoSat-2's radar altimeter works day or night and can also penetrate clouds. Therefore, it is particularly suited to the research of the large polar ice sheets, which rise up to 4,000 metres above sea level and which are often covered by clouds. The data from the CryoSat mission will provide information about the rate of change of these huge ice sheets.
Astrium and CryoSat-2
Astrium, as the prime contractor for CryoSat-2, is responsible for a consortium of around 25 companies. Astrium in Friedrichshafen is building the satellite platform and integrating all instruments. Ultimately, Astrium is responsible to ESA for the reliability of the whole satellite. The industrial contract is valued at approximately €75 million.
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2006, Astrium had a turnover of €3.2 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are: the business units Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure and Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment, and its wholly owned subsidiary Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2006, EADS generated revenues of €39.4 billion and employed a workforce of more than 116, 000.
Media Contact: Mathias Pikelj +49 (0) 7545 8 91 23
- CryoSat-2 figures
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- TerraSAR-X scheduled for launch from Baikonur on 27 February 2007
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German Radar Satellite will deliver New-Quality Radar Data
Friedrichshafen/Cologne, November 23, 2006 - The German radar satellite TerraSAR-X will be launched from Baikonur on February 27th, 2007 on a Dnepr-1 rocket. This new launch date has now been announced by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), its industrial partners Astrium GmbH and Infoterra GmbH, responsible for the commercial exploitation of TerraSAR-X data.
The launch originally planned for October 31st, 2006, had to be shifted after an unsuccessful launch of a rocket of the same type last summer. Meanwhile the single cause of this launch mishap has been resolved, and, after considering all necessary preparatory activities, February 27th has been selected as the new launch date.
“Our business is already very strong: distribution partners and customers around the world are eagerly waiting for the first datasets” says Joerg Herrmann, managing director of Infoterra GmbH. “Currently, we expect to be able to deliver the first preliminary data products to selected clients even prior to the spacecraft being fully operational”.
TerraSAR-X is designed to become fully operational after 5½ months. Prior to this, scientists will support the mission calibration activities. “Within the last year, we have received more than 200 proposals for scientific use of this new-quality data,” says Achim Roth, TerraSAR-X Science Coordinator at DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen. “We are convinced that numerous interesting and promising developments will evolve in the next years – all based on TerraSAR-X data.”
TerraSAR-X is the first German satellite to be built in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between DLR and EADS Astrium. Europe’s leading satellite system specialist, EADS Astrium contributes to the cost of development, construction and deployment of the spacecraft. The scientific exploitation of TerraSAR-X data will be conducted by DLR, while Infoterra GmbH is responsible for the commercial marketing. Circling the Earth on a polar orbit at an altitude of 514 kilometers, TerraSAR-X – with its active antenna – will collect new-quality X-band radar data of the entire planet. The satellite will operate irrespective of weather conditions, cloud coverage, and illumination - and will be capable of delivering data at a resolution of up to 1 metre.
DLR is Germany's national research centre for aeronautics and space. Its extensive research and development work is integrated into national and international cooperative ventures. As Germany's Space Agency, the German federal government has given DLR responsibility for the forward planning and implementation of the German space programme as well as international representation of Germany's interests. Throughout the TerraSAR-X Mission, the DLR will run the so-called ground segment. This encompasses the infrastructure that is required to control the satellite in orbit as well as the complete value adding chain: ordering, data acquisition, data reception, image processing, archiving and delivery. www.dlr.de
Infoterra GmbH was launched in 2001 for the purpose of exclusively pursuing the exploitation of TerraSAR-X. The company is responsible for marketing not only TerraSAR-X data, but geo-information products and services derived from, or based upon, this data as well. Infoterra GmbH employs a workforce of 30 in Friedrichshafen and is part of the Infoterra Group, which comprises companies in France, Germany and the United Kingdom with more than 300 employees and a turnover of 50 Mio Euro per year. www.infoterra.de
EADS Astrium is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment. EADS Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, which is dedicated to providing civil and defense space systems. www.space.eads.net
For further information and imagery, please visit www.terrasar.de and www.eid.dlr.de/tsx/start_ge.htm or contact:
Infoterra GmbH Communications Mareike Doepke, T: +49 7545 8 3924, F: +49 75454 8 1337, mareike.doepke@infoterra-global.com, www.infoterra.de
EADS SPACE Media Relations, Germany Mathias Pikelj, T: +49 7545 8 9123, F: +49 7545 8 5589, mathias.pikelj@astrium.eads.ne, www.space.eads.net
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. Public Relations Dr. Niklas Reinke, T: +49 228 447 394, F: +49 228 447 386, niklas.reinke@dlr.de
- Europas neuer Wettersatellit Metop ist jetzt gestartet
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- Sojus-Rakete bringt von Astrium gebauten Satelliten in den Orbit
- Erster europäischer Wettersatellit auf erdnaher Umlaufbahn
- Metop wird bessere Mittel- und Langfristprognosen ermöglichen
Baikonur/Friedrichshafen, 19. Oktober 2006 - Europa hat einen neuen Wettersatelliten im All: Am Donnerstagabend, 22.28 Uhr Ortszeit (18:28 Uhr MESZ) startete in Baikonur, Kasachstan eine Sojus-Trägerrakete mit dem von Astrium gebauten Satelliten Metop. Gut eine Stunde später trennte sich der Satellit in rund 800 km Höhe von der Raketenoberstufe. Metop ist Europas erster, Satellit, der die Erde auf einer niedrigen Umlaufbahn umrundet. Dank seiner Daten, werden mittel- und langfristige Wettervorhersagen genauer und zuverlässiger. Außerdem wird der Satellit einen wertvollen Beitrag zur Klimaforschung leisten.
Astriums Geschäftsbereich Satelliten ist Hauptauftragnehmer für Metop und außerdem für drei der elf Instrumente an Bord des Satelliten verantwortlich. Das meteorologische "Herz" des Satelliten, das so genannte Nutzlastmodul, wurde am Astrium-Standort Friedrichshafen entwickelt und gebaut.
Metop ist der erste von drei Satelliten, die Astrium für die europäische Weltraumorganisation ESA und die europäische Wetterorganisation Eumetsat (Darmstadt) entwickelt und gebaut hat. Die beiden anderen Metop-Satelliten sollen in Abständen von etwa 4,5 Jahren ins Weltall folgen, um einen operationellen Wetterdienst über einen Zeitraum von mindestens 14 Jahren sicherzustellen.
Im Gegensatz zu den bekannten europäischen Wettersatelliten der Meteosat-Reihe, stehen die Metop-Satelliten nicht geostationär in 36.000 Kilometern Höhe über dem Äquator, sondern sie umrunden die Erde in rund 800 km Höhe. Ein Umlauf um die Erde dauert rund 100 Minuten. Während die Meteosats die Wetterentwicklung aus einer globalen Perspektive beobachten, führen die Metop-Satelliten kleinräumige aber sehr genaue Messungen durch. Hauptaufgabe der Satelliten ist die Ermittlung von Temperatur- und Feuchtigkeitsprofilen der Atmosphäre. Darüber hinaus wird Metop Wolken beobachten, die Winde an den Meeresoberflächen messen und den Ozongehalt der Atmosphäre überwachen. Außerdem wird Metop Daten von Mess-Stationen am Boden oder auf den Meeren sammeln und Rettungssignale übermitteln können.
Astriums Geschäftsbereich Satelliten ist Hauptauftragnehmer für den Bau der Metop-Satelliten und führt ein Team von mehr als 50 Unterauftragnehmern. Neben der Gesamtverantwortung zeichnet der Standort Toulouse für das Service-Modul verantwortlich. Astrium in Deutschland (Friedrichshafen) ist verantwortlich für Entwicklung und Bau des Nutzlastmoduls. Dieses beherbergt die elf Messinstrumente, die Systeme für die Kontrolle der Instrumente, für die Formatierung, Verschlüsselung und Speicherung der Messdaten sowie für die Übertragung der Daten zum Boden. Darüber hinaus ist der Standort Friedrichshafen für zwei der Messinstrumente verantwortlich.
Astrium, eine 100-prozentige Tochtergesellschaft der EADS, ist das führende Unternehmen für zivile und militärische Raumfahrtsysteme in Europa. Im Jahr 2005 erreichte Astrium einen Umsatz von 2,7 Milliarden EURO und beschäftigte rund 11.000 Mitarbeiter in Frankreich, Deutschland, Großbritannien und Spanien. Astrium hat zwei Geschäftsbereiche: "Space Transportation" für Trägerraketen und orbitale Infrastruktur und "Satelliten" für Satelliten und Bodeninfrastruktur. Die Astrium Tochtergesellschaft "Astrium Services" entwickelt und liefert Satellitendienstleistungen.
Der EADS-Konzern ist ein global führender Anbieter in der Luft- und Raumfahrt, im Verteidigungsgeschäft und den dazugehörigen Dienstleistungen. Im Jahr 2005 lag der Umsatz bei rund 34,2 Milliarden EURO, die Zahl der Mitarbeiter bei mehr als 113.000.
Pressekontakt:
Mathias Pikelj, + 49 (0) 162 29 49 666
- First MetOp launch scheduled for 17th of October
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- First European weather satellite to operate from low Earth orbit
2006 - MetOp is scheduled for launch by Starsem on the 17th of October, using a Soyuz rocket. Astrium Satellites business unit is the satellite prime contractor and responsible for three of the eleven instruments on board the spacecraft.
Combined operations with the launcher have been restarted and the satellite has been encapsulated into the fairing. Since the end of August a thirty strong Astrium launch campaign team has been working on the MetOp launch campaign in Baikonur.
MetOp is the first in a series of three satellites built by the Astrium Satellites business unit for the European Space Agency (ESA) and Europe’s weather satellite organisation EUMETSAT. As partners in this cooperative venture the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in France and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provide payload instruments embarked on the satellite.
MetOp will become Europe’s first polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational meteorology. It represents Europe’s contribution to a new cooperative venture with the United States providing data that will be used to monitor our climate and improve weather forecasting.
The other two satellites in the series to be flown at 4.5-year intervals to ensure an operational service over at least 14 years have been completed except for the integration of a few instruments which have yet to be delivered by the customer. These spacecraft will remain in storage until just prior to their respective launch, when the final instruments will be installed.
MetOp embarks 11 different instruments, which are specifically designed to enable the satellite to achieve its principal mission objectives - meteorological observation and climate monitoring, whilst also supporting other missions including search and rescue and the monitoring of charged particles in the low Earth orbit environment.
Astrium is the satellite prime contractor, and has managed an industrial team of more than 50 contractors. Its is specifically responsible for the satellite system and the satellite service module which is based upon the platform developed in Toulouse for observation satellites and already successfully flown eleven time for various missions (SPOT, ERS, Envisat, Helios).
The MetOp payload module (PLM) is built by Astrium in Germany. It accommodates the instruments and the associated monitoring and control subsystems. The PLM is based on Envisat payload module which was also built by Astrium, Friedrichshafen.
In addition, Astrium in Germany is responsible for two main instruments on MetOp the “Advanced Scatterometer” (ASCAT) and the “GNSS Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding” (GRAS).
ASCAT is an active radar instrument which measures wind speed and direction over the open sea. It also provides data for ice and snow coverage as well as surface moisture. ASCAT measurements are independent of daylight and clouds which is particularly useful in the Polar Regions. ASCAT will scan two 500 kilometre wide corridors and can, therefore, provide almost global coverage within 24 hours.
GRAS, built under the responsibility of Astrium by Saab Ericsson, is a receiver for the signals from the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS). The signals are affected by the atmosphere of the Earth, and after processing provide atmospheric data such as temperature, water vapour and pressure. Furthermore GRAS provides navigation measurement data to support the precise orbit determination of the MetOp satellite.
The Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) was designed and built by Astrium in Portsmouth in the UK for EUMETSAT. MHS scans the Earth’s atmosphere to measure emitted radiation in various spectra bands and from this can determine the water vapour content (clouds, precipitation, humidity) at various altitudes. The first MHS instrument was launched on 19 May 2005 aboard NOAA-N polar-orbiting satellite of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).and is already providing high quality data for global weather forecasters.
EADS SODERN is a major contributor to one of the other instruments.
EADS SODERN has developped and qualified the infrared camera of the IASI instrument. EADS SODERN has been prime contractor for the development of the laser source and has also widely contributed to its manufacturing and qualification. This laser source is the core of the IASI Michelson sounding interferometer. IASI camera has been developped together with the infrared instrument of CALIPSO satellite which has been launched in April 2006. This camera offers a very innovative design based on use of microbolometers arrays resulting in an uncooled focal plane operating at 20°C. The camera aims at easing the interferograms interpretation by getting rid of its cloudy content.
In addition, Astrium at Stevenage designed and built the service module mechanical system for the spacecraft including the structure and propulsion system.
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems. In 2005, Astrium had a turnover of €2.7 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. It has two main business units: Astrium Space Transportation, for launchers and orbital infrastructure, and Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Astrium Services, develops and delivers satellite services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of €34.2 billion and employed a workforce of more than 113,000.
- Metop satellite technical data
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- TerraSAR-X Proves its Suitability for Space
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- German satellite passes the endurance test
- Mission opens up new perspective to Earth observation
- Radar can image one million square kilometres per day
Friedrichshafen/Ottobrunn, 18 September 2006 – TerraSAR-X, the German Earth observation satellite, has successfully demonstrated its suitability for space. This week ends a three-month test campaign at IABG in Ottobrunn, in which the Earth observation satellite has been thoroughly examined under space conditions. In addition to proving its performance and vacuum durability under hot and cold weather conditions, the satellite developed and built by EADS SPACE had to endure extreme vibrations and acoustic loads similar to those encountered during a rocket launch.
“The successful completion of the test series marks an important milestone for this mission”, gladly stated Uwe Minne, Director for Earth Observation and Science of EADS SPACE in Friedrichshafen. “Following the test results we are fully justified in saying that TerraSAR-X will be the best and most powerful ever built space radar sent into space.” Thus, for example, the satellite could image one million square kilometres of the Earth’s surface - with a resolution of three metres - regardless of light or cloud conditions. Minne added that it is planned to launch TerraSAR-X from the Baikonur Cosmodrome this very year.
The satellite will circle the Earth at an altitude of approximately 514 kilometres and will scan the surface of our planet with a radar beam day and night regardless of weather and cloud conditions. It will quickly and reliably deliver data for a wide range of applications, thus opening up completely new opportunities for commercial, public and scientific users. TerraSAR-X is the first national remote sensing satellite built in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). On behalf of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), EADS SPACE, Friedrichshafen, developed and constructed the satellite by contributing substantial company funds. Infoterra, a subsidiary of EADS SPACE, will be responsible for the marketing of data and products. TerraSAR-X is due to operate for five years, and its successor TerraSAR-X2 is already in preparation. Furthermore, it is planned to build a partner satellite, called TanDEM-X, which is to orbit the Earth together with TerraSAR-X. This tandem is planned to produce a spatial elevation model of the whole Earth with unprecedented resolution.
Commercial use requires high-quality data
The starting signal for TerraSAR-X was the signing of the cooperation contract on 25 March 2002. This contract, with a total volume of €102 million, was awarded by DLR to EADS SPACE to develop, build and launch the satellite. The space company contributed company funds amounting to €28 million and, in addition, financed the development of the geo-information products and their marketing. Since then, DLR has set up the ground segment for data reception and satellite commanding. Furthermore, it will perform data processing, archiving and distribution.
Active radar with zoom function
Following its launch on board a Russian-Ukrainian Dnepr-1 launch vehicle (former SS18 long-range rocket), TerraSAR-X will orbit the Earth in approximately 95 minutes at an altitude of about 514 kilometres. During that period, the Earth continues rotating so that the radar can access any spot on Earth within maximally four days (even within two days in 95 per cent of the cases).
The spacecraft will scan the Earth by means of the so-called "Synthetic Aperture Radar" (SAR) method. Compared to images in the visible range, the radar has the following major advantages: Firstly, the radar beam always produces its own exactly defined illumination. This is quite different for optical satellite images where the respective position of the Sun considerably influences the appearance of a landscape. Secondly, the radar operates day and night and, thirdly, it can also peer through clouds. "This is decisive, especially in regions near the equator which are often clouded", explains Wolfgang Pitz, project manager of TerraSAR-X at EADS SPACE in Friedrichshafen.
Another special feature is the technical variant of an active radar. Active in this context means that the beam can be aligned in a slewing range of 20 to 60 degrees. This is not done by mechanically moving the antenna or the complete satellite, but by superimposing many individual radar beams. Thus, the range which can be covered by the instrument is expanded. "With a passive radar we can take a maximum of two images during a fly-over from Munich to Berlin, whilst now we can take up to twenty", states Wolfgang Pitz.
A broad spectrum of applications is offered by the possibility of selecting three degrees of resolution and image size. In ScanSAR mode, at an image swath of 100km, this zoom function allows the observation of details down to a resolution of 16m. The resolution in Stripmap mode (30 km image swath) is 3 metres and even 1 metre in Spotlight mode (5km by 10 km).
This extremely high image resolution was only possible because EADS SPACE's engineers and technicians operated the radar in the so-called X-band spectrum.
In this field, EADS SPACE can look back on many years of experience which it has proven in scientific predecessor projects, such as the SIR-C/X-SAR mission in 1994 and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in 2000. "In this field, we are at the leading edge worldwide" states Wolfgang Pitz.
A variety of applications
Radar data contain a lot of information tailored to meet the needs of every potential user. Commercial areas as well as authorities and scientific institutions will benefit from TerraSAR-X. Infoterra GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, is responsible for commercial data marketing. DLR, as the Federal government's representative, remains the owner of the data and coordinates their scientific use.
Future users may choose one of two variants: Direct Access Partner (DAP) and Direct Access Customer (DAC). They conclude a contract with Infoterra under which they may receive data with their own station. Other commercial users buy the processed data from Infoterra via a secure Internet portal or via telephone. Scientists can obtain data records for selected research projects from DLR.
TerraSAR-X opens up a broad range of applications. Thus, the cloud-independent operation enables rapid and current mapping of large areas, in particular, of extensive wooded and mountain regions. There is a great demand in many countries, also for determining the forest stands and the forestry biomass. Furthermore, the TerraSAR-X data can be used as a relevant contribution of EADS SPACE to the European project to "Global Monitoring for Environment and Security" (GMES).
Reconnaissance is one of the fields of application for TerraSAR-X data: Intelligence services, reconnaissance aircraft and emergency relief organisations benefit from systems offering not only an extremely high resolution but also on-time data acquisition.
Finally, radar maps can also be used for strategic reconnaissance and deployment of soldiers in crisis areas. "In the first year of operation, we will gain a lot of experience and encounter applications we do not even consider at the moment", says Jörg Herrmann, CEO of Infoterra GmbH. New commercial applications will presumably develop from scientific projects which are supported by DLR.
Novel applications are enabled by another specialty of TerraSAR-X: the "Dual Receive Antenna Mode". In this mode, two parts of the antenna are operated like two eyes. This allows the detection of motion on the ground. This feature will be used for measuring the speed of cars on motorways. The long-term objective of such a technology could be a space-based multi-satellite system for the monitoring and guidance of traffic flows.
In addition to the radar instrument onboard of TerraSAR-X a technology demonstrator will make it into orbit. LCT will be used for in-orbit verification of rapid optical data transfer in space. With the instrument, financed by DLR and built by the EADS SPACE subsidiary Tesat Spacecom, a link is to be established between TerraSAR-X and a ground station. Later on, by means of this new type of laser system large quantities of data can be transferred to the ground. A corresponding station on a second satellite would allow a satellite-to-satellite link, enabling a rapid data exchange via relay stations around the world.
The future: TerraSAR-X2 and TanDEM-X
Sustainability is the avowed objective of the TerraSAR-X project. It is not based on a single Earth exploration but on continuous monitoring. The radar in space shall become a regular, operational system similar to the weather satellites that have been operating in space for many years. Thus, the course is set for the successor TerraSAR-X2 which is to be financed from the gain achieved by Infoterra with the TerraSAR-X images. Its launch is scheduled for 2011.
But the development does not stop and TerraSAR-X technology can be used for further applications. Therefore, EADS SPACE will implement the TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement) project on behalf of DLR. It consists of a further satellite, which is similar to TerraSAR-X and is to fly at a distance of between 500 metres and two kilometres from TerraSAR-X. Similar to the human eyes' spatial view, TanDEM-X could capture a three-dimensional elevation model of the Earth. Motions, such as ocean currents, could also be detected. TanDEM-X will also be funded in a PPP model. It could be launched in March 2009.
About EADS SPACE
EADS SPACE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space company), is dedicated to civil and defense space systems. In 2005, EADS SPACE had a turnover of 2.7 billion euros and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. EADS SPACE has three main areas of activity: Launchers and orbital systems, Satellites and ground systems and Services providing civil and military satellite based services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of 34.2 billion euros and employed a workforce of more than 113,000.
About Infoterra
Infoterra GmbH was launched in 2001 for the purpose of exclusively pursuing the commercial exploitation of TerraSAR-X data and derived geo-information products and services. Infoterra GmbH has a workforce of 30 employees in Friedrichshafen and is part of the European Infoterra Group with a total workforce of 300 employees in Germany, the U.K. and France.
- TerraSAR-X at a glance
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- First MetOp ready for launch
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- Launch scheduled for 17th of July
- First European weather satellite to operate from low Earth orbit
- Increasing accuracy in the mid-term forecast
July 13th, 2006 - MetOp is scheduled for launch by Starsem on the 17th of July, using a Soyuz rocket. EADS SPACE is the satellite prime contractor and responsible for three of the eleven instruments on board of the spacecraft.
MetOp is the first in a series of three satellites built by EADS SPACE for the European Space Agency (ESA) and Europe’s weather satellite organisation EUMETSAT. As partners in this cooperative venture the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in France and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provide payload instruments embarked on the satellite.
MetOp will become Europe’s first polar-orbiting satellite dedicated to operational meteorology. It represents Europe’s contribution to a new cooperative venture with the United States providing data that will be used to monitor our climate and improve weather forecasting.
The two other satellites in the series to be flown at 4.5-year intervals to ensure an operational service over at least 14 years have been completed except for the integration of a few instruments which have yet to be delivered by the customer. These spacecraft will remain in storage until just prior to their respective launch, when the final instruments will be installed.
MetOp embarks 11 different instruments, which are specifically designed to enable the satellite to achieve its principal mission objectives - meteorological observation and climate monitoring, whilst also supporting other missions including search and rescue and the monitoring of charged particles in the low Earth orbit environment.
EADS SPACE is the satellite prime contractor, and has managed an industrial team of more than 50 contractors. Its is specifically responsible for the satellite system and the satellite service module which is based upon the platform developed in Toulouse for observation satellites and already successfully flown eleven time for various missions (SPOT, ERS, Envisat, Helios).
The MetOp payload module (PLM) is built by EADS SPACE in Germany. It accommodates the instruments and the associated monitoring and control subsystems. The PLM is based on Envisat payload module which was also built by EADS SPACE, Friedrichshafen.
In addition, EADS SPACE in Germany is responsible for two main instruments on Metop the “Advanced Scatterometer” (ASCAT) and the “GNSS Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding” (GRAS).
ASCAT is an active radar instrument which measures wind speed and direction over the open sea. It also provides data for ice and snow coverage as well as surface moisture. ASCAT measurements are independent of daylight and clouds which is particularly useful in the Polar Regions. ASCAT will scan two 500 kilometre wide corridors and can, therefore, provide almost global coverage within 24 hours.
GRAS, built under the responsibility of EADS SPACE by Saab Ericsson, is a receiver for the signals from the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS). The signals are affected by the atmosphere of the Earth, and after processing provide atmospheric data such as temperature, water vapour and pressure. Furthermore GRAS provides navigation measurement data to support the precise orbit determination of the Metop satellite.
The Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) was designed and built by EADS SPACE in Portsmouth in the UK for EUMETSAT. MHS scans the Earth’s atmosphere to measure emitted radiation in various spectra bands and from this can determine the water vapour content (clouds, precipitation, humidity) at various altitudes. The first MHS instrument was launched on 19 May 2005 aboard NOAA-N polar-orbiting satellite of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).and is already providing high quality data for global weather forecasters.
In addition, EADS SPACE at Stevenage designed and built the service module mechanical system for the spacecraft including the structure and propulsion system.
EADS SPACE is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment.
In 2005 EADS SPACE had a turnover of €2.7 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of €34.2 billion and employed a workforce of more than 113,000.
- MetOp satellite technical data
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- EADS Astrium Strengthens Infoterra Group
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- TanDEM-X : DLR and EADS Astrium release new satellite mission
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- Mapping of the Earth with innovative radar interferometer
- High-precision digital elevation model available as of 2010
- Project financing in a public-private partnership
Berlin/Friedrichshafen, May 17, 2006 – The German Space Agency DLR on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and Europe´s leading satellite manufacturer EADS Astrium today announced at the ILA-Airshow in Berlin its intention to build a new satellite mission called TanDEM-X. Following the official kick-off, development and manufacturing of the new German radar-satellite will now start at EADS Astrium´s Friedrichshafen plant. TanDEM-X is scheduled for launch in 2009. Together with the almost identical radar satellite TerraSAR-X which is to be launched in autumn this year, it will form a high-precision radar interferometer.
Like TerraSAR-X, the TanDEM-X project will be carried out within the scope of a public-private partnership between EADS Astrium GmbH and DLR. It settles the utilisation of data for scientific purposes under the management of the DLR institute for microwaves and radar and for commercial purposes, for which Infoterra GmbH (Friedrichshafen), a subsidiary of EADS Astrium GmbH, is exclusively responsible. The spacecraft will cost approx. 85 Mio. €, Mio. DLR will finance 56 €, EADS Astrium carries 26 Mio. € and three Mio. € will be sourced by marketing of flight opportunities for further payloads.
With the aid of the tandem formation TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X it will be possible to completely measure the Earth's land surface, that is 150 million square kilometres, within a period of only 2.5 years. For a 12m grid (street width), height information can be determined with an accuracy of < 2 meters.
The decisive advantage of a satellite-based Earth measurement is the generation of a world-wide, consistent and homogeneous terrain model with no discontinuity at regional or national borders and no inhomogeneities resulting from different measurement procedures and measurement campaigns staggered in time (mosaics). The radar plays a decisive role here, since it can be operated completely independent of weather and light conditions.
At present, the procedure is unparalleled and receives particular attention in the USA. TanDEM-X is a key project for demonstrating, safeguarding and extending the German competence and competitiveness in the field of satellite-based radar technology.
As of 2010, Germany will possess a digital terrain model of the Earth – an attractive and worldwide unique data product – which can be used in initiatives and programmes, such as the centre for satellite-based crisis information (ZKI - Zentrum für satellitengestützte Kriseninformation), GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems), and also in security-relevant cooperation agreements.
About EADS Astrium
EADS Astrium is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment.
EADS Astrium is a subsidiary of EADS SPACE. In 2005 EADS SPACE had a turnover of €2.7 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of €34.2 billion and employed a workforce of more than 113,000.
About DLR:
DLR is Germany's national research centre for aeronautics and space. Its extensive research and development work is integrated into national and international cooperative ventures. As Germany's Space Agency, the German federal government has given DLR responsibility for the forward planning and implementation of the German space programme as well as international representation of Germany's interests. Approximately 5 100 people work for DLR; the center has 31 institutes and facilities at eight locations in Germany: Cologne (headquarters), Berlin, Bonn, Brunswick, Goettingen, Lampoldshausen, Oberpfaffenhofen and Stuttgart. DLR also has offices in Brussels, Paris and Washington, D.C.
Contacts for the media:
Rémi ROLAND, EADS SPACE (FR) +33 1 42 24 27 34
Jeremy CLOSE, EADS SPACE (UK) +44 1438 773872
Mathias Pikelj, EADS SPACE (GER) +49 7545 8 9123, +46 162 29 49 666 mobile
Eduard Müller, German Aerospace Centre (DLR) +49 2203 601 3285, +49 173 530 7026
- 10.000 agriculteurs pilotent leurs cultures à partir d’images satellite
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- Meteosat Second Generation 2 – Unprecedented weather forecasting accuracy thanks to the SEVIRI imager
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- First meeting of ESA’s SMOS Validation and Retrieval Team
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November 24, 2005 – The Validation and Retrieval Team for the European Space Agency’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) programme, a group of more than 70 scientists from around the world, held their first meeting (in Avila, Spain, on 21–24 November 24) to consider a series of proposals for exploiting data collected by the SMOS mission.
The SMOS programme, the second Earth Explorer Opportunity mission selected under ESA’s Living Planet programme, has been designed to observe and monitor two important variables of the Earth’s climate system – soil moisture over landmasses and salinity over the oceans. These two parameters are of key interest as they are fundamental for understanding the planet’s global water cycle, and thus for the creation of atmospheric, oceanographic and hydrological prediction models. The basis for the project, which dates back some years, was the brainchild of two scientific research institutes, the French CESBIO and the Spanish SCIC; subsequently the programme has attracted the involvement of over 45 institutions, agencies and universities from 17 countries, all of which sent representatives to the conference in Avila.
EADS Astrium Spain has designed the technical specifications for and is building the mission’s single-instrument payload, the innovative two-dimensional interferometer MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis), which should start delivering data by the end of 2007.
During their visit, the SMOS Validation and Retrieval Team had the opportunity to view the Flight Model of this instrument, which is under construction at EADS Astrium’s Barajas site in Madrid. The Engineering Model successfully passed qualification tests, carried out at ESTEC in The Netherlands during the summer this year. In 2006, the Flight Model will be integrated onto the satellite’s Proteus platform and further tests will be undertaken. The launch of the SMOS satellite is scheduled for March 2007 on-board a Rockot launcher.
EADS Astrium is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment.
EADS Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, which is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems. In 2004 EADS SPACE had a turnover of €2.6 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of €31.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 110,000.
Contact:
Francisco Lechón (Spain) +34-91-586-3741
- EADS Astrium selected for Swarm Satellites
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- Three satellites to investigate the geomagnetic field
- Precise 'views' inside the Earth
- Launch of satellite constellation planned for 2010
Friedrichshafen, November 17, 2005 – EADS Astrium has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build three satellites for the Swarm mission. The satellites, worth approximately €86 million, will be manufactured within 48 months.
The Swarm mission will provide the most detailed data yet on the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution, giving new insights into improving our knowledge of the Earth's interior and climate. The three Swarm spacecraft are scheduled for launch in 2010.
The Swarm constellation will comprise three satellites in three different polar orbits - two flying side by side at an altitude of 450 km and a third at an altitude of 530 km. High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variations of the Earth's magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide valuable data essential for modelling the geomagnetic field. The results will offer a unique view from space inside the Earth, and enable the composition and processes of the interior to be studied in detail.
This mission will also enable analysis of the Sun's influence on the Earth. In addition, it is expected that Swarm will have practical benefits including better forecasting of radiation hazards in space, and improved navigation and exploration for new resources on Earth.
"We are very proud that ESA has placed its confidence in us for this mission. EADS Astrium, in particular at Friedrichshafen, has a long and successful track record in designing and developing magnetically clean systems, and in the UK at Stevenage has an equally impressive record in producing satellite structures and propulsion systems." said Dr. Reinhold Lutz, EADS Astrium's Vice President for Earth Observation, Navigation and Science.
EADS Astrium will set up a German-UK team for Swarm. The Friedrichshafen site will be prime contractor for the project, prepare the electrical design of the satellites, procure the instruments and finally assume overall responsibility for the satellites. EADS Astrium UK will be responsible for the propulsion system, structure, mechanical and thermal development, mechanisms (including the deployable boom with the key scientific instruments) and pre-integration of the satellites. Most of the work will be carried out in Stevenage with some specialist skills coming from the Portsmouth site.
As early as in the late seventies, the Friedrichshafen-based Astrium developed ISEE-B, a satellite for magnetic field research in far-Earth space. Advances continued with the four-satellite Cluster formation operating in space since 2000, the year which also saw the launch of the low Earth orbit Champ satellite, developed according to an Astrium design.
From a technical point of view, Champ and Cryosat are direct predecessors of Swarm. EADS Astrium has therefore been able to build on the proven technology of these projects for system design, specific sub-systems as well as test facilities and procedures.
Swarm is the next logical step in magnetic field research taking over from the Champ mission which is due to finish at the end of 2008.
EADS Astrium is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment.
EADS Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, which is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems. In 2004 EADS SPACE had a turnover of €2.6 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of €31.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 110,000.
Contacts for the media:
Remi Roland, EADS SPACE (FR) +33 (0) 1 42 24 27 34
Jeremy Close, EADS SPACE (UK) +44 (0) 1438 77 38 72
Mathias Pikelj, EADS SPACE (GER) +49 (0) 7545 8 9123
- CryoSat – The 'icy' mission starts to heat up
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- ASTRIUM OPTICAL AND RADAR INSTRUMENTS SERVING METEOROLOGY FOR 30 YEARS
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- ASTRIUM SELECTED FOR AEOLUS
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- Spot
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- Satellite imagery for global solutions
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Astrium’s Spot multi-mission platform series, initially designed for the French space agency, CNES, is now used for a total of 15 European Low Earth Orbit Earth observation satellites, including the Helios military reconnaissance satellites, the ERS radar satellites, the Envisat Polar Platform and the polar-orbiting Metop spacecraft.
Built under the prime contractorship of Astrium, four Spot satellites are currently in operational use, allowing a daily observation of virtually any point of the globe at a 10-metre resolution. Spot 5 (launched in 2002) provides 2.5 metre resolution images over a large swath. Astrium was responsible for the platform and high-resolution imaging system on all Spot satellites.
Astrium also financed, jointly with CNES and Spot Image, the high-resolution stereoscopic instrument HRS flown on Spot 5. HRS generates digital elevation models for 3D mapping applications.
Astrium holds a 81% share in Spot Image which provides global imaging services.
- GOCE
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- Surfing the Earth’s gravity field
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The Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission is the first in the European Space Agency’s Earth Explorer Core Missions within the framework of the Living Planet (Earth observation envelope) programme.
It will complement the existing Champ and Grace missions. GOCE’s mission objective is to provide models of the Earth’s gravity field and of its equipotential reference surface on a global scale with high spatial resolution and very high accuracy. This will help to extend understanding not only of the Earth’s interior structure and seismic processes but also of aspects such as ocean circulation, ice sheet topography and evolution and thus global sea-level change. The GOCE satellite was launched by a Rockot vehicle from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia on 17 March 2009.
Astrium, a member of the core team of partners for the project selected by ESA under the prime contractorship of Thales Alenia Space, is responsible for the development of the platform.
- Pleïades
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- The next generation in observation satellites
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Pleïades is the CNES (French national space agency) programme designed as the follow-on to its highly successful Spot series of low Earth orbit (LEO) multi-mission observation satellites, which has operated an uninterrupted service since 1986 and whose platform is currently also in use for nearly all European LEO Earth observation programmes (notably ERS, Envisat, MetOp and Helios). The high-resolution Pleïades global constellation will be based on smaller, cheaper and more agile satellites, and is being developed as the optical component of the dual Orfeo programme, with the Italian Cosmo-Skymed system providing the radar component; key programme drivers are a focus on technological innovation, increased dual-use capability and closer European co-operation. The first Pleïades launch (a pair satellites for sub-metric-resolution observation) is planned for 2010 with the second a year later.
Astrium is prime contractor for the Pleïades satellite bus, including all functions dedicated to satellite control and monitoring as well as payload data handling and transmission, and is responsible for software development and satellite validation.
- Aeolus
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- Wind monitoring
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The aim of ESA’s Earth Explorer Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM-Aeolus), scheduled for launch in 2009, is to provide global observations of three-dimensional wind fields, which will improve current wind-profiling and thus atmospheric modelling and analysis techniques, benefiting operational weather forecasting and climate research.
ADM-Aeolus will gather data using the active Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) method, whereby an active instrument emits laser pulses into the atmosphere and measures the Doppler shift of the collected return signal, backscattered at different levels in the atmosphere, creating a wind profile showing the relative strength and direction of winds at different altitudes, as well as moisture and dust levels in the atmosphere.
Aeolus’ instrument is Aladin (Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument), a direct detection lidar incorporating a fringe-imaging receiver (analysing aerosol and cloud backscatter) and a double-edge receiver (analysing molecular backscatter). The mission is named after the mortal in Greek legend appointed by the gods as keeper of the winds.
Astrium is prime contractor for the mission, and also responsible for the ADM-Aeolus instrument Aladin (Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument), platform electrical architecture and subsystems.
- Media corner
- CryoSat-2
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- The satellite with an icy mission
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The CryoSat environmental and climate monitoring satellite is one of the Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions of the European Space Agency’s Living Planet programme, created in 1998. This science-driven programme aims to provide critical data to address pressing environmental questions. It involves Core Missions, comprising relatively complex and innovative Earth observation satellites, and Opportunity Missions, using more mature technology, thus allowing speedier implementation.
A radar altimetry mission dedicated to the observation of the polar regions, CryoSat will study possible climate variations and trends by measuring changes in the thickness of ice sheets and polar ocean sea-ice cover (which play a significant role in the global climate) for at least three years with unprecedented accuracy, providing researchers with previously unavailable data from these uninhabited regions.
After a launcher malfunction unfortunately resulted in the total loss of the initial CryoSat satellite in the autumn of 2005, ESA decided to rebuild the satellite. Cryosat-2 is expected to be launched in 2009.
As for the original CryoSat satellite, Astrium is prime contractor to ESA for CryoSat-2, responsible for the satellite platform and integration of all instruments.
- Envisat
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- Europe's 'eco-policeman' in space
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Europe's largest and most complex Earth observation satellite, the ENVIronmental SATellite, Envisat, was launched in 2002 by an Ariane 5 into an 800-km polar orbit. This European Space Agency satellite is helping scientists gain a better understanding of the effects of global warming, El Niño, climatic changes and the depletion of the ozone layer, as well as variations in ocean-levels, ice caps, vegetation and the composition of the atmosphere.
Development and construction of the 8,200 kg spacecraft took more than 10 years, and involved almost 100 companies in 14 countries. Astrium sites in the UK, Germany and France all participated in the programme: Astrium UK was the prime contractor for the Polar Platform and two of the major instruments; Astrium Germany held overall responsibility for the instruments, the payload equipment bay and two instruments; and Astrium France supplied the service module and other instruments.
- ERS
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- Earth observation, day or night
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