- Astrium-built research satellite ready for launch
-
Astrium has proven the satellite is “space qualified”
- The satellite will provide data on ice coverage in 3D
François
Auque, CEO of Astrium, Europe’s largest
space company, is a keen supporter of the mission: “For the first time a
European satellite built by Astrium will provide accurate data on the volume
of ice coverage. It will give scientists a global overview and enable them
to compile a detailed picture on how and where the ice is melting. It is an
important advance in the assessment of climate change and demonstrates how industrial
technologies benefit everyone on Earth.”
Astrium
is the prime contractor for CryoSat-2 with responsibility for an industrial
consortium consisting of approximately 31 companies from 17 countries including
Thales Alenia Space for the SIRAL instrument. Astrium in Friedrichshafen built the satellite platform
and integrated all the instruments. Astrium is also responsible to ESA for the
reliability of the whole satellite. The industrial contract volume is valued at
approximately €75 million.
CryoSat-2,
completed in September 2009, has now reached another milestone on its way to
space. In a test campaign conducted at IABG for Astrium which lasted for several
months, Astrium has proved that the satellite is “space qualified” and ready for
use in space. In December of this year, CryoSat-2 will be transported to the
Russian Space Centre in Baikonur (Kazakhstan) to be launched for its
icy mission in early 2010.
CryoSat
is intended mainly to measure the polar ice sheets and the sea-ice cover which together
greatly affect the radiation balance on Earth. If the ice caps on Greenland and
Antarctica melt significantly, the runoff could
cause changes to the great ocean currents with unforeseen consequences for the world’s
climate.
For at
least three and a half years, CryoSat will measure the ice coverage at the
Earth's poles with previously unattained precision. The satellite will be able
to precisely measure the sea-ice thickness and with the help of its two radar
antennas, the changes at the land-ice margins. In addition, the radar satellite
data will help determine the connection between the melting of the polar ice caps
and the rise in sea levels.
Astrium and ESA's
"Living Planet" Earth research programme
CryoSat is a so-called Earth-Explorer mission within ESA's
"Living Planet" Earth research programme and the first radar mission
specifically investigating the polar ice masses. Astrium is also involved in other Earth Explorer satellite missions. It is the prime
contractor for the EarthCARE Earth observation satellite which is currently being built
and for the three-satellite Swarm mission for investigating the Earth's magnetic
field. Furthermore, Astrium supplied the platform for GOCE which has been successfully
"surfing" the Earth's gravitational field since March 2009. Astrium
is also the prime contractor for the ADM-Aeolus wind mission for which it is responsible for developing the Aladin instrument. Additionally, Astrium has
developed and built the Miras payload for the SMOS mission for the observation
of soil moisture and salinity over the oceans. From spring 2010, CryoSat-2 will
be the third Earth Explorer in space together with GOCE (2009) and the SMOS
mission which is due to be launched in November this year.
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:
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
Mass:
720 kg
Dimensions: 4.6
x 2.34 x 2.2 m
Payload: Radar altimeter (SIRAL)
Data
receiver (DORIS)
Laser retro-reflector
Star
trackers (3)
Height
resolution: 1 to 3 cm
Horizontal
resolution: approx. 300 m
Industrial
contract:
approx.
75 million euros
Mission duration: at least 3.5 years
Orbit: 720 km altitude,
92
degrees inclination
Planned
launch date: early 2010
