The first ESA Earth Explorer Opportunity Mission

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Earth Observation Programmes Directorate
CryoSat A satellite to monitor Ice Thickness and
Topography

• The first ESA Earth Explorer Opportunity Mission

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Earth Observation Programmes Directorate
CryoSat

• Mission Objective
• Predicting future climate and sea level depends
  on knowledge of changes in marine and land ice
  mass fluxes.
• Temporal and spatial resolution of presently
  available observations are insufficient.
  Satellite observations are only way to provide
  the required measurements on the global scale
  with the necessary temporal sampling.
• The CryoSat mission objective is to measure these
  changes to within the limit set by natural
  variability.

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Earth Observation Programmes Directorate
CryoSat main parameters

• Mission Duration 3.5 years
• Mission Orbit LEO, non sun-synchronous Mean
  altitude 717 Km Inclination 92

Payload SIRAL (SAR/Interferometric Radar
Altimeter) operating in 3 modes Low-Resolution
Mode (over central ice caps and oceans)  SAR
Mode improves along-track resolution (250
m) over sea ice   SAR Interferometric Mode
(over topographic surfaces at the margins of
ice caps. DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and
Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite) (for
precise orbit determination) LRR (Laser
RetroReflector) (for precise orbit determination)
Dimensions Mass Data generated
on-board 4.60 x 2.34 x 2.20 m 711 kg
320 Gbit/day
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Earth Observation Programmes Directorate
CryoSat

• Present Status
• Space Segment is currently in the middle of Phase
  C/D(i.e. development / production phase).
• Ground Segment development is in progress for
  both flight operations and data processing
  activities.
• Procurement of the launch services has been
  initiated.
• All industrial partners have been selected via
  open competitions.
• Future Planning
• Integration of the proto-flight model is planned
  to start end spring 2003.
• Predicted launch date is end June 2004.

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Earth Observation Programmes Directorate
CryoSat Project Organisation in Phases C/D/E1