SSTL is supplying the EarthCARE Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) instrument for ESA’s EarthCARE mission. With spacecraft prime being EADS Astrium GmbH, EarthCARE is a joint European-Japanese mission, addressing the need for a better understanding of the interactions between cloud, radiative and aerosol processes that play a role in climate regulation.

Scientists agree that the knowledge of processes involving clouds, aerosol and radiation is far too limited. A better understanding of these processes could for example lead to more reliable climate predictions and weather forecasts. The objective of the EarthCARE mission is the observation of clouds and aerosols from low Earth orbit. The MSI instrument will provide information on the horizontal variability of the atmospheric conditions, to identify e.g. cloud type, textures, and temperature, and will form Earth images in seven spectral bands: one visible (VIS), one near-IR (NIR), two short-wave IR (SWIR) and three thermal IR (TIR).

The images of the Earth are captured and data recorded by two cameras – the VNS camera (covering the VIS, NIR and SWIR bands) and the TIR camera. The VNS and TIR cameras are part of the MSI Optical Bench Module (OBM) which is mounted on an external spacecraft panel, connected via a harness to the MSI Instrument Control Unit (ICU). The MSI ICU is located within the interior of the satellite and is being developed by SEA (Bristol). A CAD image of the MSI OBM is shown in Figure 1.

The TIR camera is being developed by SSTL with support from ABSL (Oxford) for the TIR blackbody and University of Reading for the filters and dichroics. An expanded view of the TIR camera showing the major building blocks of the camera is shown below (see Figure 2). The VNS camera is being developed by TNO with support from XenICs for the VNS detectors.

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The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded SSTL with a Micro Heat Management System Study to identify innovative techniques to manage heat in nano/micro satellites (defined as having a volume smaller than 400×400×400 mm). The objective is to find recommendations on low cost heat management systems that can be used in a modular fashion.

NEOMEx is a programme for development of a new nano-satellite bus through the use of a system of microsystems such as the Micro Heat Management System. The aim of NEOMEx is to provide a low cost, low mass and readily adaptable spacecraft system as a solution to numerous mission types. An ESA study known as NanoSat is a potential mission concept example, as an application of a modular and configurable nano spacecraft.

Heat generated by all electronic devices and circuitry must be dispersed and ultimately radiated to Space in order to avoid overheating and to prevent premature failure in satellites and space systems. With heat management systems taking up volume, mass and power, there is a particular challenge in finding systems for dispersing heat in nano- and micro-satellites because their designs are dependent on using as little of these resources as possible. There is an increased interest in nano satellites from ESA and other organisations, as they offer more economical missions with ever increasing capabilities, making it even more important to find useful solutions with a small size in mind.

A lot of time, and therefore money, is usually spent designing thermal control systems that are used for just one particular satellite system. The SSTL led Heat Management System Study will for 15 months look at different innovative techniques to find the most effective design that can be reused repeatedly within ESA’s NEOMEx and similar programs.

You may have heard of the severe flooding taking place in the UK within the last few weeks, fortunately only as part of a simulation conducted by the Environment Agency for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh Assembly. Known as ‘Exercise Watermark’, the exercise was conducted to test the arrangements and response to severe, wide-area flooding across England and Wales.

The simulation formed the perfect opportunity for a DMCii led team of space experts to observe and participate in the practical aspects of a disaster to see how data and services from space could be used to improve UK emergency response.

During a disaster, such as severe flooding, space-based services can provide disaster response teams with up-to-date satellite maps and asset tracking capabilities to improve their situational awareness. Damaged or overloaded communications infrastructure on the ground can be reinforced using satellite telecommunications. ‘Exercise Watermark’ provided the team with a unique first-hand view of how a disaster is handled on the ground. Adina Gillespie, DMCii Project Manager pointed out:

“We know the contingency community doesn’t need to understand whizzy gadgetry, so now we’re asking ourselves how can we incorporate information from space assets seamlessly into their existing disaster response procedures”.

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SSTL has taken delivery of a Search and Rescue Antenna (SARANT) for use to support the development of the fully operational satellites that will power Europe’s new satellite navigation system.

An important milestone, this is the first payload equipment to be delivered to SSTL since it was selected by the European Space Agency to deliver the navigation payloads for the first 14 satellites in the system just over a year ago. SSTL’s partner OHB-System in Germany is prime contractor, building the satellite bus for these satellites.

As part of a Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), Europe’s new sat-nav service will provide highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning, including specialised rescue services. Consisting of 30 satellites in 56 degrees inclined circular Medium-Earth-Orbits, the baseline is a constellation with 9 equally spaced satellites (plus one spare) per orbit.

The newly delivered Search & Rescue antenna will be used by SSTL in the full engineering model of the payload.

The Search and Rescue Payload on the satellites will relay distress and co-ordination messages from the COSPAS-SARSAT Search and Rescue service. The diagram below shows a fully operational satellite with the SARANT visible on top.

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