A new chapter in Earth observation began at XX.XX CEST on 8 October 2005, when Europe’s CryoSat lifted off from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. The 711-kg spacecraft is the first of ESA’s Earth Explorer missions – a new series of satellites that will study major changes taking place on our planet.
Cryosat was placed in a 720 km near-polar orbit by a Rockot launcher, the first time ESA has used one of these vehicles. Part of ESA’s Living Planet programme, Cryosat will spend three years making the most accurate measurements of the polar ice caps in history.
Its radar altimeter will detect changes of only a few centimetres in the thickness of the ice sheets on land and sea. This information is vital since the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps play a crucial role in the planet’s climate.
Many scientists fear that global warming will melt much of the ice over the next few decades. This could dramatically alter the ocean currents in the North Atlantic that keep western Europe warm in winter.
“With CryoSat and the whole Living Planet programme, ESA is providing the tools to address the concerns of all Europeans regarding climate change and the future of life on Earth,” said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA’s Director General.
Five more Earth Explorer missions are planned. They will study many different aspects of the environment. These include ocean circulation, soil moisture and ocean salinity (salt content), global winds, the Earth’s magnetic field, and the effect of cloud cover on incoming solar radiation.
