Orbital Sciences has selected Vienna based Ruag Space to deliver two space-hardened GPS receivers to be equipped on Nasa’s ICESat-2 Earth observation mission.
Orbited at low altitude of around 500km above the Earth’s surface, the Orbital designed, manufactured and tested satellite for Nasa will perform critical measurements of Earth’s polar ice sheets.
According to RUAG Space, major task among various data being monitored and recorded from space include tracking the variations in the condition and amount of the ice sheets covering Greenland and the Antarctic, which will assist in assessing the global effects of climate change.
Since 2010, following the retirement of the first US satellite ICESat-1, Icebridge mission had been gathering airborne remote sensing data through an aircraft fleet featuring various measuring instruments, further assuring the continuity of the measurements.
Commencing from 2016, ICESat-2 satellite will perform the measurement tasks from space.
Featuring an enhanced multi-beam laser altimeter system, the satellite is expected to offer highly précised measurements of ice sheet thickness, which would allow scientists to generate high-resolution maps depending on the existing topographical information.
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By GlobalDataThe new GPS receivers can perform simultaneous processing of signals received in two different frequency bands and deliver accurate positioning data, further allowing the onboard instruments to provide data precised to less than 2m.
Delivery of the two navigation instruments for the ICESat-2 mission is expected in February 2014.
RUAG Space has also supplied GPS signal receivers to ESA and the EC, to support the European SWARM, Sentinel 1/2/3 and EarthCARE missions.
