Airbus starts manufacturing for Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow survey mission CRISTAL
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany - It has been an eventful few months for the Polar Ice and Snow monitoring mission CRISTAL. After successfully completing the Critical Design Review in July – a key milestone to confirm the robustness of the design and technical capabilities of the spacecraft – Airbus has now officially started manufacturing and assembling of the satellite, Airbus reports. Continue reading original article.
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4 November 2024 -The European Space Agency's CRISTAL mission, funded by the European Commission, uses advanced IRIS altimeters to measure sea ice thickness, ice sheet elevations, and snow coverage, enhancing climate data and supporting maritime operations in polar regions.
The 1.7-ton CRISTAL spacecraft is built on a reliable Airbus satellite design, drawing from Sentinel-6 and CryoSat technology. Eight solar arrays, totaling 18 m², supply power for its 699 km polar orbit. With an on-board capacity of 4 terabits, it will collect extensive scientific data over its 7.5-year mission.
"Now that we have completed the design phase, the first elements of the satellite are taking shape in our clean room. The integration and test of the platform will last for a few months. Our objective is to be ready to welcome the first payload, the microwave radiometer, in spring next year followed by the IRIS altimeter," said Raphaël Caille, CRISTAL Project Manager at Airbus.
Related: MDA Space taps Airbus to provide solar arrays for its satellite constellation
Related: NASA selects Rocket Lab USA to launch PREFIRE polar observation mission
Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
