CryoSat-2 set to shed new light on climate change

To pin down this location in the foreand aft-direction, SIRAL uses a synthetic aperture technique to measure the angle of signal on arrival. To do this at Earth’s poles, CryoSat-2 must fly at an unusually high inclination, reaching latitudes of 88˚ north and south. This is greater than any satellite currently in space and will result in an additional area coverage of 4.6 million km2 – more than the area covered by all 27 EU member countries.

Fixed panels of solar arrays power CryoSat-2. ’This is another unusual feature,’ added Francis. ’Other satellites have solar arrays that are rotating on an arm so they constantly face the sun. With CryoSat, we wanted to reduce the number of moving parts. This is partly because they are susceptible to failure, but also because they are expensive. In the 1980s, we used to say every single moving mechanism, be it a hinge or whatever, will cost you at least £1m. I’m sure that’s even more today.’