ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite is a prototype mission that aims to improve weather forecasts in the Arctic - a region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts.
The satellite will build on existing Arctic monitoring satellites and will provide precise, short-term weather forecasts for the Arctic region. It is equipped with a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer which will provide high-resolution humidity and temperature soundings of the atmosphere in all weather conditions.
The Arctic Weather Satellite is the forerunner of a potential constellation of satellites, called EPS-Sterna, that ESA would build for Eumetsat if the first prototype Arctic Weather Satellite performs well.
The constellation would supply an almost constant stream of temperature and humidity data from every location on Earth. This would, for the first time, allow for very short-range weather forecasting, or ’nowcasting’, in the Arctic. Meteorologists would use the mission to improve weather forecasts around the world.
The Arctic Weather Satellite mission will support research into climate change. Climate change is occurring at a faster pace in the Arctic compared to other parts of the world and these rapid changes are affecting the Earth system as a whole.
Embracing the concept of New Space, the Arctic Weather Satellite was developed and built on a very tight schedule. It took just 36 months from ESA awarding the industrial prime contract to OHB in Sweden to the satellite being completed.
From OHB’s premises in Sweden, the satellite will be shipped to SpaceX’s launch site in Vandenberg, California, in April. The satellite is scheduled to launch on a rideshare mission no earlier than June 2024.
Programme
The schedule of the event is planned as follows:11:45 - 12:30 Check-in and lunch
12:30 Opening of Arctic Weather Satellite send-off event
- Welcoming words, OHB Sweden
- Mats Persson, Swedish Minister for Education
- Romina Pourmokhtari, Swedish Minister for Climate and the Environment
- Josef Aschbacher, Director General, ESA
- Joakim Kugelberg, Arctic Weather Satellite Project Manager OHB Sweden, and Ville Tuomas Kangas, Arctic Weather Satellite Project Manager ESA
- Anna Rathsman, Director General, Swedish National Space Agency
- Christian Bank, EUMETSAT Director Programme Preparation and Development
- Wrap-up of speaker session, OHB Sweden
13:30 - 14:00 Q&A session with Subject Matter Experts
14:00 - 16:00 Cleanroom tour and interview opportunities
16:00 End of programme
Participants include:
- Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes, ESA
- Dominique Gillieron, Head of Earth Observation Projects Department, ESA
- Graeme Mason, Meteorological Programmes Manager, ESA
Accreditation
Media representatives are invited to register by Thursday 28 March by selecting and completing the relevant form at https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-formIn case of questions please (+46 73-2038610) or media@esa.int.
Address :
OHB Sweden, Viderögatan 6, 164 40 Kista, Sweden
Travel costs for media representatives will not be covered.
More information about ESA Earth observation programmes: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth www.esa.int
