The European Space Agency’s Arctic Weather Satellite late last month delivered the first images captured by its scientific weather payload supplied by AAC Clyde Space — these first images revealed atmospheric temperature and humidity, aiming to improve short-term weather forecasts in the Arctic and around the world.
Launched on August 16th, the Arctic Weather Satellite is commissioned by OHB Sweden. The satellite’s payload, a cross-track scanning microwave radiometer manufactured by AAC Omnisys, was turned on for the first time in space during a week dedicated to functional testing.
ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite mission, for which OHB is mission prime, is designed to show how a potential polar-orbiting constellation of satellites could provide data for very short-term weather forecasts and nowcasts in the Arctic, and around the world. With its cross-track scanning microwave radiometer, the Arctic Weather Satellite mission is to provide measurements of atmospheric humidity and temperature.
The mission is a prototype mission that is intended to be followed by a full constellation of satellites to provide more frequent measurement, something that cannot be achieved by larger GEO satellites currently in use.