CryoSat-1, also known as just

CryoSat CryoSat is an ESA programme to monitor variations in the extent and thickness of polar ice through use of a satellite in low Earth orbit. The information provided about the behaviour of coastal glaciers that drain thinning ice sheets will be key t ...

, was a European Space Agency

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioi ...

which was lost in a launch failure in 2005. The satellite was launched as part of the European Space Agency's

mission, which aims to monitor ice in the high latitudes. The second mission satellite, CryoSat-2, was successfully launched in April 2010.

Background

The European Space Agency's CryoSat mission was developed following the success of previous satellite altimeters, including Envisat,

ERS-1 European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS) was the European Space Agency's first Earth-observing satellite programme using a polar orbit. It consisted of 2 satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2. ERS-1 ERS-1 launched 17 July 1991 from Guiana Space Centre ...

and

ERS-2 European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS) was the European Space Agency's first Earth-observing satellite programme using a polar orbit. It consisted of 2 satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2. ERS-1 ERS-1 launched 17 July 1991 from Guiana Space Centre ...

. The primary aim of the mission is to allow scientists to measure sea ice thickness and monitor changes on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets using radar altimetry. The primary instrument on board the satellite was the Synthetic Aperture Interferometric Radar Altimeter (SIRAL), specifically designed to measure both sea ice and polar ice sheets. The method can allow detection of small changes in ice height and sea level, meaning scientists can measure both sea ice thickness and elevation change. A second instrument, DORIS, was to have been used to calculate precisely the spacecraft's orbit. It also carried an array of

retroreflector A retroreflector (sometimes called a retroflector or cataphote) is a device or surface that reflection (physics), reflects radiation (usually light) back to its source with minimum scattering. This works at a wide range of angle of incidence (opt ...

s which would have allowed measurements to be made from the ground to verify the orbital data provided by DORIS. The spacecraft was the first in the European Space Agency's Earth Explorer missions, and was intended to operate in

low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...

for three years at an unusually high inclination, therefore reaching the high latitudes''.'' Construction began in 2001, with

EADS Astrium Astrium was an aerospace manufacturer subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had a turnover of €5.8 billion and 1 ...

being award the contract to build the satellite.

Eurockot Eurockot Launch Services GmbH is a commercial spacecraft launch provider and was founded in 1995. Eurockot uses an expendable launch vehicle called the Rockot to place satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). Eurockot is jointly owned by ArianeGroup ...

was to conduct the launch of the satellite using a

Rokot Rokot (russian: Рокот meaning ''Rumble'' or ''Boom''), also transliterated Rockot, was a Russian space launch vehicle that was capable of launching a payload of into a Earth orbit with 63° inclination. It was based on the UR-100N (SS- ...

/ Briz-KM

carrier rocket A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pads, supported by a launch control center and syste ...

. The spacecraft cost €95 million and weighed 750 kilograms.

Failed Launch

In September 2005, CryoSat arrived at the launch site in

Plesetsk Cosmodrome Plesetsk Cosmodrome ( rus, Космодром «Плесецк», r=Kosmodrom "Plesetsk", p=kəsmɐˈdrom plʲɪˈsʲet͡sk) is a Russian spaceport located in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 ...

, Russia. On 08/10/2005, the satellite failed to reach orbit. The European Space Agency reported that the first stage performed nominally, but the second stage main engine cut-off did not occur as expected. A missing command from the onboard flight control system resulted in the main engine continuing to operate until remaining fuel was depleted. Therefore, the separation of the second stage and upper stage did not happen, and the satellite could not reach orbit. CryoSat fell into the drop zone north of

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

near the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

. There were no safety concerns to populated areas. Due to the importance of the CryoSat mission for monitoring Earth's polar regions, a recovery mission was announced less than five months after CryoSat's failure. CryoSat-2 was successfully launched in 2010.

References

{{Use British English, date=January 2014 Spacecraft launched in 2005 Satellite launch failures Earth observation satellites of the European Space Agency Spacecraft launched by Rokot rockets Space synthetic aperture radar Earth satellite radar altimeters Space accidents and incidents in Russia

Background

Failed Launch

See also

References