(Chippenham, United Kingdom – 8th April 2010). The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched its CryoSat-2 mission from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan. CryoSat-2 is a 3.5 year long radar mission that will monitor the thickness of land and sea ice and help explain the connection between the melting of the polar ice and the rise in sea levels and how this is contributing to climate change.
The SciSys on-board software will be responsible for monitoring the orbit and controlling the attitude of CryoSat-2 as well as handling all of its communications with the ground segment. SciSys has been involved throughout all the stages of the CryoSat-2 development, from enhancing and refining the original CryoSat software (the first mission was lost owing to a launch failure in October 2005), through integration, verification and validation of the software up to system level with the spacecraft.
Commenting on the launch, Sean McLellan CryoSat-2 Project Manager at SciSys said “We are delighted to see CryoSat-2 in orbit and operating successfully. This has been an important programme for us and a welcome opportunity to reprise our close relationship with the CryoSat teams at EADS Astrium and ESA”.
Along with the successful involvement in the CryoSat-2 programme, SciSys is currently engaged in all of ESA’s on-going Earth Explorer Missions, developing software systems for “ADM-Aeolus” for atmospheric dynamics (2011), “Swarm” to survey the evolution of the magnetic field (2011) and “EarthCARE” to investigate the Earth’s radiative balance (2013)
About ESA
ESA is Europe’s space agency. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA is an international organisation with 18 Member States. Its job is to draw up the European space programme and carry it through. ESA’s programmes are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries.
About SciSys
The SciSys Group is a leading developer of ICT services, e-Business and advanced technology solutions which operate in a broad spectrum of market sectors including space, utilities, defence, government, communication, business services, media and broadcast and transport. Within these markets, the SciSys group has been involved in significant developments in key technologies that have changed the way people do their jobs. SciSys’ clients are predominantly blue chip and public sector organizations. Customers include the Environment Agency, MOD, Thames Water, Astrium, the European Space Agency, the BBC and Deutsche Welle. The group has offices in Chippenham, Bristol and Reading in the UK and in Bochum, Darmstadt and Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany.
In the UK the group conducts its business through SciSys UK Ltd, in Germany through the wholly owned subsidiary VCS AG which was acquired by SciSys in September 2007.
Additional information about SciSys is available at: http://www.scisys.co.uk/
For more information, please contact:
Roger Ward, SciSys Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 117_916_5116
Email: roger.ward@scisys.co.uk