OIP has been selected by prime contractor OHB in Germany to participate in the phase 0/A system studies of both ECO and Keystone, which are two of the four candidate Earth Explorer 12 missions. The ESA Earth Explorer program is dedicated to demonstrating breakthrough Earth Observation technologies for the advancement of Earth science.
ECO would measure the difference between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation, which defines Earth’s energy imbalance, and which fundamentally controls Earth’s climate system. It would be the first time that this imbalance has been measured directly and would help reveal the future trajectory of the climate decades earlier than relying on monitoring global temperature and sea-level rise, as is currently the case. OIP is responsible for the thermal infrared imagers.
Keystone would provide the first direct observations of atomic oxygen in the altitude range of 50–150 km using a unique combination of remote sensing techniques. Relatively little is known about this part of the atmosphere, which is constantly bombarded by large energy fluxes from atmospheric tides from below, and from solar radiation from above. Together with composition, temperature and wind observations, these measurements would allow scientists to study a wide range of atmospheric processes, and also look at the impact of solar cycles and space weather. OIP is responsible for the spectrometer in the ultraviolet and visual spectral range.
Further down-selections will be made before one of the candidate Earth Explorer 12 missions is selected for implementation.
Picture Credits: European Space Agency
