CryoSat-2 Arrives Safely at Launch Site in Baikonur
18.01.2010 - Atmosphere & Space, Ice & Snow, Bi-polar
ESA has announced CryoSat-2 Earth Explorer satellite has arrived safely in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, to be prepared for launch on 25 February. The satellite, which left the ‘IABG’ test centre in Ottobrunn, Germany, on 12 January, will provide precise monitoring of the changes in the thickness of sea ice in the polar oceans and variations in the thickness of the vast ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica.
Upon arrival at Munich airport, the containers were loaded onto an Antonov aircraft headed for Kazakhstan. Once they arrived, CryoSat-2 and accompanying cargo were offloaded and moved to the integration facility to be prepared for the launch, which is scheduled to take place at 6:57 pm local time (2:57 pm Central European Time, 1:57 pm UT) on 25 February by a Dnepr rocket (converted ICBM).
Within the framework of a changing climate, understanding the Earth and the way it responds to climate change is becoming increasingly important. The ice cover at the poles, which plays an important role in regulating climate and sea level, is often cited as early casualty of global warming, so understanding how these fragile regions are affected by climate change is key. The CryoSat mission will complete the picture and lead to a better understanding of the role ice plays in the Earth system.
