Satellite lost due to launch failure

10 October 2005

CryoSat, the European Space Agency's (ESA) Earth observation satellite designed to measure changes in the amount of sea ice, crashed into the northern Arctic Ocean shortly after lift-off from a space centre in Plesetsk, Northern Russia.

The ESA satellite was launched from the Russian space centre on schedule - 16:02 British Summer Time - on Saturday 8 October.

As planned, communication with the rocket ended shortly after launch. The satellite was due to contact ground control ninety minutes later - after separation from the launch vehicle - but contact was never established. The Russian Federal Space Agency and ESA reported a likely software problem during the second stage of the launch. The second stage appears to have performed correctly until main engine cut-off was to occur. Due to a missing command from the onboard flight control system the main engine continued to operate until depletion of the remaining fuel.

This news was later confirmed by Mr Yuri Bakhvalov, First Deputy Director General of the Khrunichev Space Centre, Plesetsk, on behalf of the Russian State Commission. He expressed his regret to ESA and all partners involved. A failure investigation board has been established, consisting of Eurockot, the company providing launch services, ESA and Khrunichev representatives.

Dr Volker Liebig, Director of ESA's Earth Observation programme said, "This is a tragedy for the scientists involved and for all the staff working here at ESA and across Europe. I will try to keep the morale of the team up. There is always a possibility to rebuild the satellite. This would require a decision from the member states and the [ESA Earth Observation] programme board."

Professor Alan Thorpe, the Natural Environment Research Council's Chief Executive, said, "This loss is extremely disappointing. NERC-funded scientists, together with those from across Europe, have worked very hard to develop this unique mission, to further our understanding of the relationship between ice and global climate.

"We will work closely with ESA and other member states to consider whether a second CyroSat mission can be developed."

Further information

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

Notes

1. Eurockot Launch Services GmbH was responsible for the launch of the CyroSat satellite. They are a joint venture between EADS Space Transportation and Space Center Khrunichev, Russia's largest space company. Eurockot is responsible for contracting and performing launch services with the Rockot launch vehicle.

2. Scientists can still work on ice data. Other satellites are addressing the issue of sea ice loss and melting ice caps. NASA's IceSat, launched in January 2003, can provide some useful information to scientists. IceSat's primary payload can measure the extent of sea ice loss but not thickness and does not provide the same amount of detail as proposed in CryoSat's design. In addition ESA's Envisat and ERS satellites are still measuring the ice along their own trajectories.

3. CyroSat would not only have addressed the issue of how quickly the ice-caps are melting, but would have been able to do so with unprecedented accuracy at the point where it is most significant - at the ice edge. The lead scientist for the CyroSat mission is Professor Duncan Wingham, Director of NERC's Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling.

4. CyroSat was ESA's first Opportunity Mission under the Earth Observation Envelope Programme. The UK is a major participant in this ESA programme.

5. The total cost of the CyroSat mission is €136m. This includes satellite development, launch activities, commissioning and three years of in-orbit operations.

6. The British National Space Centre (BNSC) acts as the UK's space agency, coordinating space policy across Government. A partnership of 11 government departments and research councils, BNSC represents UK space interests internationally and is a member of the European Space Agency.

7. NERC is one of the UK's research councils. It uses a budget of about £350m a year to fund and carry out impartial scientific research in the sciences of the environment. NERC trains the next generation of independent environmental scientists. It is addressing some of the key questions facing mankind, such as global warming, renewable energy and sustainable economic development.

Press release: 50/05

Satellite lost due to launch failure

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