Friedrichshafen, November 17, 2005 – EADS Astrium has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build three satellites for the Swarm mission. The satellites, worth approximately €86 million, will be manufactured within 48 months.
The Swarm mission will provide the most detailed data yet on the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution, giving new insights into improving our knowledge of the Earth’s interior and climate. The three Swarm spacecraft are scheduled for launch in 2010.
The Swarm constellation will comprise three satellites in three different polar orbits – two flying side by side at an altitude of 450 km and a third at an altitude of 530 km. High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variations of the Earth’s magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide valuable data essential for modelling the geomagnetic field. The results will offer a unique view from space inside the Earth, and enable the composition and processes of the interior to be studied in detail.
This mission will also enable analysis of the Sun’s influence on the Earth. In addition, it is expected that Swarm will have practical benefits including better forecasting of radiation hazards in space, and improved navigation and exploration for new resources on Earth.
“We are very proud that ESA has placed its confidence in us for this mission. EADS Astrium, in particular at Friedrichshafen, has a long and successful track record in designing and developing magnetically clean systems, and in the UK at Stevenage has an equally impressive record in producing satellite structures and propulsion systems.” said Dr. Reinhold Lutz, EADS Astrium’s Vice President for Earth Observation, Navigation and Science.
EADS Astrium will set up a German-UK team for Swarm. The Friedrichshafen site will be prime contractor for the project, prepare the electrical design of the satellites, procure the instruments and finally assume overall responsibility for the satellites. EADS Astrium UK will be responsible for the propulsion system, structure, mechanical and thermal development, mechanisms (including the deployable boom with the key scientific instruments) and pre-integration of the satellites. Most of the work will be carried out in Stevenage with some specialist skills coming from the Portsmouth site.
As early as in the late seventies, the Friedrichshafen-based Astrium developed ISEE-B, a satellite for magnetic field research in far-Earth space. Advances continued with the four-satellite Cluster formation operating in space since 2000, the year which also saw the launch of the low Earth orbit Champ satellite, developed according to an Astrium design.
From a technical point of view, Champ and Cryosat are direct predecessors of Swarm. EADS Astrium has therefore been able to build on the proven technology of these projects for system design, specific sub-systems as well as test facilities and procedures.
Swarm is the next logical step in magnetic field research taking over from the Champ mission which is due to finish at the end of 2008.
EADS Astrium is Europe’s leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment.
EADS Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, which is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems. In 2004 EADS SPACE had a turnover of €2.6 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of €31.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 110,000.
Contacts for the media:
Remi Roland, EADS SPACE (FR) +33 (0) 1 42 24 27 34
Jeremy Close, EADS SPACE (UK) +44 (0) 1438 77 38 72
Mathias Pikelj, EADS SPACE (GER) +49 (0) 7545 8 9123
