ABB has been selected by the German space and technology company OHB System AG to develop and build the thermal infrared (TIR) payloads for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth Explorer Harmony satellites, planned to launch in 2029.
ABB’s multiview TIR instrument will enable ESA to measure cloud position and motion from space, ensuring radiometric precision. The data collected by the mission will help the advancement of climate science as well as support the understanding and forecasting of extreme weather such as hurricanes. In addition, Harmony will provide information to estimate small shifts in the shape of the land surface, such as those leading to and resulting from earthquakes and volcanic activity, thereby contributing to the assessment of geohazards over geologically active areas. The mission will also provide new information for a better understanding of how ice being lost from glaciers is affecting sea-level rise.
“We selected ABB on this high-profile mission because of their proven expertise in infrared sensor technologies,” said Agustina Alvarez Toledo, Harmony Project Manager at OHB System AG. “We have been collaborating on several space programs and know that they are very capable. We look forward to working together again to support the scientific community for the benefit of this generation and the ones to follow.”
“ABB’s purpose is to enable a more sustainable and resource efficient future and so we are proud to be a part of this scientific program that will contribute to humanity’s understanding of climate change,” said Jacques Mulbert, President of ABB Measurement and Analytics.
The two satellites will orbit the Earth in tandem with a Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite. In the various configurations, the Harmony satellites’ synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments will receive the Sentinel-1 radar signals that will bounce back from Earth’s surface.