CEOS EO HANDBOOK – MISSION SUMMARY - CryoSat -
Full Name CryoSat (Earth Explorer Opportunity Mission) Status Mission complete
Mission Agencies ESA Launch Date 08 Oct 2005
Mission Links mission site EOL Date 08 Oct 2005
EO Portal Info NORAD Catalog #
International Designator
Orbit Type Inclined, non-sun-synchronous Orbit Period
Orbit Sense TBD Orbit Inclination 92 deg
Orbit Altitude 717 km Orbit Longitude
Orbit LST Repeat Cycle 369 days
Objectives and Applications A radar altimetry mission to determine variations in the thickness of the Earth’s continental ice sheets and marine ice cover. Primary objective is to test the prediction of thinning arctic ice due to global warming.
Mission Measurements
CategoryParameterInstrument(s)
Gravity and Magnetic FieldsGravity, Magnetic and Geodynamic measurements DORIS-NG, Laser Reflectors (ESA)
LandLandscape topography SIRAL
OceanOcean topography/currents DORIS-NG
Snow & IceIce sheet topography SIRAL
Sea ice cover, edge and thickness SIRAL
Mission Instruments
DORIS-NG - Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positioning Integrated by Satellite-New Generation
Laser Reflectors (ESA) - Laser Reflectors
SIRAL - SAR Interferometer Radar Altimeter
OpenSearch Datasets No IDN OpenSearch datasets found.

Want to explore more? Try FedEO by ESA or CMR OpenSearch by NASA