Objectives and Applications
Cryosat-2 is Europe's first ice mission aimed to determine variations in the thickness of the Earth's continental ice sheets and marine ice cover. The repeat cycle is 369 days (NB no repetitivity after the change of orbit in July 2020). LST is 0.25 degree nodal regression per day (it drifts through all local times)
Full Name
CryoSat-2
Mission Status
Operational (extended)
Mission Agencies
Launch Date
08 Apr 2010
Mission Links
EOL Date
Dec 2028
Orbit Type
Inclined, non-sun-synchronous
Orbit Period
100 minutes
Orbit Sense
N/A
Orbit Inclination
92 deg
Orbit Altitude
717 km
Orbit Longitude
Orbit LST
Repeat Cycle
369 days
NORAD Catalog #
International Designator
DGXX - Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positioning Integrated by Satellite-New Generation XX |
| Laser Reflectors (ESA) - Laser Reflectors |
| SIRAL - SAR Interferometer Radar Altimeter |
| Category | Parameter | Instrument(s) |
| Gravity and Magnetic Fields | Gravity, Magnetic and Geodynamic measurements | Laser Reflectors (ESA) |
| Land | Landscape topography | SIRAL |
| Snow & Ice | Ice sheet topography | SIRAL |
| Sea ice cover, edge and thickness | SIRAL |