The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a significant contract valued at over €280 million to OHB System AG, a leading German aerospace company, to build two Harmony Earth Explorer satellites. The contract was signed at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, marking a major milestone in Earth observation technology.
Harmony satellites Credit: ESA
The Harmony mission is an innovative research project designed to provide valuable insights into various Earth processes. By leveraging advanced satellite technology, Harmony will enhance our understanding of Earth's dynamic systems, shedding light on critical aspects of our planet's behavior. The mission aims to monitor shifts in the shape of the land surface caused by earthquakes and volcanic activity, study glacier movement and dynamics, and investigate interactions between the upper ocean and lower atmosphere.
Each Harmony satellite will carry two advanced instruments: a receive-only synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to capture high-resolution images of Earth's surface and a multiview thermal-infrared instrument to monitor temperature changes and cloud movements. OHB System AG will partner with Thales Alenia Space in Italy, responsible for the SAR instrument, and ABB in Canada, providing the thermal-infrared imager.
According to Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observations Programmes, "We are thrilled to award this contract to OHB System AG. Harmony will build on the success of our other Earth Explorer missions, which have made significant contributions to our understanding of how Earth works." The Harmony mission is part of ESA's Earth Observation Programmes, which aim to improve our understanding of Earth's dynamic systems.
Rüdiger Schönfeld, Board Member at OHB System AG, expressed his gratitude to ESA for the trust placed in the company. "We thank ESA for their trust in developing this complex mission, and we look forward to getting underway with the build." With a five-year development timeline, OHB System AG faces an exciting challenge.
The Harmony mission's findings will have significant scientific implications, advancing Earth system science and climate research, enhancing our understanding of geohazards and natural disasters, and informing policies on climate change and sustainable development. Florence Hélière, Harmony Project Manager, emphasized the importance of industrial partnerships in achieving the mission's objectives.
As the Harmony mission takes shape, scientists and researchers eagerly anticipate the wealth of new data that will unlock Earth's secrets and shed light on our planet's complex dynamics. The ESA-OHB partnership marks a significant milestone in Earth observation technology, demonstrating the power of collaboration in advancing our understanding of Earth.
The Harmony satellites will provide a wealth of unique data on ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions, surface-wind stress, surface currents, ocean waves, and sea-surface temperature. Over land, the mission will provide information to estimate small shifts in the shape of the land surface, contributing to the assessment of geohazards over geologically active areas.
The mission's findings will also shed light on glacier dynamics, providing new insights into 3D deformation and flow dynamics of glaciers at the rapidly changing marginal zones of the ice sheets. This data will help scientists better understand how ice being lost from glaciers is affecting sea-level rise.
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