Jan 20 2011
Surrey Satellite Technology has received a contract worth £9.2m from the European Space Agency to supply a remote sensing device for remotely monitoring the atmosphere in terms of quality of air and change in climate.
Before the launch of Sentinel 5 environmental monitoring satellite, short wave infra-red spectrometer is to be utilized in the atmosphere to quantify methane and carbon monoxide, enabling researchers to examine the levels of greenhouse gases.
The company will organize an industrial association formed by Dutch and French groups to purchase and incorporate the device. Dr Matt Perkins, Chief Executive of SSTL, has stated that upholding environmental and atmospheric information is highly significant.
According to Dr Ruth Boumphrey, Head of Earth Observation at the UK Space Agency, Climate alteration and air quality are worldwide concerns demanding advanced technical and scientific methods. He added that UK has the required technology and expertise to head such a crucial European space project.
Source: http://www.sstl.co.uk