Airbus microwave radiometers aim to improve weather forecasts

It will be as part of the French contribution to an Atmosphere Observing System (AOS) initiative. It is the C²OMODO mission (Convective Core Observations through MicrOwave Derivatives in the trOpics).

Radiometers

Specifially, the C²OMODO high-frequency microwave radiometers will be mounted on two satellites, says Airbus. These will be working in tandem in an inclined orbit. One will be under the lead of the US and the other under the lead of Japan (see above).

The expected date for launch is around 2029.

According to the company, the system will enable two key improvements. Firstly, improved understanding of how intense precipitation forms. And secondly how these processes are represented in computer weather models. These could, in turn, lead to improved global weather forecasting.

“Working on climate missions is something that really matters to us at Airbus,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “Just a few weeks after launch of the EarthCARE mission with Europe and Japan, it is an honour to be part of another climate mission, this time NASA-led with international partners.”

The C²OMODO radiometers will be designed and built in Toulouse, France.

AOS

AOS is a cooperation between the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy and France. Its goal is to better understand links between aerosols, clouds, atmospheric convection and precipitation. You can read more about it on the Nasa website.

This will in turn provide key data for improved forecasts of weather, air quality and climate.

Six satellites are planned to be involved, as well as suborbital platforms in the air and on land.

The other four satellites will be in a polar orbit. They are the CALIGOLA (due to launch circa 2029), the AOS Sky (~2030) and AOS Cloud AO (~2031).

Image: Airbus

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