COSMO-SkyMed
Encyclopedia
COSMO-SkyMed is an Earth observation satellite
system funded by the Italian Ministry of Research and Ministry of Defence and
conducted by the Italian Space Agency
(ASI), intended for both military and civilian use.
The space segment of the system will include four medium-sized satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar
(SAR) sensors with global coverage of the planet. Observations of an area of interest will be repeated several times a day in all-weather conditions.
The imagery will be applied to defense and security assurance in Italy
and other countries, seismic hazard analysis, environmental disaster monitoring, and agricultural mapping.
s are planned for sun-synchronous polar orbit
s, phased at 90° and at an altitude of 619 km with an orbit of 97 minutes. The expected operating life of each satellite is estimate in 5 years.
The satellites main components are:
is providing launch services for the first three satellites. Satellite processing for the first two satellites was handled by the Astrotech Space Operations subsidiary of SPACEHAB
. The first satellite was launched at 22:34 GMT, on 8 June 2007, aboard a Delta II
7420-10 rocket from Vandenberg AFB. An identical rocket launched COSMO-2 at 02:31:42 GMT on 9 December 2007, the launch having been delayed from 6 December due to bad weather, and problems with the rocket's cork insulation. COSMO-3 launched at 02:38 GMT on 25 October 2008, also aboard a Delta II
7420-10. A Delta II flying in the 7420-10 configuration will also be used to launch COSMO-4. Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on November 5, 2010 at 1920L.
} Centro Controllo e Pianificazione Missione del Fucino
} Cordoba station
} Kiruna station
} Matera Civil User Ground Segment
} Pratica di Mare Defence User Ground Segment
} Defence User Ground Segment
The Argentinian and the France government are involved respectively in the civil and in the military segment of the system.
, sometimes approaching magnitude -2. Although overshadowed by the Iridium satellites
, the flares are often long-lasting, with the satellites traversing much of the sky at brighter-than-average magnitudes.
Earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc....
system funded by the Italian Ministry of Research and Ministry of Defence and
conducted by the Italian Space Agency
Italian Space Agency
The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy...
(ASI), intended for both military and civilian use.
The space segment of the system will include four medium-sized satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
(SAR) sensors with global coverage of the planet. Observations of an area of interest will be repeated several times a day in all-weather conditions.
The imagery will be applied to defense and security assurance in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and other countries, seismic hazard analysis, environmental disaster monitoring, and agricultural mapping.
Space segment
The four satelliteSatellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s are planned for sun-synchronous polar orbit
Polar orbit
A polar orbit is an orbit in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body being orbited on each revolution. It therefore has an inclination of 90 degrees to the equator...
s, phased at 90° and at an altitude of 619 km with an orbit of 97 minutes. The expected operating life of each satellite is estimate in 5 years.
The satellites main components are:
- Two solar arrayPhotovoltaic moduleA solar panel is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells...
for 3.8 kW at 42 VVoltThe volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
DCDirect currentDirect current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through... - Stabilization, navigation and GPS systems
- Synthetic aperture radar working in X bandX bandThe X band is a segment of the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of X band is rather indefinitely set at approximately 7.0 to 11.2 gigahertz . In radar engineering, the frequency range is specified...
- 300 Gbit on-board memoryComputer storageComputer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is one of the core functions and fundamental components of computers....
and 310 Mbit/s data-link with ground segments
Launch
United Launch AllianceUnited Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. U.S...
is providing launch services for the first three satellites. Satellite processing for the first two satellites was handled by the Astrotech Space Operations subsidiary of SPACEHAB
SPACEHAB
Astrotech Corporation , formerly Spacehab Inc., is an aerospace company headquartered in Austin, Texas which provides commercial space products and services to NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, international space agencies, and global commercial customers...
. The first satellite was launched at 22:34 GMT, on 8 June 2007, aboard a Delta II
Delta II
Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011...
7420-10 rocket from Vandenberg AFB. An identical rocket launched COSMO-2 at 02:31:42 GMT on 9 December 2007, the launch having been delayed from 6 December due to bad weather, and problems with the rocket's cork insulation. COSMO-3 launched at 02:38 GMT on 25 October 2008, also aboard a Delta II
Delta II
Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011...
7420-10. A Delta II flying in the 7420-10 configuration will also be used to launch COSMO-4. Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on November 5, 2010 at 1920L.
Ground segment
The ground segment of the system is composed by:- Command Center:
} Centro Controllo e Pianificazione Missione del Fucino
- Tracking and data stations:
} Cordoba station
} Kiruna station
- User Ground Segments:
} Matera Civil User Ground Segment
} Pratica di Mare Defence User Ground Segment
} Defence User Ground Segment
The Argentinian and the France government are involved respectively in the civil and in the military segment of the system.
Flares
The COSMO-SkyMed satellites are lesser-known deliverers of satellite flaresSatellite flare
Satellite flare is the phenomenon caused by the reflective surfaces on satellites reflecting sunlight directly onto the Earth below and appearing as a brief, bright "flare"....
, sometimes approaching magnitude -2. Although overshadowed by the Iridium satellites
Iridium satellite constellation
The Iridium satellite constellation is a large group of satellites providing voice and data coverage to satellite phones, pagers and integrated transceivers over Earth's entire surface. Iridium Communications Inc...
, the flares are often long-lasting, with the satellites traversing much of the sky at brighter-than-average magnitudes.
External links
- COSMO-SkyMed Web Site
- COSMO-SkyMed Products
- INNOVA Consorzio per l'Informatica e la Telematica s.r.l. - Italian SME with specific know-how and expertise with COSMO-SkyMed's HDF5 format
- Remote Monitoring of Migrants Vessels in the Mediterranean Sea (CeMiSS) File pdf