NPL in space
PUBLISHED: 17 June 2010 + CATEGORY: Case Studies
On 1 June 2010, NPL submitted a proposal to the European Space Agency (ESA) to establish NPL's first 'branch' in space.
Leading an international team of Earth observation and climate scientists, together with an industrial consortium, NPL has submitted a proposal for a satellite mission to ESA called 'TRUTHS' (Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio- Studies).
The TRUTHS mission will establish SI traceable benchmark measurements of solar radiation incident upon and reflected from, the Earth at unprecedented accuracies (a factor of ten greater than current missions).
The key science objective is to establish an unequivocal reference point of a number of key climate change indicators, with the aim of improving climate modelling. Of particular importance are those which provide radiative energy feedback to the climate system, e.g. clouds and surface albedo.
The resultant measurements will significantly reduce uncertainty in climate forecasts giving policy makers more robust information. This will allow them to make key infrastructural decisions on mitigation and adaptation strategies in decadal, rather than multi-decadal, timescales.
The proposal, for a five year satellite mission includes all elements: payload, satellite and operations and is based around concepts and instrumentation developed at NPL under NMS programmes, in particular the cryogenic radiometer, the primary standard for optical radiation measurement.
In addition to making its own benchmark measurements, TRUTHS is unique in its ability to transfer its high accuracy to other Earth observation missions, upgrading their performance so that they too can make high quality measurements of other key parameters and processes impacting on climate (for example, ocean colour, aerosols, land cover change). In this way TRUTHS becomes 'NPL in space'.
NPL leads the consortium involved in this proposal, the other members are:
ESA will announce whether the TRUTHS proposal is successful in early December 2010.
Read TRUTHS executive summary here
Find out more about NPL's work in climate science