ESA CryoSat program and Arctic/Antarctic altimetry (2005–present)

1. CryoSat mission lost in launch failure

   Oct 8, 2005Labels: CryoSat

   • ESA PR
   • Space com

2. SIRAL altimeter defined as core payload

   Jan 1, 2006Labels: SIRAL

   • ESA Instruments
   • Wingham 2006

3. ESA approves CryoSat-2 recovery mission

   Feb 24, 2006Labels: CryoSat-2

   • ESA PR

4. CryoSat-2 successfully launched into polar orbit

   Apr 8, 2010Labels: CryoSat-2

   • ESA Launch
   • ESA Ops

5. CryoSat-2 commissioning completed and operations begin

   Nov 1, 2010Labels: CryoSat-2

   • ESA Ops
   • CryoSat 2

6. SAR altimetry improves detail over sea ice

   Jan 1, 2012Labels: SAR altimetry

   • ESA Tech
   • J Geodesy

7. Nominal mission completed; extensions support long record

   Nov 1, 2013Labels: CryoSat-2

   • ESA Ops
   • ESA Debris 2017

8. Propellant leak identified as life-limiting risk

   Jan 1, 2016Labels: Propellant leak

   • ESA Leak

9. CryoSat-2 supported operational sea-ice thickness services

   Jan 1, 2017Labels: Copernicus

   • Copernicus

10. ESA switches CryoSat-2 to backup propulsion system

    Nov 21, 2023Labels: Backup propulsion

    • ESA Leak

11. CryoSat-2 data used for time-sensitive sea-ice estimates

    Apr 1, 2024Labels: Quick-look data

    • NASA Data

12. CryoSat-2 continues past 15 years in orbit

    Apr 8, 2025Labels: CryoSat-2

    • ESA Leak
    • isardSAT