Microwave remote sensing of polar sea ice (SMOS, SMAP and follow-ons) (2010–present)

1. SMOS launched with L-band radiometer

   Nov 2, 2009Labels: SMOS, L-band radiometer, ESA

   • ESA Timeline
   • ESA SMOS
   • ESA Sea ice

2. CryoSat-2 launched for sea-ice thickness

   Apr 8, 2010Labels: CryoSat-2, radar altimetry, ESA

   • ESA Sea ice
   • CryoSat 2

3. CS2SMOS merged thickness product begins (Arctic winters)

   Nov 1, 2010Labels: CS2SMOS, Alfred Wegener, merged product

   • TCD CS2SMOS
   • ESA Catalog

4. SMOS-based Arctic thin-ice mapping demonstrated

   Oct 5, 2012Labels: SMOS, Arctic thin, ESA research

   • ESA Sea ice

5. SMAP launched with L-band radar and radiometer

   Jan 31, 2015Labels: SMAP, L-band radiometer, NASA

   • SMAP News
   • SMAP

6. SMAP radar failure shifts focus to radiometer

   Jul 7, 2015Labels: SMAP, radiometer only, instrument anomaly

   • SMAP News
   • NASA APPEL

7. CS2SMOS product evaluated against field campaigns

   May 3, 2019Labels: CS2SMOS, field campaigns, validation study

   • TCD Study

8. Copernicus Marine adds near-real-time merged thickness

   Mar 31, 2020Labels: Copernicus Marine, near-real-time product, merged thickness

   • Copernicus
   • TCD CS2SMOS

9. ESA signs CIMR development contract (Copernicus Expansion)

   Nov 19, 2020Labels: CIMR, ESA, Copernicus Expansion

   • ESA Contracts
   • ESA CIMR

10. CIMR launch dates published for first two satellites

    Oct 3, 2023Labels: CIMR-A, CIMR-B, ESA mission

    • ESA CIMR
    • ESA Image

11. Microwave sea-ice monitoring framed as continuous system

    Jun 1, 2024Labels: Copernicus, CIMR, operational monitoring

    • Copernicus
    • ESA CIMR

12. Planned CIMR-A launch as next major follow-on

    Jan 1, 2029Labels: CIMR-A, follow-on mission, planned launch

    • ESA CIMR