UK software blasts off into space

A UK company has been awarded a contract for software to control the European Space Agency's Aeolus weather observation satellite.

SciSys was awarded the deal, worth nearly €2m, by EADS Astrium GmbH to produce onboard software for the mission, which aims to reveal the secrets of the Earth's extreme weather.

The satellite will use a laser to probe the atmosphere to directly measure the planet's three-dimensional wind fields.

John Auburn, sales director at SciSys, said in a statement: "This software is critical to the mission. It controls the positioning and orientation of the satellite, interpreting commands from Mission Control back on Earth.

"It controls the payload itself and ensures that the science data is transmitted to the ground. Finally it monitors the health of Aeolus and will activate recovery procedures if it detects a problem."

It is hoped that the data gained from the mission will fill existing gaps in the current meteorological observation network, and improve the accuracy of daily weather forecasts.

The mission also aims to offer more detailed study of the balance and circulation of wind energy on Earth, and shed light on the causes of phenomena such as El Niño.

In Greek mythology, Aeolus was appointed by the gods as 'custodian of the four winds'.

British National Space Centre
European Space Agency