[Satellite Today – 5-30-08] Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has won a contract worth 1.6 million euros ($2.49 million) from Astrium GmbH to develop and supply the multi-spectral imager for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) EarthCARE Mission, the company said May 30.
    The EarthCARE mission aims to improve the understanding of the Earth’s radiation balance and to minimize uncertainties in climate change prediction models by acquiring accurate vertical profiles of clouds and aerosols, as well as measurements of top of the atmosphere radiance. The multi spectral imager produced by SSTL will provide information on the horizontal structures of clouds, such as cloud type and cover, and cloud optical and microphysical properties.