AAC Clyde Space, a leading new space company, has been contracted by OHB Sweden to deliver its Sirius command and data handling unit worth approx. €545,000 (approx. 5.6MSEK) to ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite.
OHB Sweden is the mission prime contractor for the Arctic Weather Satellite, providing the satellite platform and system integration. AAC Clyde Space received an order earlier in September to deliver a Starbuck power system with a value of €797,000 (approx. 8.2MSEK), hence the total order value of core avionics to the project amounts to 1.3MEUR (approx. 14MSEK). Omnisys Instruments, acquired in April 2021, was in March contracted to supply weather sensors to the Artic Weather Satellite with a value of 12.2MEUR (approx. 124MSEK). The group has thereby received orders with a total value of 13.5MEUR (approx. 138MSEK) from the satellite project.
"Arctic Weather Satellite has become a flagship project for the AAC Group, and we are proud to have such a central role in it. Additionally, the satellite project clearly illustrates how improved weather data can help us to better understand our environment for the benefit of both people and businesses," says AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.
The order for the Sirius command and data handling unit was preceded by a comprehensive review and consolidation of the original requirements. AAC Clyde Space is to deliver an engineering model in Q2, 2022 and a flight model in Q1, 2023.
ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite is an initial prototype mission that aims to demonstrate the usefulness of radiometric measurements to improve weather forecasts in the Arctic region. The final solution would involve a full constellation of satellites to provide more frequent measurement, something that cannot be achieved by the larger geostationary satellites already in use to depict the areas.