Satellite set to track shrinking ice caps to the centimetre

There are many theories as to why the Earth’s ice caps are melting. Global warming is one, but other factors such as changing ocean currents are thought to be at play. Scientists hope to have a better idea in the future thanks to the European Space Agency’s Cryosat-2 satellite set to be launched from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan later today. On board is an impressive array of equipment, including two radar antennas built by Switzerland’s RUAG Space. From an orbit of 720 kilometres above the Earth, these antennas will measure the thickness of the ice to the nearest centimetre. WRS’s Adam Beaumont got the lowdown from Hendrik Thielemann, head of communications at RUAG Space: