Instruments

Airbus Netherlands produces satellite instruments of world repute. Instruments that provide insights into the atmosphere and make contributions to health, the environment and climate. Furthermore, we lead the way with our attitude & orbit control systems to achieve and hold the geometrical objectives of satellites and with our verification and simulation services to try systems out prior to their mission in space.

Together with our national and international partners we built Sciamachy, OMI and Tropomi; landmark instruments for worldwide atmospheric research. Thanks to OMI we saw the hole in the ozone layer grow and restore itself. From 2017 onwards, Tropomi is providing information of unprecedented accuracy about trace gases in the atmosphere. So detailed that it shows air pollution at the level of neighbourhoods and towns.

We are also setting high standards for the future. Which information do we need in 15 or 20 years’ time? And which new technology must we develop for that? Consequently each new instrument we make is even better, more accurate and more reliable than its predecessors.

Small satellites offer big opportunities. We are therefore translating our knowledge and experience with large satellite instruments into new measurement concepts with small instruments for far smaller satellites. Yet we are also setting our sights on earth, as the robust, lightweight and reliable technology from spaceflight has many applications in our society as well.