The TRUTHS climate mission will be a calibration laboratory in space, decreasing uncertainty of Earth Observation data collected by satellites by up to 10 times. It is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission, conceived by the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and led by the UK Space Agency, in partnership with Switzerland, Greece, the Czech … Continue reading “TRUTHS – Breakthrough Mission for Climate Data”
Missions
The UK plays a crucial role in future and current climate satellite missions that provide information the world needs for effective climate action.
2025 launches include MicroCarb and BIOMASS which were designed and built using UK skills and facilities.
EarthCARE was launched in 2024 and 23 UK organisations were involved in designing and building it as part of a multinational collaboration and it was conceived by the UK’s Prof Anthony Illingworth.
All three satellites are already exceeding expectations in the quality of imagery they are collecting. Looking ahead, HydroGNSS – a pioneering mission delivered by our members Surrey-based SSTL – is due to launch in late November, 2025.
Space4Climate encourages the take-up of climate satellite data, helping to ensure this wealth of information is applied to maximum effect.
We engage potential users – industry, the public sector and researchers – ahead of launch so they are ready to harness it for innovation, ensuring that the UK economy reaps the benefits. We also work with our members to showcase new and emerging applications to non-space sector audiences, broadening awareness and impact.
Through introductory workshops Space4Climate raises awareness of trustworthy satellite data sources and data-access platforms such as EOCIS, EO DataHub and European Copernicus programme.
We host our own events and represent the UK community at external events, bringing the UK satellite data community to new audiences.
Funded by the community for the community, we provide free, tailored services to meet your needs, and connect you with reliable UK expertise across industry and academia.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you: Space4Climate@reading.ac.uk
Take a look at the short videos on our YouTube playlist.
Download our easy-to-follow Explainers, designed to introduce each mission with a focus on UK contributions and signposting to more technical and scientific information.
MicroCarb will measure atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2), determining emissions of carbon across the globe with extreme precision, even down to city level. This joint venture by the UK Space Agency and Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) will allow scientists to determine how much carbon is being absorbed and emitted by natural processes and how much … Continue reading “MicroCarb – Carbon Dioxide data for the Global Stocktake”
Dr Chris Holloway from the University of Reading takes a look at how satellite data improvements for your daily weather forecast can be used for climate action and explains why satellite missions launched now secure scientific capability for future generations.
BIOMASS is the first satellite that will study the world’s forests in 3-dimensions using a P-band tomographic radar.