CGI supports European Space Agency TRUTHS satellite mission to deliver more precise climate measurements

29 April 2021

CGI has won a subcontract with Airbus to define the Payload Data Ground System (PDGS) for the Traceable Underpinning Terrestrial and Helio-Studies (TRUTHS) satellite. TRUTHS is an important climate mission, led by Airbus in the UK and involving the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and other ESA member states, and delivered by the European Space Agency (ESA) to enable in-flight calibration of Earth Observation (EO) satellites. TRUTHS will help deliver improved confidence in Earth Observation data gathered from space and the critical forecasts driven by this data.

TRUTHS will be an operational climate mission designed to enhance our ability for climate benchmarking, satellite cross-calibration, enabling a metrology laboratory in space as well as providing measurements of the solar spectrum to address scientific questions.

CGI will develop the preliminary definition of the Payload Data Ground System that will be responsible for:

• exploitation of the instrument data;

• facilities responsible for mission planning and control;

• quality control including calibration, validation and monitoring;

• instrument performance assessment vital to delivering reliable data to scientists and the precise orbit determination; and

• user services interface and acquisition, processing and archiving.

Shaun Stretton, Senior Vice President for UK & Australia Space Control and Information Solutions at CGI said: “TRUTHS is an important, UK led, mission that will improve Earth Observation data to drive improved climate change modelling. Accuracy of data is vital in helping scientists understand the impact of climate change and we are proud to be supporting this mission with our strong heritage of ground segment control and space data exploitation.”

CGI has been delivering complex, mission-critical space software systems for clients across Europe, Asia and North America supporting satellite navigation, communications and operations, to space enabled applications for over 40 years.