ESA signs launch contract for climate mission FORUM with Avio
ESA has officially signed a launch service contract with Avio for the upcoming FORUM mission. Scheduled for launch in late 2027, FORUM?short for Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring?will lift off on a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
This agreement marks the first implementation under the new Frame Contract for Procurement of Launch Services between ESA and Avio.
Vega-C, a versatile rocket well-suited for Earth observation missions, will host FORUM as the primary payload, with potential co-passengers accommodated through multiple configuration options.
FORUM is set to deliver the first-ever global spectrally resolved measurements from orbit of Earth's outgoing longwave radiation over an extremely large range in the far-infrared spectrum.
These wavelengths account for over half of the planet's energy loss to space and data from FORUM will fill in a missing piece of the climate jigsaw, promising to improve climate models and, therefore, climate prediction.
"The FORUM mission will provide essential data to improve our understanding of Earth's radiation budget, filling a critical gap in climate research," said Simonetta Cheli, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes. "With this launch contract signed, we are another step closer to realising this groundbreaking mission, which will help refine climate models and provide critical information for global climate policy decisions."
The satellite will carry two advanced optical instruments: the FORUM Sounding Instrument (FSI) and the FORUM Embedded Imager (FEI).
FORUM will operate in tandem with the MetOp-Second Generation satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit at 830 km altitude.
By addressing a major gap in climate monitoring, FORUM will enhance understanding of how water vapour and ice clouds influence Earth's energy balance?key drivers of surface temperature changes. The mission reflects FutureEO's core goal of enabling innovative science to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change.
The satellite, currently in its industrial development phase led by Airbus U.K., will undergo its final design review in 2025.
The successful contract signature with Avio marks a major milestone for FORUM's development, reinforcing Vega-C's role as a reliable launch platform for cutting-edge Earth observation missions.
FORUM, realised within ESA's FutureEO programme, is the ninth Earth Explorer mission. FutureEO fosters pioneering satellite research and innovative technologies, demonstrating how new spaceborne instruments can unlock groundbreaking scientific insights about our planet. Earth Explorer missions consistently surpass expectations, delivering data that significantly advances environmental research and informs societal decision-making.
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