L3Harris reports it has ‘notched another milestone’ in aiding the European Space Agency’s (ESA) five-year mission to better understand the state of the Earth’s forests and their role in the carbon cycle.
The company recently shipped their 12-meter folded rib reflector to Airbus in Toulouse, France, for integration into the Biomass satellite. A joint project led by the ESA in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space in the UK, Biomass will deliver crucial data on the amount of biomass and carbon stored in our forests, and how that impacts Earth’s climate.
Installation of the reflector will begin in late Q4 2024. The Biomass satellite is set to launch in 2025.
Known for their performance and reliability, the reflectors feature a unique design that enables them to be compactly stored during launch and then deployed like an umbrella once in orbit.
“Reaching this major milestone with the Biomass satellite is a testament to our team’s unwavering dedication to excellence, innovation and precision engineering,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “We’re honored to see our technology play a pivotal role in the mission to advance our understanding of Earth’s forests and our changing climate.”
The company’s contribution to the Biomass satellite is the latest success over several decades of developing innovative satellite antenna solutions. Over that time, they’ve notched several industry firsts including the largest commercial unfurlable mesh reflectors ever deployed and the first unfurlable Ka-band reflector for commercial applications.
