Cornwall-based Flann Microwave (
www.flann.com), a microwave engineering specialist, is supplying vital components for the Surface Water and Ocean Topology (SWOT) satellite, which is being jointly developed by NASA, the French Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, with contributions from the UK Space Agency.
This is Flann’s first project for NASA, and the company’s engineers have been working closely with their counterparts at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California to develop custom-made waveguide equipment.
This will be linked to the satellite’s high-resolution radar, as it tracks how Earth’s water bodies change over time (with the aim of improving ocean circulation models, weather and climate predictions, and freshwater management around the world).
Flann’s spaceflight attenuators have been designed to withstand the rigours of spaceflight, enabling consistent and highly accurate measurements as the SWOT satellite surveys Earth’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs and oceans in greater detail than ever before.
The company’s chief executive, James Watts, said: “We are very proud to be a part of this project. NASA’s standards are exacting, and the need for spacecraft and their components to perform accurately and consistently in a high-energy environment and across a wide range of temperatures is technically challenging.
“It has been a great experience to work with JPL and deliver a completely custom solution to meet its requirements. We look forward to the launch of the mission and the new insights it will bring into Earth’s climate and precious water resources.”