23560 - ERS-2

ERS 2 was an ESA earth resources spacecraft launched by an Ariane rocket from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. The 2,516 kg spacecraft carried a synthetic aperture radar for topographic studies, a wide beam radar (both in the C-band), a radar altimeter for measuring ocean surface and waves, a radiometer for measuring ocean surface temperatures, and an optical Global Ozone Monitor (GOME) that will monitor ozone and ozone-destroying gases and carried reflectors for laser tracking. It has a 6.5 gigabit tape recorder to record data from a full orbit.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1995-04-21
Launch Vehicle: Ariane
Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Mass: 2516.0 kg