Table of Contents

Polar Communication and Weather mission (PCW)

Data sheet

Orbit

Two PCW satellites are currently scheduled to be placed in a Highly Elliptic Orbit (HEO), Molniya-type, with a period of 12 hours, an inclination of 63.4 degrees and an apogee of approximately 39,900 km above the Northern Hemisphere. Each satellite will have a design life of six (6) years. Other orbits are being considered like the TAP (Three APogee) orbit.

HEO, Molniya-type (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)

The coloured lines represent ground tracks of the Molniya orbit. The image illustrates the effect of orbital eccentricity variation. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)

Platform

The PCW satellites will use the Canadian SmallSat Bus, to be inaugurated on the CASSIOPE spacecraft (launch scheduled for 2010), but the structural, thermal, and power generation subsystems will be tailored to meet the specific requirements of the PCW mission.

Payloads

The main instrument for the meteorological payload will be an imaging spectroradiometer, similar to imagers being developed for the next generation of geostationary weather satellites (e.g., GOES-R and MTG). A secondary weather instrument (broadband radiometer) is also being considered.

The primary Ka-band telecommunications payload consists of a high-speed two-way system capable of providing continuous broadband services to users throughout the Arctic as far as the North Pole.

A suit of compact space weather instruments to study ionizing radiation completes the list of primary payloads.

A list of secondary scientific payloads is currently being evaluated.