Name

ROBUSTA-3A

Satellite ID

AEYC-6866-6455-5236-7157

NORAD ID

60243

Website

https://csum.umontpellier.fr/en/nanosatellites-projects-our-3u-projects/

Country of Origin

France

Launch Date

2024-07-09T19:00:00+00:00

Deploy Date

2024-07-09T20:05:53+00:00

MAIN MISSION OF ROBUSTA-3A: "MEDITERRANEE"

In the South-East of France, heavy rainfall recorded during Cévenols episodes is caused by the accumulation of atmospheric moisture over the sea. A better understanding of this moisture field above the Mediterranean could contribute to improving the forecast of intense rains. It is in this context that CSUM built the nanosatellite "ROBUSTA-3A" and partnered with prestigious organizations – Météo-France, IGN, ENSTA BRETAGNE, PORT DE SÈTE SUD DE FRANCE – to develop a mission addressing this issue.

The MEDITERRANEE project involves equipping ships that regularly cross the Mediterranean with GNSS receivers. The signals from these satellite positioning systems are affected by water vapor in the troposphere. It is therefore possible to deduce the amount of water vapor accumulated above the Mediterranean that could trigger a Cévenol episode. For this data to be useful, it must be transmitted as soon as possible to the end users. This is the role of the CSUM nanosatellite "ROBUSTA 3A," which will collect the data and transmit it to the partners, thus providing valuable information on risks and their locations.