Posted: Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 1:41 PM ET (1841 GMT)
The European Space Agency announced Friday that it would proceed with the development and launch of an earth sciences satellite that will replace one lost in a launch failure last year. CryoSat-2 will measure the thickness of polar ice as a means of studying global climate change. the spacecraft will be similar to the original CryoSat, but will cost less — €106.4 million (US$126.9 million) versus €140 million (US$167 million) — by taking advantage of enhanced satellite operations and data processing capabilities. The original CryoSat was lost when its Rockot booster failed on its OCtober 2005 launch. CryoSat-2 is scheduled for launch in March 2009, although the launch vehicle that will be used was not identified.

Related Links:

•  New Scientist article
•  BBC article
•  ESA press release