ALTIUS

ALTIUS (Atmospheric Limb Tracker for Investigation of the Upcoming Stratosphere) is a satellite mission proposed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy and currently under development by the European Space Agency.^[3][4][5] Its main objective is to monitor the distribution and evolution of stratospheric ozone in the Earth's atmosphere. The industrial consortium is led by QinetiQ Space, acting as mission prime.^[6][4] The satellite design is based on the PROBA small satellite bus.^[3] The payload, developed by OIP Sensor Systems, is an innovative UV, visible and NIR instrument.^[7]

ALTIUS

ALTIUS BISA logo
Mission type	Earth Observation
Operator	European Space Agency
Website	https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Altius
Mission duration	>3 years (design lifetime)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	ALTIUS
Bus	PROBA
Manufacturer	QinetiQ Space
Launch mass	266 kilograms (586 lb)[1]
Dry mass	254 kilograms (560 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	2026 (2026) (planned)[2]
Rocket	Vega-C
Launch site	Kourou ELV
Contractor	Arianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Sun-synchronous orbit
Regime	Low Earth
Altitude	≈668 km[1]
Repeat interval	3 days[1]
Main payload
Name	ALTIUS instrument
Type	Multi-channel tuneable spectral imager
Wavelengths	UV: 250-355 nm (tuneable) VIS: 440-675 nm (tuneable) NIR 600-1020 nm (tuneable)[1]
Resolution	1 to 3 km (vertically)[1]
ALTIUS mission logo

The mission is scheduled for launch in 2026 from the Guiana Space Centre^[2] on Vega-C together with another Earth-observing satellite, FLEX.^[8]

See also

• List of European Space Agency programs and missions
• PROBA