SFL Missions Inc. Secures CSA Contract for HAWC Satellite Concept Study

SFL Missions Inc. Secures CSA Contract for HAWC Satellite Concept Study
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2025

SFL Missions Inc. has been selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to conduct a conceptual design study for the High-Altitude Aerosols, Water Vapour, and Clouds (HAWC) satellite mission. This initiative represents Canada's contribution to NASA's Atmosphere Observing System (AOS), which is scheduled for launch in 2031.

"The HAWC mission will collect atmospheric data that will support extreme weather prediction, climate modeling, and air quality forecasting," stated Michael Henderson, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Specialist at SFL Missions Inc.

As part of the Phase 0 contract, SFL Missions will examine design specifications for the HAWC satellite (HAWCsat) and the onboard Aerosol Limb Imager (ALI). ALI will be responsible for measuring aerosols, which consist of minuscule solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere. These particles originate from sources such as forest fires, volcanic eruptions, power plants, and industrial emissions, significantly influencing climate, weather patterns, and air quality.

Additionally, the HAWCsat will carry the Spatial Heterodyne Observations of Water (SHOW) instrument, designed to measure water vapour in the upper atmosphere. Water vapour plays a crucial role in cloud formation and the regulation of Earth's temperature by driving heating and cooling processes.

The data collected by ALI and SHOW will be synchronized with another Canadian instrument, Thin Ice Clouds and Far InfraRed Emissions (TICFIRE), which will be aboard the NASA AOS satellite. HAWCsat is set to precede the AOS spacecraft by 310 seconds in orbit, ensuring coordinated atmospheric measurements.

SFL Missions is particularly suited for this study due to its advanced capabilities in satellite formation flying. The ability to maintain precise positioning between HAWCsat and the AOS spacecraft is essential for obtaining simultaneous atmospheric measurements from different vantage points.

"Success of the mission depends on the HAWC spacecraft flying in a precise orbit relative to the AOS satellite, so that both capture measurements from the same portion of the atmosphere at the same time, but from different angles," Henderson emphasized.

The Phase 0 study for the CSA HAWC mission is expected to conclude by November 2025.