Ready to launch

One third of Germany's land area is covered in forest. "This is where EnMAP can help. With 242 channels, its hyperspectral instrument can 'scan' forest areas to determine the health status of trees and plants from an altitude of 640 kilometres," says Pelzer. Through the EnMAP mission, Germany is looking to make an important contribution towards the global monitoring of environmental changes to agriculture and forestry, soil science, geology, and research into coastal areas and inland waters. The satellite was developed and constructed by OHB System AG and tested for deployment in space by IABG mbH. The scientific management of the mission is the responsibility of the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), which is a member of the Helmholtz Association, as is DLR. The ground segment is being developed by DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen. By providing an accurate view from space, EnMAP is intended to help find solutions to address the challenges posed by climate change.

In future, for example, it will be possible to study plant metabolism over large areas and determine which areas are lacking in certain nutrients or which atmospheric pollutants are affecting the plants. "Despite the changing climatic and environmental conditions, the information from space should allow us to manage forests and fields in a more economical and environmentally sustainable way in future. That is why forestry workers and farmers alike will benefit considerably from EnMAP data," says Sebastian Fischer, EnMAP Project Manager at the German Space Agency.

In late February 2022, the satellite will be transported from the OHB AG premises in Bremen to the NASA spaceport in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft. From there, EnMAP will set off for its target orbit on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher in April 2022. EnMAP will collect environmental data for at least five years.

Environmental testing as the basis for a successful mission

"In order to survive its flight and time in space unscathed, we had to really put EnMAP through its paces beforehand. The journey on the launch vehicle, extreme fluctuations in temperature and harsh radiation in space put a lot of demands on the highly sensitive instruments on board the satellite," says Fischer. With that in mind, the satellite was subjected to a test campaign over several months at IABG's space test centre in Ottobrunn, near Munich. "EnMAP passed the tests with flying colours. Its instruments and all of the technology worked very well under extreme conditions."

Tracking environmental changes with 242 channels

What is it that makes EnMAP special? How does this satellite work? All materials on Earth’s surface reflect sunlight in a characteristic way, referred to as a spectral signature. EnMAP can 'read' this signature with its instruments. However, in order to avoid confusion with other sources, these signatures need to be recognised with high precision. This is done using multi-channel images, known as hyperspectral images. Applying this method also allows scientists to identify and quantify the recorded materials directly. As an example, not only can they see which type of fruit is being grown in a field, but they can also determine how well it is supplied with nutrients. Minerals in soils can also be identified and quantified.

Extensive yet highly detailed

EnMAP does not just have the land mass in its sights, either. The hyperspectral instrument, with its two imaging spectrometers, will also take a close look at the coastal areas and inland waters in a wavelength range of 420 to 2450 nanometres. With a spectral resolution of 6.5 nanometres in the visible and near-infrared range and 10 nanometres in the short-wave infrared range, EnMAP sees details that are hidden from the human eye. Its hyperspectral instrument makes pollutants in lakes and coastal waters visible and allows them to be quantified with precision.