ABB wins Canadian Space Agency contract for climate instrument

ABB (SIX: ABBN) secured a contract from the Canadian Space Agency to develop the TICFIRE infrared imager, which will be part of the HAWC satellite mission focused on climate monitoring.

The Thin Ice Clouds and Far InfraRed Emissions (TICFIRE) instrument will observe the upper atmosphere to study aerosol-cloud interactions, which represent a significant source of uncertainty in climate modeling. The technology will measure how cold water vapor and ice clouds affect solar energy and Earth's cooling mechanisms.

TICFIRE forms part of the High-altitude Aerosols, Water Vapour and Clouds (HAWC) mission, a Canadian-led initiative that aims to improve weather forecasting, climate modeling, air quality assessments, and natural disaster tracking. The mission will orbit to maximize observations over the Arctic region.

"We are proud to be a part of this important scientific mission that will advance our understanding of the Earth's climate," said Marc Corriveau, General Manager for ABB's Measurement & Analytics division in Canada.

The HAWC mission is designed to contribute to NASA's planned international Atmosphere Observing System mission, targeted for launch in 2031. ABB will conduct the conceptual development phase and support additional technology development activities.

ABB operates more than 40 optical instruments currently in orbit monitoring Earth's atmosphere and surface. The company employs 220 engineers dedicated to space technologies at its Quebec City facility. ABB previously collaborated with the Canadian Space Agency on the MOPITT atmospheric sensor, launched in 1999 to map carbon monoxide globally.

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