Last weeks loss of the polar surveyor CryoSat was a devastating blow to everyone concerned with shrinking polar ice caps and the effects of global warming. Designed by the European Space Agency at a cost of around $170 million, scientists hoped it would provide detailed measurements of ice thickness, track ice movement and provide answers to what is happening to our polar environment.
Now, it is the focus of an international inquiry into a failed launch.
Building and launching a CryoSat 2 would in fact cost far less than the original, but no plans have been announced, or even hinted at. This was the first satellite of ESA's Earth Explorer series, all designed to provide Earth scientists with better, and more detailed information on the planet we all share.
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