A nanosatellite to detect the risk of heavy rainfall events
The goal of the "Mediterranean Project" is to better predict Cévenol episodes by collecting data where water vapor forms, i.e., at sea. This new challenge, proposed by the Montpellier University Space Center (CSUM) and supported by the Van Allen Foundation and its partners, including the UM, is set to come to fruition in 2021 with the launch of the ROBUSTA-3A MÉDITERRANÉE nanosatellite.
It's a phenomenon that Montpellier residents know well: Cévenol storms. These are a regular feature of our autumns and could almost be considered part of our folklore if they didn't cause such serious human and material damage each time. What is perhaps less well known is the origin of these sudden weather events. "A Cévenol or Mediterranean storm is a conflict between air masses: warm, humid air in the lower atmosphere coming from the sea and cold air at high altitude coming from the Cévennes mountains," explains Laurent Dusseau, director of the Van Allen Foundation and the CSUM.
Measuring water vapor at sea
Today, it is easy to measure these humidity fields using GNSS signals, otherwise known as satellite positioning systems. To put it simply, this is a system based on a constellation of small satellites that allows us to know, via our cell phones for example, the time or our 3D position. "These signals undergo changes related to the presence of water in the atmosphere. We will use these variations to calculate the amount of vapor at a given location T," explains Laurent Dusseau. "This is a technique routinely used by Météo-France, and there are many observation points in France."
There are certainly many observation points in France, but none at sea, and that is what makes this project so unique and innovative. "By detecting these masses of warm air as soon as they form at sea, we will be able to better anticipate Cévenol episodes." To make this possible, a partnership has been signed with the port of Sète to install sensors on board ships sailing in the Mediterranean. The devices will emit signals that will be picked up by the Robusta-3A Méditerranée nanosatellite and then transmitted in near real time to the research teams at ENSTA Bretagne, IGN, and Météo-France, the other partners in the study. "For the information to remain valid, it is essential that it be transmitted live," insists Laurent Dusseau.
A 100% CSUM nanosatellite
Entirely designed by CSUM and financially supported by the Van Allen Foundation and the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES) as part of the JANUS project, the Robusta-3A Méditerranée nanosatellite should be ready for launch at the end of 2021. This is the culmination of work that began in 2013, involving 140 students and a dozen apprentices and interns. The electronic subsystems were developed by the CSUM as part of pre-maturation projects supported by the Occitanie region. Robusta-3A will thus join the three other nanosatellites already launched by the CSUM.
For their part, the National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN) and the National School of Advanced Technology (ENSTA) Bretagne, both partners of CSUM, have been working on the amount of data needed to carry out the scientific part of the mission. A thesis co-financed by the foundation and ENSTA will begin in December to continue work on methods for analyzing the collected data. "With this project, we are perfectly in line with the major themes of Muse," concludes Laurent Dusseau. "Better anticipation of severe weather events will indeed allow for greater protection of populations."
The Van Allen Foundation
Created at the end of 2012, the Van Allen Foundation, a partner of the UM, has as its main mission to raise funds from sponsors and make them available to the UM on behalf of the Montpellier University Space Center. It promotes its innovation and development projects through communication initiatives and ensures the governance of the CSUM.
A privileged partner of the University of Montpellier, the Van Allen Foundation has five founding members: UM, Airbus Defense and Space, microelectronics supplier 3D Plus, engineering services designer Expleo, and interconnection systems manufacturer Latécoère Interconnection Systems. Each of them contributes between €50,000 and €100,000 per year to the foundation and has a seat on the board of directors.
The Van Allen Foundation is a major player in collaboration between industry and academia in the space sector, where it promotes technology and knowledge transfer. It also provides funding for practical training for young people in space-related professions. Since its creation in 2012, 180 student internships have been funded, with €2.75 million invested in the Montpellier University Space Center and its nanosatellite projects.