Organization

The SARAL/Altika mission is put together as part of a CNES-ISRO international cooperation. This cooperation is more particularly divided as follows:

• CNES
  
  
  • is responsible for the global management of the project and the system,
  • contributes to the payload by supplying the Altika altimeter-radiometer, the on board system DORIS, and the laser reflector,
  • supplies two ground stations setup in Sweden,
  • is responsible for the definition and execution of all system tests,
  • performs the processing, archiving and distribution of the scientific data.

• ISRO
  
  
  • supplies the SSB platform,
  • supplies the launcher, the launching operations and the associated infrastructures,
  • performs the processing, archiving and distribution of the scientific data.

• EUMETSAT's role

Support to CNES for the production, archiving and distribution of near-real time products (OGDR: Operational Geophysical Data Record) to users outside India.

• OSTST's role

"Ocean Surface Topography Science team" (OSTST), an international group of scientists, carries out an independent evaluation about the scientific objectives and the scientific breakthrough obtained, and contributes to a larger distribution of these breakthroughs in an international context.