Work begins on the prototype for a pounds 210m "green guardian" in spac e

Work has begun on the prototype for a pounds 210m "green guardian" in space. Anglo-French space specialists Matra Marconi are the prime contractors for the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar sensor which will be the largest fixture on Europe's biggest spacecraft, Envisat 1. Construction has started at their Portsmouth plant on the ASAR for the European Space Agency.

The design will enable almost the entire globe to be scanned in a day, providing radar information at global, national or regional level. Tasks will vary from measuring the height of ocean waves to charting the polar caps or sea ice. It can also plot large-scale desert erosion or crop rotation in individual fields. It can be targeted to provide information on the effects of natural or man-made disasters.