Vendée Globe Race Monitored from Space with CLS
by Vendée Globe media 4 Dec 13:39 PST
4 December 2024
Vendée Globe Race Monitored from Space with CLS © ESA
As skippers navigate the sometimes turbulent Southern Ocean near Antarctica, the Vendée Globe is placing heightened emphasis on ensuring the sailors’ safety.
A virtual area known as the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (ZEA) has been established around Antarctica, preventing skippers from approaching the ice that lies within this restricted zone. This area is delineated by the mission-oriented firm CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites), a long-term associate of the race, which is deploying satellites and experts for an unparalleled level of space-based surveillance.
Satellites Supporting Skippers
From space, three types of satellites continuously monitor icebergs that could pose a threat to skippers and their vessels. Positioned at an altitude of 700 km, they detect, analyze, and track the ice utilizing advanced technology.
Cloud-penetrating radar satellites: for day and night iceberg detection.
Optical satellites: equipped with space photography.
Altimetric satellites: typically used to assess average sea levels, their application has been redirected here to identify icebergs.
An Innovative Space Collaboration
This monitoring effort would not be achievable without the partnership of the ESA (European Space Agency) and the CNES (Centre national d’études spatiales), the parent organization of CLS. For this 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, CLS is utilizing:
Sentinel-1A, a radar satellite from the European Space Agency (ESA).
SWOT, an altimetric satellite launched in 2022, an innovation from CNES that maps risk areas and predicts iceberg movements.
With these resources, every iceberg is incorporated into forecast models that simulate its route and evolution, facilitating real-time adjustments to the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (AEZ).
Outstanding Human and Technological Resources
Nearly 100 CLS experts, stationed in Toulouse and worldwide, are deploying satellites and artificial intelligence to evaluate the data. Their objective? To foresee risks so that each skipper can complete the loop under optimal safety conditions.
Alain Leboeuf, President of the Vendée Globe and the Vendée region: “Skipper safety is our utmost priority for the Vendée Globe. Thanks to our long-standing alliance with CLS, we gain reassuring expertise and proven skills, crucial for addressing the unique challenges of the Southern Seas. This collaboration exemplifies the strength of a lasting dedication to innovation and the safety of our maritime heroes.”
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