A sharp look on next-gen weather forecasts and climate models: Frédérick Pasternak named as European Inventor Award 2022 finalist
- French engineer Frédérick Pasternak nominated for European Patent Office (EPO) prize for his satellite instrument that improves weather and climate forecasts
- A pioneer in earth observation technologies, Pasternak dedicated a decade of R&D to ensure his instrument would work in the extreme conditions of space
- His invention will be launched into orbit in 2024 where its precise measurements will enhance forecasts and help better protect people from extreme weather events
Munich, 17 May 2022 - The European Patent Office (EPO) announces that French engineer Frédérick Pasternak has been nominated as a finalist for the European Inventor Award 2022 for his pioneering work on a satellite instrument that substantially improves infrared measurements in order to provide more accurate data for weather forecasts and climate predictions.
The invention doubles the spectral resolution of one of the most sophisticated Earth observation sensors ever built - increasing its ground coverage by over a factor of ten - and will be launched into space onboard a satellite in 2024.
"Pasternak has significantly improved one of the most advanced meteorological instruments ever built, helping us to gain deeper insight into Earth's weather and climate," said EPO President António Campinos, announcing the European Inventor Award 2022 finalists. "His invention will help scientists and policy makers better understand and tackle climate change in the years to come."
Pasternak has been named one of three finalists in the "Industry" category of this year's European Inventor Award, which recognises outstanding inventors in commercially successful technologies patented by large European companies with more than 250 employees and an annual turnover of more than EUR 50 million. The winners of the 2022 edition of the EPO's European Inventor Award will be announced at a virtual ceremony on 21 June.
Eye in the sky
Pasternak's career in the space sector began in 1983 when, straight from university, he accepted a job at a company that later merged into Airbus Defence and Space. It was here that he started building satellites and discovered what he calls the "thrill of space science". By the early 1990s, Pasternak's talents saw him placed in charge of the Airbus team developing optical instruments for the Meteosat Second Generation (Metop-SG) fleet of satellites, which were launched into space between 2002 and 2015.
In 2010, Airbus approached Pasternak with a fresh challenge - to identify the composition of gases in the atmosphere in unprecedented detail. This required reducing the optical distortion on the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), one of the most advanced weather instruments ever built, which had been launched in 2006. The IASI gave meteorologists new coverage of gas concentrations and temperatures across the globe, but distorted radiation emitted over wide angles, at times leading to confusing readings.
Pasternak dedicated a year to thinking about ways to overcome this problem. Eventually, he invented a special prism made from potassium bromide that focused infrared radiation onto IASI's sensor, applying for a first patent in 2014. He also engineered a mounting mechanism that continuously repositioned the prism as the instrument collected radiation from different angles. The invention corrected the optical distortions of IASI and allowed the instrument to collect radiation over wider angles.
"We took an instrument that many thought was close to its physical limitations and improved its field of view by over an order of magnitude," says Pasternak.
Once operational, the upgraded IASI will collect more accurate data on the composition of the atmosphere, mapping out gases in finer detail and reducing uncertainty in measurements. It will help track the evolution of climate change, notably by improving temperature measurements of sea, ice and land, and establish how much water vapour is present at different altitudes. Pasternak's invention could also save lives by allowing for more accurate predictions in early warning systems, enabling authorities to protect people from extreme weather events, such as floods or heatwaves.
Pasternak applied for a patent on his distortion-correcting prism because other scientists were working to overcome the IASI's spatial distortion problem, too, and he feared that they may build something faster.
"When you do research in industry, you are fighting against competitors and that means patenting your inventions to keep them safe," says Pasternak.
The measurements obtained with Pasternak's invention bring about a substantial commercial advantage for Airbus. Satellite data and services for Earth observation represent a EUR 51 billion opportunity over the coming decade, with an expected market value of EUR 6.6 billion by 2028. The market for weather forecasting systems is also expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.7% to reach EUR 3.0 billion by 2025.
Since completing his work on IASI, Pasternak continues to help the company overcome other technical challenges, including how to better measure the speed of satellites in space and Earth imaging for agriculture. "What I like is finding solutions to problems - and every new space born instrument comes with a problem," he says.
Notes to the editor
About the inventor
Frédérick Pasternak studied aeronautic engineering at the French Institute of Aeronautics and Space (ISAE-SUPAERO). He joined Airbus Defence and Space in 1983 and has spent the subsequent four decades developing optical instruments for world leading clients in the aerospace sector, including the European Space Agency (ESA) and France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES). In 2007, he became the head of the Optical Instrument Studies department at Airbus Defence and Space, where he has since led the company's innovation in optics and infrared detectors. Pasternak remains a hands-on inventor, designing, building and patenting instruments flown onboard spacecrafts made by the company. In 2016, Airbus inducted Pasternak in its hall of fame for his ground-breaking invention on IASI.
Pasternak is named as the inventor in European patents EP2813828B1 (granted 2016), EP2884327B1 (granted 2016) and EP3494373B1 (granted 2019).
About the European Inventor Award
The European Inventor Award is one of Europe's most prestigious innovation prizes. Launched by the EPO in 2006, the award honours individuals and teams' solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our times. The finalists and winners are selected by an independent jury comprising former Award finalists. Together, they examine the proposals for their contribution towards technical progress, social and sustainable development and economic prosperity. The EPO will confer the Award in four categories (Industry, Research, SMEs and Non-EPO countries), as well as announcing a Lifetime achievement award at a virtual ceremony on 21 June. In addition, the public selects the Popular Prize winner from the 13 finalists by voting on the EPO website in the run-up to the ceremony. Voting is open until 21 June 2022. Read more on the European Inventor Award eligibility and selection criteria.
This year, for the first time, the EPO will also award bright young minds with the Young Inventors prize. The new prize offers a monetary reward to the three finalists to further encourage them to find creative solutions to pressing sustainable development challenges.
About the EPO
With 6 400 staff, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 44 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.
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