Facts:
DTU in the Arctic and Greenland
- Advisory services, digital infrastructure and security
Knowledge and data from DTU Space are used in climate assessments, including reports produced by the EU and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We contribute research-based knowledge on climate, geodata, and Arctic conditions to organisations such as the Arctic Council and to international cooperation and decision-making processes.
We contribute to the development and operation of the geodetic reference infrastructure that is essential for precise positioning, mapping, and navigation in Greenland and the Arctic.
We also provide technology and data that support navigation, surveillance, search and rescue operations, and security in the Arctic. In addition, we develop technologies and knowledge that strengthen communications and digital infrastructure in sparsely populated Arctic regions.
- Monitoring satellites and space debris
As part of the DENASSI project, an optical mirror telescope is being tested in Greenland to investigate how optical sensors can observe, identify, and track satellites and space debris in polar orbits. The project forms part of Denmark’s contribution to the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking programme (EU SST) and helps strengthen Europe’s ability to monitor satellites and space debris.
- Space weather above the Arctic
DTU Space investigates how solar eruptions create disturbances in the atmosphere above the Arctic, affecting satellites, radio communications, and GPS navigation. DTU Space measures and analyses these disturbances to improve understanding, monitoring, and eventually forecasting of space weather in northern regions.
- Geomagnetic observations and airport surveys
DTU Space is responsible for geomagnetic measurements in Greenland and has a long tradition in this field. In 2024, DTU Space established a geomagnetic observatory in Pituffik, an important Arctic monitoring station that observes Earth’s magnetic field and space weather. We are also involved in the geomagnetic observatory in Qeqertarsuaq, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
In addition, we survey magnetic variation at Greenlandic airports to ensure the correct correction between magnetic north and geographic north during take-off and landing. DTU Space has, among other projects, conducted these measurements for the new airport in Ilulissat, which is expected to open in 2026.
- Network of GPS monitoring stations
In collaboration with the Danish Agency for Climate Data, DTU Space operates GNET, an extensive network of GPS-based GNSS stations across Greenland. The network is used to monitor crustal movements, ice sheet mass loss, and Greenland’s contribution to global sea-level rise.
- Technology for sea ice monitoring
DTU Space is involved in developing methods for monitoring sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic using radar and radiometer data. This includes operating a web-based system for mapping sea ice drift and using radiometer data to map sea ice concentration in near real time.
- Field missions
Researchers from DTU Space regularly conduct fieldwork in Greenland and other Arctic regions to test equipment, collect data, and validate satellite measurements. These activities take place both on sea ice and on the Greenland Ice Sheet.
DTU Space participates in the ESA project SUPFIX-POLAR CEMSIE (Copernicus Expansion Missions Sea Ice Experiment), where researchers and engineers from Europe, Canada, and the United States collaborate on developing more accurate methods for future satellite measurements of polar regions.
- Digital twin of the Arctic and Antarctica
DTU Space is part of the EUs Destination Earth initiative, which is developing a ”digital twin” of the Earth. Together with ESA, DTU Space is developing the Digital Twin for Ice Sheets component, which uses artificial intelligence, physics-based models, and large volumes of observational data to monitor and predict changes in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The tool is designed to provide insights into the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise, and to support related decision-making.
- Research centre CISP (Centre for Ice-Sheet and Sea-Level Predictions)
DTU Space leads the national research centre CISP, which combines satellite observations, field data, and advanced ice-sheet models to improve predictions of Greenland Ice Sheet melt and the resulting future global sea-level rise affecting coastal regions. The centre is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and collaborates with the University of Copenhagen and Dartmouth College in the United States.
- Coastal water-level monitoring
DTU operates and maintains five permanent tide gauge stations in Greenland that monitor water-level changes in coastal areas, particularly changes resulting from melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. We are expanding this coastal monitoring network with six new and more sophisticated stations based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology, such as the European Galileo system and the American GPS system.
- The Greenland Telescope
DTU Space is also involved in classical space research and astrophysics in Greenland. This includes collaborations surrounding the internationally operated Greenland Telescope (GLT), located at Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland.