programmes in progress - esa.int · be used. one of these is the number of papers published...

Programmes

80 esa bulletin 122 - may 2005 www.esa.int

Programmes

in Progress

Status end-March 2005

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esa bulletin 122 - may 2005www.esa.int 81

In Progress

ROSETTA

ARTEMIS

GNSS-1/EGNOS

ALPHABUS

GAIA

JWST

BEPICOLOMBO

GALILEOSAT

PROBA-2

SLOSHSAT

ENVISAT

ADM-AEOLUS

METOP

MSG

COLUMBUS

ATV

NODE-2 & -3

CUPOLA

ERA

DMS (R)

ISS SUPPORT & UTIL.

EMIR/ELIPS

MFC

ARIANE-5 DEVELOP.

ARIANE-5 PLUS

FIRST LAUNCH FEB. 2006

LAUNCH MAY 2009

LAUNCH DECEMBER 2006

LAUNCHES OCT. 2006 & OCT. 2008

LAUNCH NOVEMBER 2007

LAUNCHED JULY 2000

BIO, FSL, EPM with COLUMBUS

OPERATIONAL

AR5-ECA QUALIF. LAUNCHEDFEBRUARY 2005

APCF-6/BIOBOX-5/ARMS/BIOPACK/FAST-2/ERISTO

MATROSHKA

VEGA FIRST LAUNCH NOVEMBER 2007

FOTON-MI PCDFEML-2

MARES

MSG MELFI EDR/EUTEF/SOLAR

HERSCHEL/PLANCK

CRYOSAT

VENUS EXPRESS

LISA PATHFINDER

GOCE

SMOS

EARTHCARE

SWARM

GNSS-1/EGNOSGNSS-1/EGNOS

DOUBLE STARTC-1

MAXUS-6

EMCS/PEMS

FOTON-M2 EML-1

FOTON-M3

TEXUS-42MAXUS-7

MSL

ASTRONAUT FLT.

MASER-10

PROJECT 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007J FMAM J J A SOND J FMAM J J A SOND J FMAM J J A SOND J FMAM J J A SOND J FMAM J J A SOND J FMAM J J A SOND J FMAM J J A SOND COMMENTS

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DEFINITION PHASE

OPERATIONS

MAIN DEVELOPMENT PHASE

ADDITIONAL LIFE POSSIBLELAUNCH/READY FOR LAUNCH

STORAGE

SPACE TELESCOPE

ULYSSES

SOHO

HUYGENS

XMM-NEWTON

ERS-2

CLUSTER

INTEGRAL

LAUNCHED APRIL1990

METEOSAT-5/6/7

LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1990

LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1995


LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1999

PROBA-1 LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2001

LAUNCHED APRIL 1995

RE-LAUNCHED MID-2000


LAUNCHED MARCH 2004

LAUNCHED JULY 2001

OPERATIONS START 2005

LAUNCH END-2011

FIRST LAUNCH 2005

LAUNCH 2ND HALF 2006

LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2005

LAUNCH AUGUST 2006

LAUNCH FEBRUARY 2007

LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2008

LAUNCHED MARCH 2002

LAUNCH 2009

LAUNCH AUGUST 2007

METOP-2 LAUNCH APRIL 2006,METOP-1 2010, METOP-3 2014

LAUNCH OCTOBER 2005

LAUNCH MID-2009

LAUNCH AUGUST 2012

LAUNCH APRIL 2012

LAUNCH 2009

LAUNCH 2012

TC-1 LAUNCHED DEC. 2003TC-2 LAUNCHED JULY 2004

M5 LAUNCHED 1991,M6 1993, M7 1997

MSG-1 LAUNCHED AUG. 2002,MSG-2 AUG. 2005, MSG-3 2009

TC-2

MARS EXPRESS LAUNCHED JUNE 2003

SMART-1 LAUNCHED SEPTEMBER 2003


Programmes


ISORecent highlights include direct evidence fromISO data that shock waves generated bygalaxy collisions excite the gas from whichnew stars will form. This is revealed in theAntennae galaxies pair by exceptional H2rotational line emission at a wavelength of9.66 microns, detected via ISOCAM CircularVariable Filter observations. The H2 lineluminosity, normalised by the far-infraredluminosity, exceeds that of all other knowngalaxies, and the strongest H2 emission isspatially displaced from the known starburstregions. This result also provides importantclues as to how the birth of the first stars wastriggered and speeded-up in the earlyUniverse. Published in the April issue ofAstronomy & Astrophysics by Haas et al., thefindings are also reported on the ESA Newsportal as an outreach story.

Hubble SpaceTelescope

The 15th anniversary of the launch of HSTwas celebrated on 24 April 2005. TheTelescope continues to operate exceptionallywell, and during its lifetime has changed theparadigm and understanding in all areas ofastronomical research. Operational efficiencyremains high at ~50%, which means that evenin its current low-Earth-orbit HST is observingfor 50% of the time. Scientific observations areprocessed within a few hours, and accessibilityto the data and archival information is assuredwithin just a few hours also.

To assess the impact of Hubble observationson astrophysical research, standard objectivemeasures of productivity and impact need tobe used. One of these is the number of paperspublished annually based on Hubble data. Thenumbers for 2004 became available inFebruary. Following a strong and regularincrease during the first eight years of Hubble,the number of papers published continued toincrease, although at a slower pace. However,2004 saw another significant increase, with arecord 601 papers published, over 100 more

than in 2003. The current total of refereedpapers based on Hubble data is over 4700.

Current projections for the lifetime of HST arethat it should continue to be scientificallyoperational until late 2008, if the deliberateswitch to a ‘two-gyro science mode’ isimplemented sometime this summer. Thelifetime of the observatory may ultimately bedecided by that of the batteries, which are now 15 years old but continue to degradegracefully. The current prediction is that theyshould continue to operate until 2010, thusgiving considerable time for either a robotic orShuttle servicing mission to be implemented,should this course of action be decided upon.

UlyssesThe spacecraft and its scientific payload areboth in good health, with no anomalies havingoccurred during the last quarter. Thebudgetary situation regarding NASA’scontribution to the mission is, however, aconcern, as a number of operational missions,including Ulysses, are presently under threatof termination. It is hoped to resolve thisquestion at a NASA Review to be held laterthis year, and that the mission will continue asagreed until the end of the next polar passesin March 2008.

All science operations during the reportingperiod have been nominal. A proposed switch-on of the Ulysses’ Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB)instrument to support post-launch calibrationsof instruments on NASA’s Swift satellite was deemed unnecessary based on thesatisfactory in-orbit performance of its payload.GRB will therefore remain switched off untilthe onboard power/thermal situation improves(probably not before April 2007).

One of the principal goals of the Ulyssesmission is to achieve a deeper understandingof how energetic charged particles aretransported through the complex plasmaenvironment created by the solar wind.Jupiter’s location with respect to the source ofthe magnetised solar wind – the Sun – is bothnon-central and precisely known, making the

electrons that it emits ideal test particles forstudying particle propagation throughout theinner heliosphere. Ulysses electronobservations during the close (1992) anddistant (2004) Jupiter encounters haverecently been analysed to study the time-dependence of the particle transportparameters. Since the observations from bothperiods were obtained during the decliningphase of the solar cycle, it was expected thatthe electron intensities in 2004 would vary inthe same way as in the 1992 observations.

This was found not to be the case, however. Inmid-2002, the electron flux started increasingand displaying large short-term variations.These features lasted throughout the distantencounter, making the electron intensities lessobviously correlated with the proximity toJupiter compared with the first (close) Jovianencounter in 1992. The suggestion is that thetransport parameters, and in particular thosegoverning movement perpendicular to themagnetic field in the polar direction, are highlytime-dependent.

Ulysses is presently some 5 AU (astronomicalunits) from the Sun, on its way to the 3rdpassage over the solar south pole.

Cassini/HuygensThe Huygens industrial consortium, led byAlcatel in close coordination with the HuygensMission Team, is carrying out an engineeringanalysis of the Probe’s performance. Theaspects being addressed include: softwareperformance, entry detection, thermalbehaviour, power budgets, parachuteperformances, spin and attitude profiles, radar-altimeter calibration, and the radio-link budget.

An anomaly has been observed in the Probe’sdirection of spin under the parachutes. Itseparated from the Orbiter with the expectedspin rate and direction. A value of 7.5 rpm wasmeasured by the Cassini magnetometer andconfirmed by JPL after post-mission analysisof the separation dynamics using Orbiterattitude data. At the end of the entry phase,the Probe was still rotating at about 7.5 rpm,but the spin rate slowed more than expected



future. Evidence of a limited number of newhot pixels elsewhere in the focal plane ofMOS-1 was also found. These other effectsare relatively minor. XMM-Newton scientificobservations are continuing normally, includingthose with MOS-1, but with CCD-6 switchedoff. Investigations are underway to fullycharacterise changes in the instrument’sstatus.

For the scientific output of the mission, it isimportant to point out that MOS-1 is operatedin parallel with the MOS-2 and the pncameras. Therefore, the sky area that is nolonger covered by CCD-6 is still covered bythe two remaining cameras. The net effect ofthe loss of CCD-6 is therefore limited to only3% of the total grasp of EPIC, and as such willnot have a significant impact on the mission’sscientific output.

The ground segment is still being run withSCOS-1b and SCOS-2000 in parallel. At areview on 14 April, the final switchover toSCOS-2000 was set for 1 June 2005.

The completion status of the observingprogramme is as follows:AO-2 programme: 99.9% completedAO-3 programme: 92.0% completedAO-4 programme: 4.6% completed.

The AO-4 observations have been startedslightly ahead of schedule, largely for sky-visibility reasons. Currently, over 3920observation sequences have been executedand the data for 3801 of these have alreadybeen shipped.

In March, 1200 separate data sets weredownloaded from the XMM-Newton ScienceArchive (XSA) by 115 external users.

The Astrophysical Journal has accepted a letterby C.R. Mullis et al. reporting the discovery of amassive, X-ray-luminous cluster of galaxies at z = 1.393, which makes it the most distant (X-ray selected) cluster found to date. Thissource, designated XMMU J2235.3-2557, wasserendipitously detected as an extended X-raysource in an archival XMM-Newton observation.

In Progress

under the main parachute. In fact, it stoppedspinning after about 10 min and began to spinin the reverse direction. It then kept spinning inthat direction with the expected spin profile forthe rest of the descent. No explanation has yetbeen found for this anomalous behaviour,which is still under investigation. The Sunsensor of the DISR instrument was affected bythe fact that the solar disc came into its field ofview from an unexpected direction.

Highlights from among the many uniquescientific results already gleaned fromHuygens include:– Atmospheric structure (temperature,

density and pressure) from the surface up to 1500 km. Titan’s atmosphere was found to be highly structured during the whole entry phase, and turbulent in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere.

– First detection of the cosmic-ray ionised layer at round 60 km altitude.

– Atmospheric methane concentration of 1.5% in the stratosphere and the upper troposphere. The concentration increased during the last 20 km of the descent, reaching 5% near the surface. The evaporation of methane after touch-down indicates that the surface at the landing sitewas soaked with methane.

– A 120 m/s wind at high altitude, but the winds are generally less strong than expected. A peculiar layer was detected between 80 and 60 km altitude, where the wind decreased to a very low value.Meteorologists are working to find an explanation.

XMM-NewtonXMM-Newton operations continue to runsmoothly, with the exception of an anomaly inone of the EPIC MOS cameras. On 9 March,XMM-Newton registered an event in the focalplane of the EPIC MOS-1 instrument, thecharacteristics of which were reminiscent ofvery similar events registered earlier in themission. Those were attributed to micro-meteoroid impacts scattering debris into thefocal plane. It seems likely that CCD-6, one of the six peripheral MOS-1 CCDs, will not be usable for scientific observations in

The massive, X-ray-luminous cluster of galaxies, designated XXMU J2235.3-2557, detected from an XMM-Newton observation


Programmes


Ground-based imaging using VLT-FORS2 R-and z-band snapshots revealed an over-densityof red galaxies in both angular and colourspaces coincident in the sky with the X-rayemission. Subsequent VLT-FORS2 multi-objectspectroscopy unambiguously confirmed thepresence of a massive cluster based on 12concordant red shifts in the interval 1.38 < z <1.40 (i.e. when the Universe was about 40% ofits current age). Though this cluster is likely tobe the first confirmed z > 1 cluster found withXMM-Newton, the relative ease and efficiencyof the discovery demonstrates that it should bepossible to build up large samples of suchclusters through the joint use of XMM-Newtonand large ground-based telescopes.

A total of 795 papers based completely orpartly on XMM-Newton observations had beenpublished in the refereed literature by 1 April2005.

Cluster

The four spacecraft and their instruments areoperating according to plan. The short eclipse(less than 1 h) season has been passedsuccessfully. On spacecraft 1, one of the twobatteries suffered a voltage drop about 3 minbefore the end of eclipse and the secondbattery was not powerful enough to keep thespacecraft and instruments working. Aswitchover from the main to the redundantonboard computer was triggered and allinstruments were switched off. They weresuccessfully switched on again afterreconfiguring the spacecraft. To prevent thisproblem from happening again, a third batterywas brought on line on each of the fourspacecraft.

JSOC and ESOC operations are continuingnominally, and the data return from January toearly March was more than 99.1%.

The Cluster Active Archive is progressing well.The first data have been delivered and it isplanned to have most of 2001 data availableby May 2005. The startup phase has beenslower than expected, but with the formats andmetadata dictionary now defined for allinstruments the delays should soon be

recovered. The implementation review isplanned for end-May 2005.

Magnetic reconnection at the Earth’smagnetopause is considered to be the mostefficient mechanism for solar material topenetrate the Earth’s magnetic shield.Complex geometrical properties of a transientand spatially confined type of reconnectionhave been observed in the past but so far notexplained, due to the high velocity of themagnetopause and the use of single-spacecraft measurements. A case study basedon multipoint measurements by Clusterreveals, for the first time, a direct observationof a 3D magnetic field topology at themagnetopause, resulting from magneticreconnection at multiple sites, which couldexplain these geometrical properties. It alsoprovides a direct picture of the entry ofparticles through the magnetopause.

High-speed flows of plasma (BBFs),propagating from the magnetotail to the Earthat velocities greater than 300 km/s, are thecarriers of decisive amounts of mass, energyand magnetic flux. A statistical study based onmultipoint measurements by Cluster revealstheir typical spatial scales for the first time.More than 1600 data points of earthward flowevents were used to deduce the size of theBBFs around 2–3 RE in the dawn-duskdirection, and 1.5–2 RE in the north-southdirection.

IntegralThe galactic bulge is a region rich in brightand variable X- and gamma-ray sources. From17 February onwards, as part of an approvedAO-3 programme, Integral has been observingthis region every 3 days. As a service to thescientific community, light curves and imagesare made publicly available as soon aspossible after the monitoring observationshave been performed. More information aboutthe programme and its results can be found at:http://isdc.unige.ch/Science/BULGE/.

On 27 December the Earth was hit by a hugewavefront of gamma- and X-rays. It was thestrongest flux of highly energetic gamma

radiation ever recorded from an astronomicalobject. It was detected by the Integral BurstAlert System (IBAS) and the anticoincidenceshield of the SPI spectrometer. Within the first0.2 s of the burst, the same amount of energywas emitted as comes from the Sun in about aquarter of a million years. An even moreremarkable aspect of this discovery is theorigin of this radiation: it comes from a tinycelestial body with an extremely high density,a neutron star, or so-called ‘magnetar’. Theseare objects with incredibly strong magneticfields – about 1014 times stronger than on theEarth’s surface. The magnetar that emitted thisburst, known as SGR 1806-20, is located onthe other side of our Milky Way galaxy, at adistance of about 50 000 light years.Astrophysicists are confident that this eventwill cast new light on the physics of magnetarsand contribute to solving the puzzle of theorigin of gamma-ray bursts.

Mars ExpressThe first quarter of 2005 was marked by thestart of the mission’s second eclipse season.Some of the longest eclipses left only verylittle margin in which science operations couldbe conducted, yet this was successfullyachieved. As the eclipse durations got shorteragain, science data taking was graduallyresumed at full speed.

A problem in maintaining the correct thermalenvironment for the OMEGA instrument resultedin a week of missed science operations inFebruary.The problem has subsequently beenfixed. A Solid-State Mass Memory (SSMM)anomaly, this time only affecting HRSC datataking, also occurred and was investigated.A new delivery of the SSMM software (fixingknown anomalies) has been received andshould be ready for uploading to the spacecrafttowards the end of June.

Preparations for the MARSIS radar’sdeployment have almost been completed andan overall schedule has been agreed. A finalreview on 12 April confirmed the start date forthe deployment window as 2 May. A number ofactivities associated with data recovery andthe implementation of new procedures for



Radio Science and new pointing modes havebeen postponed to free sufficient manpower toprepare for the MARSIS deploymentoperations.

Science operations are proceeding well.Illumination conditions are gradually degradingand are starting to favour the nightsideobservations.

The first version of the Planetary ScienceArchive, containing the public Mars Expressdata, was released in February. While not alldata that should have been available wereactually delivered by the Principal Investigatorteams, the archive is already being activelyexploited.

After more than one year of Mars Express in-orbit operations, the First Mars ExpressScience Conference took place on 21-25February at ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL),attracting some 250 participants from Europe,the United States, Japan, Russia, etc. Theprogramme included 120 oral presentationsand 120 posters covering all scientific aspectsof the mission, from an historical perspectiveto the latest intriguing findings. The topicsaddressed included results from the interiorand subsurface of Mars; Mars geology,mineralogy and surface chemistry; the polarregions and their ice caps; the climate andatmosphere of Mars and the interactionsbetween surface and atmosphere; the spaceenvironment around Mars, and the planet’smoons. There was also a special session onexobiology and the search for life.

A series of papers based on the results fromOMEGA, focusing mainly on Mars surfacediversity and seasonal measurements of thepolar caps, have been published in the journalScience. These papers were also discussed ina session of the recent Lunar and PlanetaryScience Conference (LPSC, 14-18 March)dedicated to OMEGA. A number of HRSCresults on the presence of a ‘frozen sea’ closeto the Martian equator and recent glacial andvolcanic activity on Mars, have been publishedin the journal Nature. These results were alsodiscussed at the LPSC, making it clear thatthe Mars Express results are having animportant impact on current thinking aboutMars and its (recent) past.

spacecraft on its final course towards Earth. Itwas then gradually configured for the swingby,which included the activation of the fourthreaction wheel, switching the radio-frequencylink from X-band to S-band, and from the high-gain to the low-gain antenna. On 1 March thefirst two instruments of the payload wereactivated, RPC and PHILAE ROMAP. SREMremained active as usual. VIRTIS and MIROoperations were initiated on 4 March. PHILAECIVA was operated for three hours aroundclosest approach to Earth. The OSIRISImaging System did not participate in theobservations, due to some still unresolvedproblems with the instrument cover.

The Earth-swingby operations included variousopen-loop tracking tests with the navigationcameras, using the Moon as a target. Theclosest approach to Earth occurred at 22:09UTC on 4 March at an altitude of 1954 km.Shortly afterwards, at 01:00 UTC on 5 March,the spacecraft was commanded into AsteroidFlyby Mode, using the navigation camerapointed to the Moon for attitude control. Thiswas the first and actually the only inflight-testopportunity for this mode, which will be usedduring the flybys of asteroids Steins andLutetia in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Thetest, which lasted 9 hours, was a completesuccess. The spacecraft survived the radiation-belt crossings and the Earth-proximitymanoeuvres very well, with all systemsworking as expected.

In Progress

Double StarThe two spacecraft and their instruments areoperating well. The magnetometer data arebeing used to derive spacecraft attitude, whilethe satellite manufacturer, CAST, has modelledthe attitude’s evolution. The spin axis of TC-1,the equatorial spacecraft, will have drifted byabout 9 deg by the end of 2006. TC-2’s spinaxis is drifting faster, and it will reach 30 degby July 2006. There will therefore be enoughpower beyond the nominal end of mission(end-July 2005), and an extension until theend of 2006 will be proposed.

The European instruments are operatingnominally. Resets on PEACE (electron sensor)are still occurring, and it is now being switchedoff and on regularly along the orbit to be ableto recover from eventual resets.

The European Payload Operation System(EPOS) co-ordinates the operations for theseven European instruments on TC-1 and TC-2 and is running smoothly. ESA/ESOCacquires data for an average of about 3.3hours per day with the VILSPA-2 antenna,availability of which was above 99% betweenDecember and February.

Previous Cluster observations have shownthat the flapping motions of the Earth’smagnetotail are of internal origin and thatwaves are emitted from the central part of thetail and propagate toward the tail flanks. Usingconjunctions between Double Star andCluster, simultaneous observations were madeboth at 10-13 and 16-19 Earth radii (RE).Neutral-sheet oscillations were observed bythe Cluster and Double Star satellites on 5 August 2004. Their study showed that suchwaves can be observed as close to the Earthas 11 RE, in the neighbourhood of themagnetotail hinge point.

Rosetta

Rosetta performed its first Earth-swingbymanoeuvre on 4 March. The sequence startedwith a successful trajectory-correctionmanoeuvre on 17 February to put the Artist’s impression of the Rosetta spacecraft and lander


Programmes


At the end of the test, the spacecraft was re-pointed to allow the payload and thenavigation cameras to observe the Earth. Itwas also reconfigured to nominal mode, andby 10 March all of the science data generatedhad been transmitted to Earth.

After successfully completing further testing,the spacecraft was put into near-Sunhibernation mode in order to make the mostefficient use of onboard resources.Preparations have started for monitoring theDeep Impact spacecraft encounter with cometTempel-1, for which a two-week payloadoperations sequence starting on 28 June hasbeen introduced into the mission timeline. Allof Rosetta’s remote-sensing instruments,including OSIRIS, will be used.

SMART-1

SMART-1 reached its final lunar-observationorbit at the end of February. After an inadvertentelectric-propulsion thrusting, the orbit had to bere-established with a correction manoeuvre on12 March, after which a detailed calibrationphase could begin. Unfortunately, this first partof the science phase has been further disruptedby another glitch, which caused some delay inthe observation campaign.The mass memorystore concerned has subsequently beendownloaded and most of the science data

recovered.The planned observations werepromptly restarted on 16 April. The Moon’ssurface illumination is now approaching theoptimum, and it is therefore imperative to havethe instruments well-calibrated.

A 275 km wide area close to the Moon’s north pole (upper-leftcorner) observed by SMART-1 on 29 December 2004 from aheight of 5500 km. It indicates heavily cratered highland terrain,and can be used to monitor the illumination of polar areas, andthe long shadows cast by large crater rims.

This image shows a 250 km-wide area at the lunar north poleobserved by SMART-1 on 19 January 2005 (close to the northernwinter solstice) from a height of 5000 km. The illuminated partof the crater rim at the very top of the image is a candidate forhaving peak eternal sunlight

Venus ExpressThe project continues to progress according toplan, with the spacecraft having successfullycompleted its crucial thermal-balance/thermal-vacuum test at Intespace in Toulouse (F) toprove its flight-worthiness for the hot Venusenvironment. The only remaining environ-mental test to be performed is that forelectromagnetic compatibility. The spacecrafthas also successfully passed two commandand data compatibility tests with theESA/ESOC Mission Operations Centre inDarmstadt (D), thereby successfullydemonstrating its functionality within theoverall Venus Express mission system.

The Venus Express ground segment is alsoprogressing well, and interface testing with thescientific community is showing positiveresults. The new ESA station at Cebreros inSpain, which will be the Venus Expressoperations station, continues to advance well.

The Venus Express spacecraft mounted in the vacuum chamber at Intespace in Toulouse (F) and illuminated by simulated solar beam



In Progress

Planck structural model in the acoustic chamber at Alcatel Spacein Cannes (F)

The Herschel telescope’s primary mirror polished at Opteon inFinland

The Venus Express launch will take place on26 October 2005 from the BaikonurCosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The agreedlaunch mass for the spacecraft and adaptor is1270 kg.

Herschel/PlanckSignificant progress is now apparent in thedevelopment of the spacecraft hardware. All ofthe Service Module structures built by CASAin Madrid (E) - the Herschel structural modeland the Herschel and Planck flight models -have been delivered to Alenia in Turin (I) and a significant part of the mechanical integrationactivities have already been completed. TheHerschel structural and thermal model will beshipped to ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL) inApril to start its environmental test campaign.Testing activities on the electrical spacecraftmodels, and the avionics model of Herscheland Planck continue in parallel. The qualifi-cation model of the Planck Payload Modulehas been equipped with the qualificationmodel of the HFI instrument and is presentlybeing prepared at Alcatel Space in Cannes forthe most significant environmental test,namely the cryogenic performance test.

The Herschel proto-flight model cryostat is inthe final integration phase at Astrium inFriedrichshafen (D).

The polishing of the Herschel telescope’sprimary mirror at Opteon in Finland has nowbeen completed and the next step will be thecoating of its surface. The hardware develop-ment for the Planck reflectors has beencompleted and all mechanical testing success-fully carried out. Both Planck reflectors are nowready for optical verification testing at cryo-genic temperatures at the CSL facilities inLiege (B).

With the qualification models delivered, allinstrument teams have already started theflight-model development phase.

SMART-2/LISAPathfinder

The SMART-2/LISA Pathfinder implement-ation-phase activities are progressing well inindustry. The main activity at the contractor’ssite is the preparation of the SystemPreliminary Design Review to be held in July2005. Another important activity is thepreparation and issuing of the various Invita-tions to Tender for the spacecraft subsystemsand equipment. Earlier this year, however, aslowdown in activities was required to keepthe spacecraft’s development in phase with thedelayed start-up of the LISA TechnologyPackage (LTP) consortium. The project is nowinvestigating with industry how best to adaptthe spacecraft’s development schedule to theLTP delivery delays in order to minimise theimpact on cost and launch date.

The LTP is the spacecraft’s ‘core instrument’.Its development is being carried out under amultilateral agreement between ESA andseven of its Member States: Germany, Italy,United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Franceand The Netherlands. The various arrange-ments required for the procurement of thedifferent elements of the LTP by the MemberStates involved and ESA took considerablylonger to complete than was expected.Consequently, the project team is nowconcentrating on redressing the situation, withthe help of the industrial contractors and thenational partners involved.

Given these circumstances, the launch is notexpected to take place before the first half of2009.

MicroscopeThe CNES Preliminary Design Review (PDR)at spacecraft level is planned for November2005, though inertial-sensor developmentdelays could shift it to the end of the year. Thelaunch is now scheduled for December 2008,with the Critical Design Review in April 2007.The PDR, co-chaired by ESA and CNES, forthe ESA-provided Electrical Propulsion Systemis scheduled for end-May/early-June 2005.

The activities at thruster and subsystem levelare progressing well. In particular, a secondengineering-model slit emitter test has loggedmore than 1300 hours of continuousoperation, representing more than 400 Ns oftotal thrusting. This is the highest impulse everachieved using this type of thruster. The test isproviding important data about lifetimeexpectations.

GaiaBoth competing study contractors havereworked their designs to make themcompatible with the available resources.Although this delayed the completion of thestudies, the results now emerging clearlyconfirm the benefit and timeliness of theredesign effort.

Blue Pages B122 6/2/05 1:55 PM 7

Programmes


the most critical path in the overallprogramme, namely the primary mirrormanufacturing, is not affected. The overallprogramme has recently been slowed down byNASA due to financial constraints, resulting ina one-year delay and a new launch date ofAugust 2012.

NIRSpecThe procurement activities for NIRSpec are now well underway, with the industrialproposals for the mechanisms underevaluation. Instrument-to-system interfacescould not yet be finalised, which has preventedinitiation of the manufacturing of ceramicmirror substrates and several structural parts.Schedule delays will therefore be unavoidable.

MIRIThe MIRI Cryostat and MIRI System PDRs have been successfully completed.Unfortunately, this work has now been madepartly obsolete, as the Cryostat will no longerbe implemented. A cryo-cooler consolidationstudy is now underway with the aim of freezingthe cooler performance specification andinterface requirement to the MIRI OpticalAssembly (OA), thus avoiding significantimpact and delay on the development of theEuropean-provided Optical Assembly. Thecryo-cooler contractor is expected to beselected by the end of the year. The MIRIOptical Bench structural model wassuccessfully vibration tested in January.

As regards the front-end electronics withinterfaces to the CCDs, a new technologyactivity has been initiated via a Call forProposals to industrialise, i.e. mass-produce,these modules. The response from companieswas overwhelming, and two contractors havebeen selected to work in competition. Earlyprocurement of the flight CCDs was alsoinitiated to safeguard the overall schedule ofthe Gaia project.

Meetings of the Gaia Science Team are contin-uing on a regular basis, and members of thisbody frequently provide advice to the GaiaProject.

The Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the Gaiadevelopment phase is in preparation for itsrelease this summer.

James Webb SpaceTelescope (JWST)

As a result of a NASA internal JWST review(especially of the total spacecraft mass), anumber of decisions were made that alsoaffect the NIRSpec and MIRI instruments. Inparticular, the MIRI cooling system has beenchanged from a cryostat to a cryo-cooler. Asthe changes mainly affect the design of thespacecraft and its instrument compartment,

Full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

The CryoSat satellite ready to undergo a thermal-vacuum test atIABG in Ottobrunn (D)

CryoSat

Good progress has been made in recentmonths on the development of the CryoSatsatellite, particularly with the testing pro-gramme conducted by the Prime Contractor,EADS Astrium GmbH (D), at IABG inOttobrunn (D). The spacecraft is now beingprepared to undergo the two major remainingtests: a thermal-vacuum/thermal-balance andan acoustic test. However, to improve thereliability of the SIRAL radar altimeter, the testsequence will be interrupted in mid-May toallow the replacement of a critical electroniccomponent that has recently been found to bepotentially sensitive to vibration during launch.

Activities associated with the CryoSat groundsegment are progressing nominally. The fourthSatellite Validation Test (SVT-2) has beensuccessfully performed by ESA/ESOC (D) inFebruary. A full Ground Segment OverallValidation (GSOV) has also been performed atsystem level. These two major test campaignshave demonstrated that the CryoSat groundsegment is in a healthy state.



In parallel, a full-sized structural/thermal modelhas been built in order to achieve fullenvironmental qualification of the payload.After the completion of some initial tests (pyro-shock, arm deployment) it is now atESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL) ready for thetest campaign to start in the last week of April.

For those subsystems for which theengineering-model programme has beencompleted, Critical Design Reviews (CDRs)have been held to release flight-unitproduction. Some of the first flight units –elements of the structure, bandpass filters andantennas for the LICEF receivers – havealready been delivered.

The Preliminary Design Review at satellitelevel is being conducted in cooperation withCNES (F). Once successfully concluded, it willauthorise assembly of the recurrent Proteusplatform used by SMOS.

The launcher for SMOS is under procurementfrom Eurockot in Bremen (D) and Khrunichevin Moscow (Russia).

Significant progress has been made on theground segment. The algorithm approach forthe level-1 processor has been selected and is

In Progress

SMOS Payload Module structural/thermal model during deployment testing

To prepare for the CryoSat level-2 product-validation activities, a complementary scientificcampaign involving scientific experts fromFinland was performed early in March in theGulf of Bothnia.

Overall, there has been significant progress inthe development of the CryoSat mission overthe past months. Unfortunately, ‘repair’activities are hampering overall progress, andthe launch, which will take place from thePlesetsk cosmodrome on a Rockot vehicle,has now been re-scheduled for 15 September2005.

GOCEThe main emphasis in the space-segmentdevelopment activities continues to be on theconclusion of payload and equipment-leveltesting, and on the execution of thecorresponding series of Critical DesignReviews (CDRs).

Alcatel Space has successfully completed theelectrical integration of the Gradiometerengineering model, and functional testing isalso close to completion. The stiffnessanomaly detected in three flight-modelaccelerometer sensor heads integrated atONERA (F) continues to be investigatedthrough tests and analysis based on anagreed fault-tree.

Following completion of the electricalintegration of the platform Engineering ModelTest Bench, Astrium GmbH is focusing itsefforts on the Bench’s functional testing. Inaddition, the platform flight-model integrationactivities have continued with the installation ofthe electrical harness, the propulsion pipeworkand the heater lines.

As reported in the previous issue, experiencefrom other ESA missions currently underdevelopment has shown a potential problemwith the qualification of the European triple-junction gallium-arsenide (GaAs) solar cellsused in the GOCE solar array, with the cellshunt diode showing anomalous behaviourduring testing at high temperatures. This issuecontinues to be addressed by an ESA ad-hoc

working group. In parallel, a life test is beingconducted with a simulated GOCE thermalenvironment to assess the suitability of thebaseline GaAs solar cells for the GOCEapplication. Also, a case of substratedelamination has occurred during the thermal-vacuum qualification testing of a solar-wingpanel, for which recovery and backupsolutions are currently under investigation.

On the ground-segment side, all developmentactivities are progressing according to plan.The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for theCalibration and Monitoring Facility (CMF) andthe CDR for the PDS and the relatedInstrument Processing Facilities have beensuccessfully concluded.

SMOSThe payload development programme isprogressing according to plan. The ‘reducedengineering model’ involving a complete set of electronic payload elements is beingassembled step-by-step. Only two moreelements are still to be delivered in the secondquarter of 2005 to complete the entire end-to-end chain.


Programmes


now under implementation. For the level-2processors, two consortia have been selectedand are now getting up to speed. The overallground segment within which theseprocessors will have to work is the subject of a Request for Quotation for the maindevelopment phase (Phase-C/D) addressed toa Spanish consortium led by INDRA (Madrid).

Unfortunately, a major airborne campaigncalled ‘COSMOS’, intended for collectingrepresentative data for algorithm andprocessor development, had to be postponeddue to unavailability of the aircraft. Recoverypossibilities are presently being investigated.

ADM-AeolusThe structural model of the Aeolus platformhas been delivered to ESA/ESTEC inNoordwijk (NL). The optical structural thermalmodel of the instrument is currently beingtested in the optical vacuum chamber in Liège(B). It will be delivered to ESTEC in early Mayfor mating with the platform and mechanicaltesting.

Progress with the majority of flight-modelsatellite units is good, and most will bedelivered in mid-year. However, the challengesposed by the onboard laser remain significant.Preparations are well underway, but thephysical integration of the engineeringqualification model will not start until June. Thelaser pump chambers for this model areworking.

The first two batches of pump diodes for theflight-model laser have been delivered.However, manufacture of the pump chambersfor the flight model is delayed as a result ofnew information concerning the susceptibilityof the coatings of the YAG bars to laser-induced damage. A number of differentsolutions are being investigated.

The first results from the LID testing of othercoatings in vacuum at DLR (D) show that atleast the low-fluence optics are likely toachieve the necessary lifetime. Tests on high-fluence surfaces are continuing.

A first version of the flight software has beendelivered and is working on the SoftwareVerification Facilities.The Aeolus Critical Design Review (CDR) willtake place as scheduled in August andSeptember 2005. The difficulties with thelaser, and other less-critical delays, have led toApril 2008 being the earliest possible launchdate. A further five-month contingency in thecontract with the prime contractor, Astrium,means that the launch is now scheduled forSeptember 2008.

MetOp

The integration campaign for the first MetOpsatellite to be launched, MetOp-2 (MetOp-A),is now drawing to a close, and the FlightAcceptance Review (FAR-2), aimed atdeclaring readiness for launch, will be held in the coming months. Thereafter, MetOp-2 will be stored for a short period alongsideMetOp-1 (already in storage since end-2004)until its re-activation and preparation forshipment to the Baikonur launch site. Theseactivities are presently planned for early 2006,with the launch slot retained as April 2006.Currently, all elements – satellite, groundsegment and launcher – are on track toachieve this.

The IASI second flight model (FM-2) wasdelivered on time and exchanged for the non-flight-ready FM-1 on MetOp-2 without difficulty.

Preparations are well advanced for MetOp-2’slaunch campaign and the subsequentCommissioning Phase, and more specificallyfor the Satellite In-Orbit Verification subphasewhich will check correct functioning of thesatellite after launch but prior to the(extensive) calibration/validation activitiesrequired.

Following completion of the in-orbit com-missioning, the MetOp programme willnominally go into ‘hibernation’ until 2008, whenthe team will be re-activated to de-store MetOp-1, complete its integration and make it ready forlaunch. The industrial proposals for theseactivities and the MetOp-3 activities in the 2014time frame are currently being iterated.

Meteosat SecondGeneration (MSG)

MSG-1 (Meteosat-8)Meteosat-8 has been operating nominally, withno spacecraft behavioural anomalies reported.De-contamination of the SEVIRI instrument

Flight models of MSG-2 and MSG-3 in the clean room at Alcatel Space in Cannes (F)



Also in March, ESA was informed that theEuropean Robotic Arm (ERA) spares would belaunched on an ‘as needed’ basis after ERA’slaunch. The industrial proposal for the launchof ERA onboard the Russian MultipurposeLaboratory Module will be evaluated inMay/June 2005.

Operations and related ground segments The Columbus Control Centre (COL-CC)Distributed Monitoring and Control System V2Factory Acceptance Test was successfullycompleted in January, and the Test-ReadinessReview was successfully performed in March.In February, the first of a series of three COL-CC stand-alone simulations for Columbusstarted.

The Data Gateway V2.0 and the Monitoringand Control System V3.2 for the ATV ControlCentre (ATV-CC) have passed the SiteAcceptance Test.

Deactivation of the Interconnected GroundSubnet Phase-1, and migration to Phase-2,has been completed.

A new ESA Control Room at TsUP (RussianMission Control Centre) has been outfitted tosupport Soyuz and ATV missions.

The Data Management System onboard theRussian Service Module (DMS-R) continues toperform flawlessly.

In March, in-orbit science operations using theexternal Matroshka payload were stopped dueto repeated communication failures. Trouble-shooting measures are in preparation.

Utilisation planning, payload developmentsand preparatory missionsIn January, the accession contracts for all 40 academic and industrial partners in theIMPRESS Integrated Project (MaterialScience) were signed at ESTEC (NL).

In March, the TMA-Bridge InteroperabilityWorkshop was concluded and the mid-termreview of the project was successfully held atthe European Commission.

Agreement on the participation of theCanadian Space Agency (CSA), through ESA,

In Progress

configuration and reaffirmed their commitmentto meet all of their ISS obligations, to completeISS assembly by the end of the decade, and touse and further evolve the ISS in a manner thatmeets their research and exploration objectives.

As a result of this meeting, the launch ofColumbus is now formally advanced in theassembly sequence, such that it immediatelyfollows the launch of Node-2. The assemblysequence also now foresees the establishmentof a permanent crew of six in January 2009and the completion of the ISS assembly in2010, at which time NASA plans to retire theSpace Shuttles from service.

The Russian cargo spacecraft Progress 17Pwas launched on 28 February and docked withthe ISS on 2 March.

Space infrastructure developmentAll payload facilities have been removed fromColumbus and returned to their developers for storage/risk-mitigation testing, and theColumbus module has entered a hibernationphase.

In January, the Automated Transfer Vehicle(ATV-1) Jules Verne Crew Equipment InterfaceTest and the Late Cargo Access Means Testwere successfully performed. The initial part ofthe System Qualification Review will start inmid-April. The last outstanding hardwareneeded before the arrival of ATV-1 at the ISShas been installed. The Global PositioningSystem (GPS) antennas were installed outsidethe Russian Zvezda module during a four anda half hour Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) on28 March. Current Jules Verne planning leadsto an earliest possible launch-availability dateof end-February 2006.

The Element Leak Test on Node-2 wassuccessfully performed in February. Meanwhilemanufacturing and assembly activities forNode-3 are progressing, with cone assemblyhaving started in March.

Leak testing of the Cupola spare window wassuccessfully completed in February, andmanufacture of a top window flex-hoseprotective box to prevent leakage, as occurredin the USLab several months ago, started inMarch.

optics was performed at the beginning of2005, followed by an east/west station-keeping/spin-rate manoeuvre on 8 February.The instrument’s performance remainsexcellent.

MSG-2The satellite remains in a short-term-storageconfiguration, awaiting its Consent to Ship tothe Ariane-5 launch site in Kourou (Fr.Guiana). Launch is currently foreseen inAugust 2005, but timely availability of the co-passenger, the launch vehicle and thesatellite’s shock compatibility with the Ariane-5GS launcher cannot be taken for granted.

MSG-3 MSG-3 remains in short-term storage in theclean-room at Alcatel Space (F). After there-integration of missing units, some UHFinvestigations will still have to be performed.The MSG-3 spacecraft will be kept availableas a source of spares for MSG-2 during itslaunch campaign. Thereafter, it will be put intolong-term storage awaiting its own launch,currently foreseen in 2009.

MSG-4 Progress with the MSG-4 assembly, integrationand test activities is nominal. The propellantsubsystem has been delivered and mated andthe complete harness has been delivered andintegrated. The antenna platform has beendelivered to Alenia. The SEVIRI instrument isin the final stages of integration.

Human Spaceflight,Research andApplicationsProgrammes

HighlightsAgreements have been reached withRoskosmos and NASA for a seven-month ESAastronaut mission on Shuttle flight ULF1.1 tothe ISS in 2005, and return on flight 12A.1 inearly 2006.

The Heads of Space Agencies, who met inMontreal on 26 January, have endorsed the ISS


Programmes


in the CNES-ESA-NASA Womens’International Space Simulation for Exploration(WISE) Bed-Rest Study on females, wasreached on 3 March, and the three-monthstudy is now underway.

Peer review of the proposals received followingthe 2004 Announcement of Opportunities (AO)in Life and Physical Sciences has beenconcluded, and the Microgravity ApplicationPromotion (MAP) project proposals are beingevaluated.

Definition studies for human-physiologyprojects, received following the 2004International Life Sciences ResearchAnnouncement, are ongoing.

The implementation of upgrades androbustness testing on the Columbus payload-rack facilities is progressing towards finaldelivery of the flight models to Columbus inSeptember. The Acceptance Reviews for theScience Reference Models of Biolab and ofthe Fluid-Science Laboratory weresuccessfully performed in February. Theoverall breadboard architecture of the Bone-Analysis Module for the European PhysiologyModule was defined, and work is proceedingaccording to schedule. Acceptance Reviewsfor the Ground Model-1 and the BaselineData-Collection Model were completed inMarch. Following recovery after failure of theEuropean Drawer Rack (EDR) engineering-model Video Management Unit, final systemtests for both the EDR engineering and flightmodel re-started, and the flight-modelAcceptance Review was kicked-off at the endof March.

Following NASA’s cancellation of its Materials-Science Research Rack utilisation, theMaterials Science Laboratory (MSL)engineering model was shipped back toEurope from Marshall Spaceflight Center.Meanwhile integration of the MSL flight modelhas progressed and testing has started.

Columbus system and payload stowageintegration with the European Transport Carrier(ETC) is progressing.

In March, tests on the integration of theEuropean Modular Cultivation System (EMCS)

facility flight model into an Express rack, weresuccessfully completed at Kennedy SpaceCentre (KSC), and the EMCS is now beingprepared for launch with flight ULF1.1 thissummer. The Percutaneous Electrical MuscleStimulator was shipped from Johnson SpaceCenter to KSC in preparation for launch on thesame flight.

Integration and refurbishment at KSC of theMELFI Flight Unit 1 (FU-1) was completed andthe module is currently being prepared forlaunch on ULF1.1. Some corrosion-repairactivities are being carried-out on FU-2, andFU-3 activities are on hold pending resolutionof the Brayton machine problem.

The Protein Crystallisation Diagnostics Facility(PCDF) engineering-model PreliminaryAcceptance Review was successfully closed inJanuary. The flight-model Acceptance Review,delayed due to technical problems, will takeplace in May.

In January, the Muscle Atrophy Research andExercise System (MARES) Critical DesignReview (CDR) was closed and qualification ofthe ground model started in March.

The Engineering Change Request to improvethe design of the Flywheel Exercise Device forutilisation in Columbus has been issued, anddelivery of the device is planned for theautumn.

The Pulmonary Function System (PFS) will flyon Shuttle flight LF1 in May. Breadboarddevelopment of the Portable PFS (Phase-B) isproceeding according to plan.

Acceptance of instruments for SOLAR andEuTEF continued during January and thesecond Batch of EuTEF instruments iscurrently being reviewed. Integration of both ofthese Columbus external payloads isprogressing, and the System Validation Test-2involving the Columbus module is planned forJuly.

The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)Authorisation to Proceed has been extendedin order to continue Phase-C1/D activities upto 31 January 2006. The status review for theSwiss Hydrogen Maser was concluded in

February, and the Software System ReadinessReview Board meeting was successfully held.In March, CNES confirmed its commitment tofund the PHARAO engineering model andconfirmed a plan towards commitment to fundthe flight model. Agreement was also reachedon the execution of a Mission SystemRequirements Review, planned for the secondquarter of this year.

The preliminary agreement for EXPOSE-R hasbeen reached and the draft contract is beingfinalised. Testing and verification of theexperiments is ongoing.

After completion of the CDR, development ofthe Portable GloveBox is progressing with both training- and flight-model deliveries onschedule for a launch with ATV-1 as an ESAupload.

In February, programmatic discussions aboutNASA requirements for the CryoSystem wereconcluded, and a Phase-C/D industrialproposal is being evaluated.

The Crew Refrigerator development activitiesand contract are being closed-out with thedelivery of the hardware to NASA JohnsonSpace Center.

The 39th ESA Parabolic Flight campaign, with12 experiments, was successfully performedfrom 14 to 25 March 2005.

The final integration/testing for the FOTON-M2payload complement was successfullycompleted at TsSKB/Samara and the finalpreparations are taking place in Baikonur for alaunch on 31 May. The FOTON-M3 payloadagreement was approved and signed by ESA,TsSKB-Progress and Roskosmos, and thedevelopment of two new payloads started.

The Maser-10 sounding-rocket mission, withfive experiments, is approaching readiness forlaunch on 30 April. Work for Texus-42 andTexus EML-1 is progressing according toschedule for a launch in November. TheMaxus-7 contract rider was placed withIndustry and development of the experimentmodule is ongoing.



ISS educationIn February two new funding members joinedthe ISS Education Fund with a contribution of61.5 kEuro.

In early February, a Workshop was held inorder to solicit feedback from teachers on newprojects concerning the ISS Education Kit onthe Web and the 3D Education Tool. A newDVD lesson titled ‘Mission 2: Body Space’ isnow available in 12 languages, and alleducation products continue to be in greatdemand.

The Dutch authorities have confirmed theirsponsorship of the first Dutch European SpaceEducation Research Office in the ErasmusUser Centre at ESTEC.

In the framework of the Erasmus-supportedLife in Space Project, a ‘virtual campus’ wasestablished, consisting of a network of fiveuniversities and ESA sharing information andlectures on-line. The first interactive on-linesession was successfully held on 16 February.

In March, the education experiments forFOTON-M2 and the Italian Soyuz missionwere proceeding as planned and goodcandidate experiments have been selected forthe Long Duration Mission and the ATV-1mission.

Commercial activitiesThe Prime Contractor EADS-ST has joined theISS Business Club (IBC).

On 11 March, the first commercial event in theErasmus User Centre at ESTEC wassuccessfully conducted for the Swiss companyPhonak, who launched their new product line.

The trademark label for the ESA Health CareNetwork has been deposited in March.

Astronaut activitiesThe training of R. Vittori for the Soyuz mission‘Eneide’ in April 2005 was successfullycompleted by end-March and both the ESAprime and back-up crew (R. Thirsk from theCanadian Space Agency) for the 10S missionwere certified by the Russian MedicalCommission.

In Progress

T. Reiter and his backup for the Long DurationMission, L. Eyharts, have received trainingboth at Johnson Space Center and theGagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC).

The training of C. Fuglesang for STS-116 isintensifying. ESA astronauts P. Nespoli and H. Schlegel are also currently training at NASA.

Numerous training courses have been held atthe European Astronaut Centre (EAC),including: the first part of the ATV Pilot Coursewith international participation (February);Columbus User-Level Training for ground-support personnel (February), and for aninternational class of astronauts (March); andColumbus Payload Advanced Training forFacility Responsible Centre personnel andEAC biomedical engineers (March).

AlphaBusThe Phase-C0 released in February isproviding a bridging period for industrialsystem activities until the placement of the fullAlphabus development contract (Phase-C/D).

Besides the ESA contribution, in March CNESsecured further national funding for theAlphabus programme as agreed under theterms of the cooperation between the twoagencies. The ESA Programme Declaration isopen to Member States for subscription untilthe end of April, with the Phase-C/D plannedto start in June, towards the end of thebridging period.

Final selection of design-driving elements forthe chemical propulsion architecture is a lastcritical hurdle before consolidation of thePhase-C/D industrial consortium andAlphaBus technical implementation.

In parallel with the core AlphaBus Programme,up to 25 pre-development contracts have beenrunning with selected suppliers as part of thepreparatory programme providing criticaltechnology for the Phase-C/D and enabling-technology for growth potential. The criticaltechnology areas include high-specific-energyLi-Ion cells, and primary-structure develop-ments, an improved apogee-boost engine, and

new gyroscopes and star-trackers. Enablingtechnologies address such issues as high-thrust electric propulsion, deployable radiators,thin-film solar arrays, improved heat pipes, andactive-fluid-pump systems. Critical elementsare encompassed for further developmentwithin the AlphaBus Phase-C/D, whilstpromising enabling-technologies for AlphaBusproduct-line growth potential will be continuedthrough parallel technology development, oncethe relevant pre-development contractsgradually run out in 2005/2006.

VegaDuring January through March, severalimportant milestones have been achieved,including the holding of the Critical DesignReviews (CDRs) for the launcher’s fairing,multi-functional unit, onboard computer, andmain safety unit.

The documentation for several key stages/assemblies – aimed at verification ofassembly/stage layout, as recommended inthe System Design Review – has beendelivered, allowing the first key point to beaddressed at the beginning of April.

Negotiations with Sabca (B) on the Zefiro andAvum thrust-vector-control subcontract havebeen concluded.

The Recovery Plan for the Zefiro inert motorcases has made significant progress. Theauthorisation to start Z9 DM0 manufacturewas released at the beginning of February,and the model subsequently manufactured isnow undergoing non-destructive inspection.Manufacture of the second model of Zephyr 23started in early April in the Avio (I) workshops.

A major decision at system level has been toimplement a new device using hydrazinethrusters to control the launch vehicle’s rollduring the solid-rocket propulsion phases.Such a device could be located on Interstage-2/3 or on the AVUM fourth stage.

The recovery plan relating to the P80 motorcase is proceeding satisfactorily. Improvementsto the Bolentz machine used to wind the case


Programmes


have been validated, and the manufacture of a full size skirt model has been started. Theproof pressure test on the technological modeltakes place in mid-April.

The contract change for the integrated andexpanded Sabca (B) thrust-vector-controlactivities has been agreed and implemented.The first battleship tests on the P80 ignitershave been performed with good results.

A package issued by Vitrociset (I) in responseto the Agency’s request for clarifications

regarding the ground segment, has beenassessed by an Evaluation Board. Contractnegotiations are ongoing.

The industrial Preliminary Design Reviews forthe mechanical (mobile gantry and mast), civil-engineering and fluids infrastructures havenow been completed.

A number of demolition and refurbishmentactivities have been completed in the launchzone foreseen for Vega at the Guiana SpaceCentre in Kourou.

A Vega Industry Day held at ESA/ESRIN inFrascati (I) on 11 March was attended by all of the industrial companies working on Vega.The goal was to review the overall status ofthe programme and to present the way forwardfor the initial step of the Vega exploitationphase. r


programmes in progress - esa.int · be used. one of these is the number of papers published...

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