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Home , Columbus (ISS module), CryoSat, Haas (rocket), MetOp, Ulysses (spacecraft)

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Programmes

Programmes in

Status end-March 2005

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In Progress

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 PROJECT J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND COMMENTS SPACE TELESCOPE LAUNCHED APRIL1990 LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1990

SOHO LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1995

HUYGENS LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1997

XMM-NEWTON LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1999

CLUSTER RE-LAUNCHED MID-2000

INTEGRAL LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2002

MARS EXPRESS LAUNCHED JUNE 2003

SMART-1 LAUNCHED SEPTEMBER 2003 TC-1 TC-2 TC-1 LAUNCHED DEC. 2003 SCIENTIFIC TC-2 LAUNCHED JULY 2004 PROGRAMME LAUNCHED MARCH 2004

VENUS EXPRESS LAUNCH OCTOBER 2005

HERSCHEL/ LAUNCH AUGUST 2007 LISA PATHFINDER LAUNCH MID-2009

GAIA LAUNCH END-2011

JWST LAUNCH AUGUST 2012

BEPICOLOMBO LAUNCH APRIL 2012 M5 LAUNCHED 1991, -5/6/7 M6 1993, M7 1997 ERS-2 LAUNCHED APRIL 1995 LAUNCHED MARCH 2002 MSG MSG-1 LAUNCHED AUG. 2002, MSG-2 AUG. 2005, MSG-3 2009 METOP-2 LAUNCH APRIL 2006, METOP METOP-1 2010, METOP-3 2014 CRYOSAT LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2005

GOCE LAUNCH AUGUST 2006

PROGRAMME SMOS LAUNCH FEBRUARY 2007

EARTH OBSERVATION ADM-AEOLUS LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2008

SWARM LAUNCH 2009

EARTHCARE LAUNCH 2012 LAUNCHED JULY 2001

ALPHABUS LAUNCH 2009

GNSS-1/EGNOS OPERATIONS START 2005 COMMS./NAV. PROGRAMME GALILEOSAT FIRST LAUNCH 2005

PROBA-1 LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2001

PROBA-2 LAUNCH 2ND HALF 2006 PROG.

TECHNOL. SLOSHSAT LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

COLUMBUS LAUNCH DECEMBER 2006

ATV FIRST LAUNCH FEB. 2006

NODE-2 & -3 LAUNCHES OCT. 2006 & OCT. 2008

CUPOLA GNSS-1/EGNOS LAUNCH MAY 2009

ERA LAUNCH NOVEMBER 2007

DMS (R) LAUNCHED JULY 2000 ISS SUPPORT & UTIL. MSG MELFI EDR/EUTEF/SOLAR MATROSHKA FOTON-M2 EML-1 TEXUS-42 EML-2 PCDF FOTON-MI APCF-6/BIOBOX-5/ EMCS/ MAXUS-7 EMIR/ELIPS ARMS/BIOPACK/ MASER-10 PEMS FAST-2/ERISTO MAXUS-6 FOTON-M3 MARES MSL

& EXPLORATION PROGRAMME & EXPLORATION MFC BIO, FSL, EPM with COLUMBUS

HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, MICROGRAVITY , ASTRONAUT FLT.

ARIANE-5 DEVELOP. OPERATIONAL AR5-ECA QUALIF. LAUNCHED -5 PLUS FEBRUARY 2005 PROG. FIRST LAUNCH NOVEMBER 2007 LAUNCHER

DEFINITION PHASE MAIN DEVELOPMENT PHASE STORAGE

LAUNCH/READY FOR LAUNCH OPERATIONS ADDITIONAL LIFE POSSIBLE

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Programmes

than in 2003. The current total of refereed that it emits ideal test particles for ISO papers based on Hubble data is over 4700. studying particle propagation throughout the inner . Ulysses Recent highlights include direct evidence from Current projections for the lifetime of HST are observations during the close (1992) and ISO data that shock waves generated by that it should continue to be scientifically distant (2004) encounters have collisions excite the gas from which operational until late 2008, if the deliberate recently been analysed to study the time- new stars will form. This is revealed in the switch to a ‘two-gyro science mode’ is dependence of the particle transport

Antennae galaxies pair by exceptional H2 implemented sometime this summer. The parameters. Since the observations from both rotational line emission at a wavelength of lifetime of the observatory may ultimately be periods were obtained during the declining 9.66 microns, detected via ISOCAM Circular decided by that of the batteries, which are phase of the cycle, it was expected that

Variable Filter observations. The H2 line now 15 years old but continue to degrade the electron intensities in 2004 would vary in luminosity, normalised by the far-infrared gracefully.The current prediction is that they the same way as in the 1992 observations. luminosity, exceeds that of all other known should continue to operate until 2010, thus

galaxies, and the strongest H2 emission is giving considerable time for either a robotic or This was found not to be the case, however. In spatially displaced from the known starburst Shuttle servicing mission to be implemented, mid-2002, the electron flux started increasing regions. This result also provides important should this course of action be decided and displaying large short-term variations. clues as to how the birth of the first stars was upon. These features lasted throughout the distant triggered and speeded-up in the early encounter, making the electron intensities less Universe. Published in the April issue of obviously correlated with the proximity to Astronomy & Astrophysics by Haas et al., the Jupiter compared with the first (close) Jovian findings are also reported on the ESA News Ulysses encounter in 1992. The suggestion is that the portal as an outreach story. transport parameters, and in particular those The spacecraft and its scientific payload are governing movement perpendicular to the both in good health, with no anomalies having magnetic field in the polar direction, are highly occurred during the last quarter. The time-dependent. Hubble Space budgetary situation regarding NASA’s Telescope contribution to the mission is, however, a Ulysses is presently some 5 AU (astronomical concern, as a number of operational missions, units) from the , on its way to the 3rd including Ulysses, are presently under threat passage over the solar south pole. The 15th anniversary of the launch of HST of termination. It is hoped to resolve this was celebrated on 24 April 2005. The question at a NASA Review to be held later Telescope continues to operate exceptionally this year, and that the mission will continue as well, and during its lifetime has changed the agreed until the end of the next polar passes Cassini/ paradigm and understanding in all areas of in March 2008. astronomical research. Operational efficiency The Huygens industrial consortium, led by remains high at ~50%, which means that even All science operations during the reporting Alcatel in close coordination with the Huygens in its current low-Earth- HST is observing period have been nominal. A proposed switch- Mission Team, is carrying out an engineering for 50% of the time. Scientific observations are on of the Ulysses’ -Ray Burst (GRB) analysis of the Probe’s performance. The processed within a few hours, and accessibility instrument to support post-launch calibrations aspects being addressed include: software to the data and archival information is assured of instruments on NASA’s Swift satellite performance, entry detection, thermal within just a few hours also. was deemed unnecessary based on the behaviour, power budgets, parachute satisfactory in-orbit performance of its payload. performances, spin and attitude profiles, radar- To assess the impact of Hubble observations GRB will therefore remain switched off until altimeter calibration, and the radio-link budget. on astrophysical research, standard objective the onboard power/thermal situation improves measures of productivity and impact need to (probably not before April 2007). An anomaly has been observed in the Probe’s be used. One of these is the number of papers direction of spin under the parachutes. It published annually based on Hubble data. The One of the principal goals of the Ulysses separated from the Orbiter with the expected numbers for 2004 became available in mission is to achieve a deeper understanding spin rate and direction. A value of 7.5 rpm was February. Following a strong and regular of how energetic charged particles are measured by the Cassini and increase during the first eight years of Hubble, transported through the complex plasma confirmed by JPL after post-mission analysis the number of papers published continued to environment created by the solar . of the separation dynamics using Orbiter increase, although at a slower pace. However, Jupiter’s location with respect to the source of attitude data. At the end of the entry phase, 2004 saw another significant increase, with a the magnetised – the Sun – is both the Probe was still rotating at about 7.5 rpm, record 601 papers published, over 100 more non-central and precisely known, making the but the spin rate slowed more than expected

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In Progress

under the main parachute. In fact, it stopped spinning after about 10 min and began to spin in the reverse direction. It then kept spinning in that direction with the expected spin profile for the rest of the descent. No explanation has yet been found for this anomalous behaviour, which is still under investigation. The Sun sensor of the DISR instrument was affected by the fact that the solar disc came into its field of view from an unexpected direction.

Highlights from among the many unique scientific results already gleaned from Huygens include: – Atmospheric structure (temperature, density and pressure) from the surface up to 1500 km. ’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 The massive, X-ray-luminous of galaxies, designated XXMU J2235.3-2557, detected from an XMM-Newton observation evaporation of methane after touch-down indicates that the surface at the landing site was soaked with methane. future. Evidence of a limited number of new The completion status of the observing – A 120 m/s wind at high altitude, but the hot pixels elsewhere in the focal plane of programme is as follows: are generally less strong than MOS-1 was also found. These other effects AO-2 programme: 99.9% completed expected. A peculiar layer was detected are relatively minor. XMM-Newton scientific AO-3 programme: 92.0% completed between 80 and 60 km altitude, where the observations are continuing normally, including AO-4 programme: 4.6% completed. wind decreased to a very low value. those with MOS-1, but with CCD-6 switched Meteorologists are working to find an off. Investigations are underway to fully The AO-4 observations have been started explanation. characterise changes in the instrument’s slightly ahead of schedule, largely for sky- status. visibility reasons. Currently, over 3920 observation sequences have been executed For the scientific output of the mission, it is and the data for 3801 of these have already XMM-Newton important to point out that MOS-1 is operated been shipped. in parallel with the MOS-2 and the pn XMM-Newton operations continue to run cameras. Therefore, the sky area that is no In March, 1200 separate data sets were smoothly, with the exception of an anomaly in longer covered by CCD-6 is still covered by downloaded from the XMM-Newton Science one of the EPIC MOS cameras. On 9 March, the two remaining cameras. The net effect of Archive (XSA) by 115 external users. XMM-Newton registered an event in the focal the loss of CCD-6 is therefore limited to only plane of the EPIC MOS-1 instrument, the 3% of the total grasp of EPIC, and as such will The Astrophysical Journal has accepted a letter characteristics of which were reminiscent of not have a significant impact on the mission’s by C.R. Mullis et al. reporting the discovery of a very similar events registered earlier in the scientific output. massive, X-ray-luminous cluster of galaxies at mission. Those were attributed to micro- z = 1.393, which makes it the most distant meteoroid impacts scattering debris into the The ground segment is still being run with (X-ray selected) cluster found to date. This focal plane. It seems likely that CCD-6, one SCOS-1b and SCOS-2000 in parallel. At a source, designated XMMU J2235.3-2557, was of the six peripheral MOS-1 CCDs, will not review on 14 April, the final switchover to serendipitously detected as an extended X-ray be usable for scientific observations in SCOS-2000 was set for 1 June 2005. source in an archival XMM-Newton observation.

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Ground-based imaging using VLT-FORS2 R- recovered. The implementation review is radiation ever recorded from an astronomical and z-band snapshots revealed an over-density planned for end-May 2005. object. It was detected by the Integral Burst of red galaxies in both angular and colour Alert System (IBAS) and the anticoincidence spaces coincident in the sky with the X-ray Magnetic reconnection at the Earth’s shield of the SPI spectrometer. Within the first emission. Subsequent VLT-FORS2 multi-object magnetopause is considered to be the most 0.2 s of the burst, the same amount of energy spectroscopy unambiguously confirmed the efficient mechanism for solar material to was emitted as comes from the Sun in about a presence of a massive cluster based on 12 penetrate the Earth’s magnetic shield. quarter of a million years. An even more concordant red shifts in the interval 1.38 < z < Complex geometrical properties of a transient remarkable aspect of this discovery is the 1.40 (i.e. when the Universe was about 40% of and spatially confined type of reconnection origin of this radiation: it comes from a tiny its current age). Though this cluster is likely to have been observed in the past but so far not celestial body with an extremely high density, be the first confirmed z > 1 cluster found with explained, due to the high velocity of the a neutron star, or so-called ‘magnetar’. These XMM-Newton, the relative ease and efficiency magnetopause and the use of single- are objects with incredibly strong magnetic of the discovery demonstrates that it should be spacecraft measurements. A case study based – about 1014 times stronger than on the possible to build up large samples of such on multipoint measurements by Cluster Earth’s surface. The magnetar that emitted this clusters through the joint use of XMM-Newton reveals, for the first time, a direct observation burst, known as SGR 1806-20, is located on and large ground-based telescopes. of a 3D magnetic field topology at the the other side of our Milky Way galaxy, at a magnetopause, resulting from magnetic distance of about 50 000 light years. A total of 795 papers based completely or reconnection at multiple sites, which could Astrophysicists are confident that this event partly on XMM-Newton observations had been explain these geometrical properties. It also will cast new light on the physics of magnetars published in the refereed literature by 1 April provides a direct picture of the entry of and contribute to solving the puzzle of the 2005. particles through the magnetopause. origin of gamma-ray bursts.

High-speed flows of plasma (BBFs), Cluster propagating from the magnetotail to the Earth at velocities greater than 300 km/s, are the Express carriers of decisive amounts of mass, energy The four spacecraft and their instruments are and magnetic flux. A statistical study based on The first quarter of 2005 was marked by the operating according to plan. The short eclipse multipoint measurements by Cluster reveals start of the mission’s second eclipse season. (less than 1 h) season has been passed their typical spatial scales for the first time. Some of the longest eclipses left only very successfully. On spacecraft 1, one of the two More than 1600 data points of earthward flow little margin in which science operations could batteries suffered a voltage drop about 3 min events were used to deduce the size of the be conducted, yet this was successfully

before the end of eclipse and the second BBFs around 2–3 RE in the -dusk achieved. As the eclipse durations got shorter

battery was not powerful enough to keep the direction, and 1.5–2 RE in the north-south again, science data taking was gradually spacecraft and instruments working. A direction. resumed at full speed. switchover from the main to the redundant onboard computer was triggered and all A problem in maintaining the correct thermal instruments were switched off. They were environment for the OMEGA instrument resulted successfully switched on again after Integral in a week of missed science operations in reconfiguring the spacecraft. To prevent this February.The problem has subsequently been problem from happening again, a third battery The galactic bulge is a region rich in bright fixed. A Solid-State Mass Memory (SSMM) was brought on line on each of the four and variable X- and gamma-ray sources. From anomaly, this time only affecting HRSC data spacecraft. 17 February onwards, as part of an approved taking, also occurred and was investigated. AO-3 programme, Integral has been observing A new delivery of the SSMM software (fixing JSOC and ESOC operations are continuing this region every 3 days. As a service to the known anomalies) has been received and nominally, and the data return from January to scientific community, light curves and images should be ready for uploading to the spacecraft early March was more than 99.1%. are made publicly available as soon as towards the end of June. possible after the monitoring observations The Cluster Active Archive is progressing well. have been performed. More information about Preparations for the MARSIS radar’s The first data have been delivered and it is the programme and its results can be found at: deployment have almost been completed and planned to have most of 2001 data available http://isdc.unige.ch/Science/BULGE/. an overall schedule has been agreed. A final by May 2005. The startup phase has been review on 12 April confirmed the start date for slower than expected, but with the formats and On 27 December the Earth was hit by a huge the deployment window as 2 May. A number of metadata dictionary now defined for all wavefront of gamma- and X-rays. It was the activities associated with data recovery and instruments the delays should soon be strongest flux of highly energetic gamma the implementation of new procedures for

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Radio Science and new pointing modes have spacecraft on its final course towards Earth. It been postponed to free sufficient manpower to Double Star was then gradually configured for the swingby, prepare for the MARSIS deployment which included the activation of the fourth operations. The two spacecraft and their instruments are reaction wheel, switching the radio-frequency operating well. The magnetometer data are link from X-band to S-band, and from the high- Science operations are proceeding well. being used to derive spacecraft attitude, while gain to the low-gain antenna. On 1 March the Illumination conditions are gradually degrading the satellite manufacturer, CAST, has modelled first two instruments of the payload were and are starting to favour the nightside the attitude’s evolution. The spin axis of TC-1, activated, RPC and ROMAP.SREM observations. the equatorial spacecraft, will have drifted by remained active as usual. VIRTIS and MIRO about 9 deg by the end of 2006. TC-2’s spin operations were initiated on 4 March. PHILAE The first version of the Planetary Science axis is drifting faster, and it will reach 30 deg CIVA was operated for three hours around Archive, containing the public by July 2006. There will therefore be enough closest approach to Earth. The OSIRIS data, was released in February.While not all power beyond the nominal end of mission Imaging System did not participate in the data that should have been available were (end-July 2005), and an extension until the observations, due to some still unresolved actually delivered by the Principal Investigator end of 2006 will be proposed. problems with the instrument cover. teams, the archive is already being actively exploited. The European instruments are operating The Earth-swingby operations included various nominally. Resets on PEACE (electron sensor) open-loop tracking tests with the navigation After more than one year of Mars Express are still occurring, and it is now being switched cameras, using the Moon as a target. The in-orbit operations, the First Mars Express off and on regularly along the orbit to be able closest approach to Earth occurred at 22:09 Science Conference took place on 21-25 to recover from eventual resets. UTC on 4 March at an altitude of 1954 km. February at ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL), Shortly afterwards, at 01:00 UTC on 5 March, attracting some 250 participants from Europe, The European Payload Operation System the spacecraft was commanded into the United States, Japan, Russia, etc. The (EPOS) co-ordinates the operations for the Flyby Mode, using the navigation camera programme included 120 oral presentations seven European instruments on TC-1 and pointed to the Moon for . This and 120 posters covering all scientific aspects TC-2 and is running smoothly. ESA/ESOC was the first and actually the only inflight-test of the mission, from an historical perspective acquires data for an average of about 3.3 for this mode, which will be used to the latest intriguing findings. The topics hours per day with the VILSPA-2 antenna, during the flybys of Steins and addressed included results from the interior availability of which was above 99% between Lutetia in 2008 and 2010, respectively.The and subsurface of Mars; Mars geology, December and February. test, which lasted 9 hours, was a complete mineralogy and surface chemistry; the polar success. The spacecraft survived the radiation- regions and their ice caps; the climate and Previous Cluster observations have shown belt crossings and the Earth-proximity atmosphere of Mars and the interactions that the flapping motions of the Earth’s manoeuvres very well, with all systems between surface and atmosphere; the space magnetotail are of internal origin and that working as expected. environment around Mars, and the planet’s waves are emitted from the central part of the moons. There was also a special session on tail and propagate toward the tail flanks. Using exobiology and the search for life. conjunctions between Double Star and Cluster, simultaneous observations were made

A series of papers based on the results from both at 10-13 and 16-19 Earth radii (RE). OMEGA, focusing mainly on Mars surface Neutral-sheet oscillations were observed by diversity and seasonal measurements of the the Cluster and Double Star on polar caps, have been published in the journal 5 August 2004. Their study showed that such Science. These papers were also discussed in waves can be observed as close to the Earth

a session of the recent Lunar and Planetary as 11 RE, in the neighbourhood of the Science Conference (LPSC, 14-18 March) magnetotail hinge point. dedicated to OMEGA. A number of HRSC results on the presence of a ‘frozen sea’ close to the Martian equator and recent glacial and Rosetta volcanic activity on Mars, have been published in the journal Nature. These results were also discussed at the LPSC, making it clear that Rosetta performed its first Earth-swingby the Mars Express results are having an manoeuvre on 4 March. The sequence started important impact on current thinking about with a successful trajectory-correction Mars and its (recent) past. manoeuvre on 17 February to put the Artist’s impression of the Rosetta spacecraft and lander

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At the end of the test, the spacecraft was re-pointed to allow the payload and the Express navigation cameras to observe the Earth. It was also reconfigured to nominal mode, and The project continues to progress according to by 10 March all of the science data generated plan, with the spacecraft having successfully had been transmitted to Earth. completed its crucial thermal-balance/thermal- vacuum test at Intespace in Toulouse (F) to After successfully completing further testing, prove its flight-worthiness for the hot Venus the spacecraft was put into near-Sun environment. The only remaining environ- hibernation mode in order to make the most mental test to be performed is that for efficient use of onboard resources. electromagnetic compatibility.The spacecraft Preparations have started for monitoring the has also successfully passed two command spacecraft encounter with and data compatibility tests with the Tempel-1, for which a two-week payload ESA/ESOC Mission Operations Centre in This image shows a 250 km-wide area at the lunar north pole operations sequence starting on 28 June has observed by SMART-1 on 19 January 2005 (close to the northern (D), thereby successfully been introduced into the mission timeline. All winter solstice) from a height of 5000 km. The illuminated part demonstrating its functionality within the of Rosetta’s remote-sensing instruments, of the crater rim at the very top of the image is a candidate for overall mission system. including OSIRIS, will be used. having peak eternal sunlight The Venus Express ground segment is also progressing well, and interface testing with the recovered.The planned observations were scientific community is showing positive SMART-1 promptly restarted on 16 April.The Moon’s results. The new ESA station at Cebreros in surface illumination is now approaching the , which will be the Venus Express optimum, and it is therefore imperative to have operations station, continues to advance SMART-1 reached its final lunar-observation the instruments well-calibrated. well. orbit at the end of February. After an inadvertent electric-propulsion thrusting, the orbit had to be re-established with a correction manoeuvre on 12 March, after which a detailed calibration phase could begin. Unfortunately, this first part of the science phase has been further disrupted by another glitch, which caused some delay in the observation campaign.The mass memory store concerned has subsequently been downloaded and most of the science data

A 275 km wide area close to the Moon’s north pole (upper-left The Venus Express spacecraft mounted in the vacuum chamber at Intespace in Toulouse (F) and illuminated by simulated solar beam corner) observed by SMART-1 on 29 December 2004 from a height of 5500 km. It indicates heavily cratered highland terrain, and can be used to monitor the illumination of polar areas, and the long shadows cast by large crater rims.

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The Venus Express launch will take place on The LTP is the spacecraft’s ‘core instrument’. 26 October 2005 from the Baikonur Its development is being carried out under a Cosmodrome in . The agreed multilateral agreement between ESA and launch mass for the spacecraft and adaptor is seven of its Member States: , Italy, 1270 kg. United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, France and The Netherlands. The various arrange- ments required for the procurement of the different elements of the LTP by the Member Herschel/Planck States involved and ESA took considerably The Herschel telescope’s primary mirror polished at Opteon in Finland longer to complete than was expected. Significant progress is now apparent in the Consequently, the project team is now development of the spacecraft hardware. All of concentrating on redressing the situation, with the structures built by CASA The Herschel proto-flight model cryostat is in the help of the industrial contractors and the in Madrid (E) - the Herschel structural model the final integration phase at in national partners involved. and the Herschel and Planck flight models - Friedrichshafen (D). have been delivered to Alenia in (I) and Given these circumstances, the launch is not a significant part of the mechanical integration The polishing of the Herschel telescope’s expected to take place before the first half of activities have already been completed. The primary mirror at Opteon in Finland has now 2009. Herschel structural and thermal model will be been completed and the next step will be the shipped to ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL) in coating of its surface. The hardware develop- April to start its environmental test campaign. ment for the Planck reflectors has been Testing activities on the electrical spacecraft completed and all mechanical testing success- Microscope models, and the avionics model of Herschel fully carried out. Both Planck reflectors are now and Planck continue in parallel. The qualifi- ready for optical verification testing at cryo- The CNES Preliminary Design Review (PDR) cation model of the Planck Payload Module genic temperatures at the CSL facilities in at spacecraft level is planned for November has been equipped with the qualification Liege (B). 2005, though inertial-sensor development model of the HFI instrument and is presently delays could shift it to the end of the year. The being prepared at Alcatel Space in Cannes for With the qualification models delivered, all launch is now scheduled for December 2008, the most significant environmental test, instrument teams have already started the with the Critical Design Review in April 2007. namely the cryogenic performance test. flight-model development phase. The PDR, co-chaired by ESA and CNES, for the ESA-provided Electrical Propulsion System is scheduled for end-May/early-June 2005.

SMART-2/LISA The activities at thruster and subsystem level are progressing well. In particular, a second Pathfinder engineering-model slit emitter test has logged more than 1300 hours of continuous The SMART-2/LISA Pathfinder implement- operation, representing more than 400 Ns of ation-phase activities are progressing well in total thrusting. This is the highest impulse ever industry.The main activity at the contractor’s achieved using this type of thruster. The test is site is the preparation of the System providing important data about lifetime Preliminary Design Review to be held in July expectations. 2005. Another important activity is the preparation and issuing of the various Invita- tions to Tender for the spacecraft subsystems and equipment. Earlier this year, however, a slowdown in activities was required to keep the spacecraft’s development in phase with the Both competing study contractors have delayed start-up of the LISA Technology reworked their designs to make them Package (LTP) consortium. The project is now compatible with the available resources. investigating with industry how best to adapt Although this delayed the completion of the the spacecraft’s development schedule to the studies, the results now emerging clearly LTP delivery delays in order to minimise the confirm the benefit and timeliness of the Planck structural model in the acoustic chamber at Alcatel Space redesign effort. in Cannes (F) impact on cost and launch date.

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As regards the front-end electronics with the most critical path in the overall interfaces to the CCDs, a new technology programme, namely the primary mirror CryoSat activity has been initiated via a Call for manufacturing, is not affected. The overall Proposals to industrialise, i.e. mass-produce, programme has recently been slowed down by these modules. The response from companies NASA due to financial constraints, resulting in was overwhelming, and two contractors have a one-year delay and a new launch date of been selected to work in competition. Early August 2012. procurement of the flight CCDs was also initiated to safeguard the overall schedule of NIRSpec the Gaia project. The procurement activities for NIRSpec are now well underway, with the industrial Meetings of the Gaia Science Team are contin- proposals for the mechanisms under uing on a regular basis, and members of this evaluation. Instrument-to-system interfaces body frequently provide advice to the Gaia could not yet be finalised, which has prevented Project. initiation of the manufacturing of ceramic mirror substrates and several structural parts. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the Gaia Schedule delays will therefore be unavoidable. development phase is in preparation for its release this summer. MIRI The MIRI Cryostat and MIRI System PDRs have been successfully completed. Unfortunately, this work has now been made James Webb Space partly obsolete, as the Cryostat will no longer Telescope (JWST) be implemented. A cryo-cooler consolidation study is now underway with the aim of freezing the cooler performance specification and The CryoSat satellite ready to undergo a thermal-vacuum test at As a result of a NASA internal JWST review interface requirement to the MIRI Optical IABG in Ottobrunn (D) (especially of the total spacecraft mass), a Assembly (OA), thus avoiding significant number of decisions were made that also impact and delay on the development of the Good progress has been made in recent affect the NIRSpec and MIRI instruments. In European-provided Optical Assembly.The months on the development of the CryoSat particular, the MIRI cooling system has been cryo-cooler contractor is expected to be satellite, particularly with the testing pro- changed from a cryostat to a cryo-cooler. As selected by the end of the year. The MIRI gramme conducted by the Prime Contractor, the changes mainly affect the design of the Optical Bench structural model was EADS Astrium GmbH (D), at IABG in spacecraft and its instrument compartment, successfully vibration tested in January. Ottobrunn (D). The spacecraft is now being prepared to undergo the two major remaining tests: a thermal-vacuum/thermal-balance and an acoustic test. However, to improve the reliability of the SIRAL radar altimeter, the test sequence will be interrupted in mid-May to allow the replacement of a critical electronic component that has recently been found to be potentially sensitive to vibration during launch.

Activities associated with the CryoSat ground segment are progressing nominally.The fourth Satellite Validation Test (SVT-2) has been successfully performed by ESA/ESOC (D) in February. A full Ground Segment Overall Validation (GSOV) has also been performed at system level. These two major test campaigns have demonstrated that the CryoSat ground segment is in a healthy state. Full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

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To prepare for the CryoSat level-2 product- working group. In parallel, a life test is being In parallel, a full-sized structural/thermal model validation activities, a complementary scientific conducted with a simulated GOCE thermal has been built in order to achieve full campaign involving scientific experts from environment to assess the suitability of the environmental qualification of the payload. Finland was performed early in March in the baseline GaAs solar cells for the GOCE After the completion of some initial tests (pyro- Gulf of Bothnia. application. Also, a case of substrate shock, arm deployment) it is now at delamination has occurred during the thermal- ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL) ready for the Overall, there has been significant progress in vacuum qualification testing of a solar-wing test campaign to start in the last week of April. the development of the CryoSat mission over panel, for which recovery and backup the past months. Unfortunately, ‘repair’ solutions are currently under investigation. For those subsystems for which the activities are hampering overall progress, and engineering-model programme has been the launch, which will take place from the On the ground-segment side, all development completed, Critical Design Reviews (CDRs) on a Rockot vehicle, activities are progressing according to plan. have been held to release flight-unit has now been re-scheduled for 15 September The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the production. Some of the first flight units – 2005. Calibration and Monitoring Facility (CMF) and elements of the structure, bandpass filters and the CDR for the PDS and the related antennas for the LICEF receivers – have Instrument Processing Facilities have been already been delivered. successfully concluded. GOCE The Preliminary Design Review at satellite level is being conducted in cooperation with The main emphasis in the space-segment CNES (F). Once successfully concluded, it will development activities continues to be on the SMOS authorise assembly of the recurrent Proteus conclusion of payload and equipment-level platform used by SMOS. testing, and on the execution of the The payload development programme is corresponding series of Critical Design progressing according to plan. The ‘reduced The launcher for SMOS is under procurement Reviews (CDRs). engineering model’ involving a complete set from Eurockot in (D) and Khrunichev of electronic payload elements is being in Moscow (Russia). Alcatel Space has successfully completed the assembled step-by-step. Only two more electrical integration of the Gradiometer elements are still to be delivered in the second Significant progress has been made on the engineering model, and functional testing is quarter of 2005 to complete the entire end-to- ground segment. The algorithm approach for also close to completion. The stiffness end chain. the level-1 processor has been selected and is anomaly detected in three flight-model accelerometer sensor heads integrated at ONERA (F) continues to be investigated through tests and analysis based on an agreed fault-tree.

Following completion of the electrical integration of the platform Engineering Model Test Bench, Astrium GmbH is focusing its efforts on the Bench’s functional testing. In addition, the platform flight-model integration activities have continued with the installation of the electrical harness, the propulsion pipework and the heater lines.

As reported in the previous issue, experience from other ESA missions currently under development has shown a potential problem with the qualification of the European triple- junction gallium-arsenide (GaAs) solar cells used in the GOCE solar array, with the cell shunt diode showing anomalous behaviour during testing at high temperatures. This issue continues to be addressed by an ESA ad-hoc SMOS Payload Module structural/thermal model during deployment testing

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now under implementation. For the level-2 A first version of the flight software has been The IASI second flight model (FM-2) was processors, two consortia have been selected delivered and is working on the Software delivered on time and exchanged for the non- and are now getting up to speed. The overall Verification Facilities. flight-ready FM-1 on MetOp-2 without difficulty. ground segment within which these The Aeolus Critical Design Review (CDR) will processors will have to work is the subject take place as scheduled in August and Preparations are well advanced for MetOp-2’s of a Request for Quotation for the main September 2005. The difficulties with the launch campaign and the subsequent development phase (Phase-C/D) addressed to laser, and other less-critical delays, have led to Commissioning Phase, and more specifically a Spanish consortium led by INDRA (Madrid). April 2008 being the earliest possible launch for the Satellite In-Orbit Verification subphase date. A further five-month contingency in the which will check correct functioning of the Unfortunately, a major airborne campaign contract with the prime contractor, Astrium, satellite after launch but prior to the called ‘COSMOS’, intended for collecting means that the launch is now scheduled for (extensive) calibration/validation activities representative data for algorithm and September 2008. required. processor development, had to be postponed due to unavailability of the aircraft. Recovery Following completion of the in-orbit com- possibilities are presently being investigated. MetOp missioning, the MetOp programme will nominally go into ‘hibernation’ until 2008, when the team will be re-activated to de-store MetOp- The integration campaign for the first MetOp 1, complete its integration and make it ready for ADM-Aeolus satellite to be launched, MetOp-2 (MetOp-A), launch. The industrial proposals for these is now drawing to a close, and the Flight activities and the MetOp-3 activities in the 2014 The structural model of the Aeolus platform Acceptance Review (FAR-2), aimed at time frame are currently being iterated. has been delivered to ESA/ESTEC in declaring readiness for launch, will be held Noordwijk (NL). The optical structural thermal in the coming months. Thereafter, MetOp-2 model of the instrument is currently being will be stored for a short period alongside tested in the optical vacuum chamber in Liège MetOp-1 (already in storage since end-2004) Meteosat Second (B). It will be delivered to ESTEC in early May until its re-activation and preparation for Generation (MSG) for mating with the platform and mechanical shipment to the Baikonur launch site. These testing. activities are presently planned for early 2006, with the launch slot retained as April 2006. MSG-1 (Meteosat-8) Progress with the majority of flight-model Currently, all elements – satellite, ground Meteosat-8 has been operating nominally, with satellite units is good, and most will be segment and launcher – are on track to no spacecraft behavioural anomalies reported. delivered in mid-year. However, the challenges achieve this. De-contamination of the SEVIRI instrument posed by the onboard laser remain significant. Preparations are well underway, but the physical integration of the engineering qualification model will not start until June. The laser pump chambers for this model are working.

The first two batches of pump diodes for the flight-model laser have been delivered. However, manufacture of the pump chambers for the flight model is delayed as a result of new information concerning the susceptibility of the coatings of the YAG bars to laser- induced damage. A number of different solutions are being investigated.

The first results from the LID testing of other coatings in vacuum at DLR (D) show that at least the low-fluence optics are likely to achieve the necessary lifetime. Tests on high- fluence surfaces are continuing. Flight models of MSG-2 and MSG-3 in the clean room at Alcatel Space in Cannes (F)

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optics was performed at the beginning of configuration and reaffirmed their commitment Also in March, ESA was informed that the 2005, followed by an east/west station- to meet all of their ISS obligations, to complete (ERA) spares would be keeping/spin-rate manoeuvre on 8 February. ISS assembly by the end of the decade, and to launched on an ‘as needed’ basis after ERA’s The instrument’s performance remains use and further evolve the ISS in a manner that launch. The industrial proposal for the launch excellent. meets their research and exploration objectives. of ERA onboard the Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module will be evaluated in MSG-2 As a result of this meeting, the launch of May/June 2005. The satellite remains in a short-term-storage Columbus is now formally advanced in the configuration, awaiting its Consent to Ship to assembly sequence, such that it immediately Operations and related ground segments the Ariane-5 launch site in Kourou (Fr. follows the launch of Node-2. The assembly The (COL-CC) Guiana). Launch is currently foreseen in sequence also now foresees the establishment Distributed Monitoring and Control System V2 August 2005, but timely availability of the co- of a permanent crew of six in January 2009 Factory Acceptance Test was successfully passenger, the and the and the completion of the ISS assembly in completed in January, and the Test-Readiness satellite’s shock compatibility with the Ariane-5 2010, at which time NASA plans to retire the Review was successfully performed in March. GS launcher cannot be taken for granted. Space Shuttles from service. In February, the first of a series of three COL- CC stand-alone simulations for Columbus MSG-3 The Russian cargo spacecraft Progress 17P started. MSG-3 remains in short-term storage in the was launched on 28 February and docked with clean-room at Alcatel Space (F). After the the ISS on 2 March. The Data Gateway V2.0 and the Monitoring re-integration of missing units, some UHF and Control System V3.2 for the ATV Control investigations will still have to be performed. Space infrastructure development Centre (ATV-CC) have passed the Site The MSG-3 spacecraft will be kept available All payload facilities have been removed from Acceptance Test. as a source of spares for MSG-2 during its Columbus and returned to their developers launch campaign. Thereafter, it will be put into for storage/risk-mitigation testing, and the Deactivation of the Interconnected Ground long-term storage awaiting its own launch, Columbus module has entered a hibernation Subnet Phase-1, and migration to Phase-2, currently foreseen in 2009. phase. has been completed.

MSG-4 In January, the Automated Transfer Vehicle A new ESA Control Room at TsUP (Russian Progress with the MSG-4 assembly, integration (ATV-1) Jules Verne Crew Equipment Interface Mission Control Centre) has been outfitted to and test activities is nominal. The propellant Test and the Late Cargo Access Means Test support and ATV missions. subsystem has been delivered and mated and were successfully performed. The initial part of the complete harness has been delivered and the System Qualification Review will start in The Data Management System onboard the integrated. The antenna platform has been mid-April. The last outstanding hardware Russian Service Module (DMS-R) continues to delivered to Alenia. The SEVIRI instrument is needed before the arrival of ATV-1 at the ISS perform flawlessly. in the final stages of integration. has been installed. The Global Positioning System (GPS) antennas were installed outside In March, in-orbit science operations using the the Russian Zvezda module during a four and external Matroshka payload were stopped due Human Spaceflight, a half hour Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) on to repeated communication failures. Trouble- 28 March. Current Jules Verne planning leads shooting measures are in preparation. Research and to an earliest possible launch-availability date of end-February 2006. Utilisation planning, payload developments Applications and preparatory missions Programmes The Element Leak Test on Node-2 was In January, the accession contracts for all successfully performed in February. Meanwhile 40 academic and industrial partners in the manufacturing and assembly activities for IMPRESS Integrated Project (Material Highlights Node-3 are progressing, with cone assembly Science) were signed at ESTEC (NL). Agreements have been reached with having started in March. Roskosmos and NASA for a seven-month ESA In March, the TMA-Bridge Interoperability astronaut mission on Shuttle flight ULF1.1 to Leak testing of the Cupola spare window was Workshop was concluded and the mid-term the ISS in 2005, and return on flight 12A.1 in successfully completed in February, and review of the project was successfully held at early 2006. manufacture of a top window -hose the European Commission. protective box to prevent leakage, as occurred The Heads of Space Agencies, who met in in the USLab several months ago, started in Agreement on the participation of the Montreal on 26 January, have endorsed the ISS March. Canadian Space Agency (CSA), through ESA,

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in the CNES-ESA-NASA Womens’ facility flight model into an Express rack, were February, and the Software System Readiness International Space Simulation for Exploration successfully completed at Kennedy Space Review Board meeting was successfully held. (WISE) Bed-Rest Study on females, was Centre (KSC), and the EMCS is now being In March, CNES confirmed its commitment to reached on 3 March, and the three-month prepared for launch with flight ULF1.1 this fund the PHARAO engineering model and study is now underway. summer. The Percutaneous Electrical Muscle confirmed a plan towards commitment to fund Stimulator was shipped from Johnson Space the flight model. Agreement was also reached Peer review of the proposals received following Center to KSC in preparation for launch on the on the execution of a Mission System the 2004 Announcement of Opportunities (AO) same flight. Requirements Review, planned for the second in Life and Physical Sciences has been quarter of this year. concluded, and the Microgravity Application Integration and refurbishment at KSC of the Promotion (MAP) project proposals are being MELFI Flight Unit 1 (FU-1) was completed and The preliminary agreement for EXPOSE-R has evaluated. the module is currently being prepared for been reached and the draft contract is being launch on ULF1.1. Some corrosion-repair finalised. Testing and verification of the Definition studies for human-physiology activities are being carried-out on FU-2, and experiments is ongoing. projects, received following the 2004 FU-3 activities are on hold pending resolution International Life Sciences Research of the Brayton machine problem. After completion of the CDR, development of Announcement, are ongoing. the Portable GloveBox is progressing with The Protein Crystallisation Diagnostics Facility both training- and flight-model deliveries on The implementation of upgrades and (PCDF) engineering-model Preliminary schedule for a launch with ATV-1 as an ESA robustness testing on the Columbus payload- Acceptance Review was successfully closed in upload. rack facilities is progressing towards final January.The flight-model Acceptance Review, delivery of the flight models to Columbus in delayed due to technical problems, will take In February, programmatic discussions about September. The Acceptance Reviews for the place in May. NASA requirements for the CryoSystem were Science Reference Models of and of concluded, and a Phase-C/D industrial the Fluid-Science Laboratory were In January, the Muscle Atrophy Research and proposal is being evaluated. successfully performed in February.The Exercise System (MARES) Critical Design overall breadboard architecture of the Bone- Review (CDR) was closed and qualification of The Crew Refrigerator development activities Analysis Module for the European Physiology the ground model started in March. and contract are being closed-out with the Module was defined, and work is proceeding delivery of the hardware to NASA Johnson according to schedule. Acceptance Reviews The Engineering Change Request to improve Space Center. for the Ground Model-1 and the Baseline the design of the Flywheel Exercise Device for Data-Collection Model were completed in utilisation in Columbus has been issued, and The 39th ESA Parabolic Flight campaign, with March. Following recovery after failure of the delivery of the device is planned for the 12 experiments, was successfully performed European Drawer Rack (EDR) engineering- autumn. from 14 to 25 March 2005. model Video Management Unit, final system tests for both the EDR engineering and flight The Pulmonary Function System (PFS) will fly The final integration/testing for the FOTON-M2 model re-started, and the flight-model on Shuttle flight LF1 in May. Breadboard payload complement was successfully Acceptance Review was kicked-off at the end development of the Portable PFS (Phase-B) is completed at TsSKB/Samara and the final of March. proceeding according to plan. preparations are taking place in Baikonur for a launch on 31 May.The FOTON-M3 payload Following NASA’s cancellation of its Materials- Acceptance of instruments for SOLAR and agreement was approved and signed by ESA, Science Research Rack utilisation, the EuTEF continued during January and the TsSKB-Progress and Roskosmos, and the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) second Batch of EuTEF instruments is development of two new payloads started. engineering model was shipped back to currently being reviewed. Integration of both of Europe from Marshall Spaceflight Center. these Columbus external payloads is The Maser-10 sounding-rocket mission, with Meanwhile integration of the MSL flight model progressing, and the System Validation Test-2 five experiments, is approaching readiness for has progressed and testing has started. involving the Columbus module is planned for launch on 30 April. Work for Texus-42 and July. Texus EML-1 is progressing according to Columbus system and payload stowage schedule for a launch in November. The integration with the European Transport Carrier The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) Maxus-7 contract rider was placed with (ETC) is progressing. Authorisation to Proceed has been extended Industry and development of the experiment in order to continue Phase-C1/D activities up module is ongoing. In March, tests on the integration of the to 31 January 2006. The status review for the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) Swiss Hydrogen Maser was concluded in

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ISS education T. Reiter and his backup for the Long Duration new gyroscopes and star-trackers. Enabling In February two new funding members joined Mission, L. Eyharts, have received training technologies address such issues as high- the ISS Education Fund with a contribution of both at Johnson Space Center and the thrust electric propulsion, deployable radiators, 61.5 kEuro. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC). thin-film solar arrays, improved heat pipes, and active-fluid-pump systems. Critical elements In early February, a Workshop was held in The training of C. Fuglesang for STS-116 is are encompassed for further development order to solicit feedback from teachers on new intensifying. ESA astronauts P.Nespoli and within the AlphaBus Phase-C/D, whilst projects concerning the ISS Education Kit on H. Schlegel are also currently training at NASA. promising enabling-technologies for AlphaBus the Web and the 3D Education Tool. A new product-line growth potential will be continued DVD lesson titled ‘Mission 2: Body Space’ is Numerous training courses have been held at through parallel technology development, once now available in 12 languages, and all the European Astronaut Centre (EAC), the relevant pre-development contracts education products continue to be in great including: the first part of the ATV Pilot Course gradually run out in 2005/2006. demand. with international participation (February); Columbus User-Level Training for ground- The Dutch authorities have confirmed their support personnel (February), and for an sponsorship of the first Dutch European Space international class of astronauts (March); and Vega Education Research Office in the Erasmus Columbus Payload Advanced Training for User Centre at ESTEC. Facility Responsible Centre personnel and During January through March, several EAC biomedical engineers (March). important milestones have been achieved, In the framework of the Erasmus-supported including the holding of the Critical Design Life in Space Project, a ‘virtual campus’ was Reviews (CDRs) for the launcher’s fairing, established, consisting of a network of five multi-functional unit, onboard computer, and universities and ESA sharing information and AlphaBus main safety unit. lectures on-line. The first interactive on-line session was successfully held on 16 February. The Phase-C0 released in February is The documentation for several key stages/ providing a bridging period for industrial assemblies – aimed at verification of In March, the education experiments for system activities until the placement of the full assembly/stage layout, as recommended in FOTON-M2 and the Italian Soyuz mission Alphabus development contract (Phase-C/D). the System Design Review – has been were proceeding as planned and good delivered, allowing the first key point to be candidate experiments have been selected for Besides the ESA contribution, in March CNES addressed at the beginning of April. the Long Duration Mission and the ATV-1 secured further national funding for the mission. Alphabus programme as agreed under the Negotiations with Sabca (B) on the Zefiro and terms of the cooperation between the two Avum thrust-vector-control subcontract have Commercial activities agencies. The ESA Programme Declaration is been concluded. The Prime Contractor EADS-ST has joined the open to Member States for subscription until ISS Business Club (IBC). the end of April, with the Phase-C/D planned The Recovery Plan for the Zefiro inert motor to start in June, towards the end of the cases has made significant progress. The On 11 March, the first commercial event in the bridging period. authorisation to start Z9 DM0 manufacture Erasmus User Centre at ESTEC was was released at the beginning of February, successfully conducted for the Swiss company Final selection of design-driving elements for and the model subsequently manufactured is Phonak, who launched their new product line. the chemical propulsion architecture is a last now undergoing non-destructive inspection. critical hurdle before consolidation of the Manufacture of the second model of Zephyr 23 The trademark label for the ESA Health Care Phase-C/D industrial consortium and started in early April in the Avio (I) workshops. Network has been deposited in March. AlphaBus technical implementation. A major decision at system level has been to Astronaut activities In parallel with the core AlphaBus Programme, implement a new device using The training of R. Vittori for the Soyuz mission up to 25 pre-development contracts have been thrusters to control the launch vehicle’s roll ‘Eneide’ in April 2005 was successfully running with selected suppliers as part of the during the solid-rocket propulsion phases. completed by end-March and both the ESA preparatory programme providing critical Such a device could be located on Interstage- prime and back-up crew (R. Thirsk from the technology for the Phase-C/D and enabling- 2/3 or on the AVUM fourth stage. Canadian Space Agency) for the 10S mission technology for growth potential. The critical were certified by the Russian Medical technology areas include high-specific-energy The recovery plan relating to the P80 motor Commission. Li- cells, and primary-structure develop- case is proceeding satisfactorily. Improvements ments, an improved apogee-boost engine, and to the Bolentz machine used to wind the case

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have been validated, and the manufacture of regarding the ground segment, has been A Vega Industry Day held at ESA/ESRIN in a full size skirt model has been started. The assessed by an Evaluation Board. Contract Frascati (I) on 11 March was attended by all proof pressure test on the technological model negotiations are ongoing. of the industrial companies working on Vega. takes place in mid-April. The goal was to review the overall status of The industrial Preliminary Design Reviews for the programme and to present the way forward The contract change for the integrated and the mechanical (mobile gantry and mast), civil- for the initial step of the Vega exploitation expanded Sabca (B) thrust-vector-control engineering and fluids infrastructures have phase. r activities has been agreed and implemented. now been completed. The first battleship tests on the P80 igniters have been performed with good results. A number of demolition and refurbishment activities have been completed in the launch A package issued by Vitrociset (I) in response zone foreseen for Vega at the Guiana Space to the Agency’s request for clarifications Centre in Kourou.

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