programmes & operations

Programmes under Development and Operations (status end-September 2001) In Orbit 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 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 SCIENCE

PROGRAMME XMM-NEWTON LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1999

CLUSTER RE-LAUNCHED MID 2000

MARECS-B2 POSSIBLE NEW LEASE

METEOSAT-5 (MOP-2) OPERATED BY EUMETSAT -6 (MOP-3) OPERATED BY EUMETSAT

METEOSAT-7 (MTP) OPERATED BY EUMETSAT

ERS - 1 MISSION ENDED MARCH 2000 ERS - 2 LAUNCHED APRIL 1995 PROGRAMME APPLICATIONS ECS - 4 OPERATED FOR EUTELSAT

ECS - 5 MISSION ENDED MAY 2000 Under Development 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 PROJECT J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND COMMENTS INTEGRAL LAUNCH OCTOBER 2002

ROSETTA LAUNCH JANUARY 2003 LAUNCH MAY 2003 SMART-1 LAUNCH LATE 2002 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME HERSCHEL/ LAUNCH FEBRUARY 2007

ARTEMIS LAUNCHED JULY 2001 GNSS-1/EGNOS INITIAL OPS. END 2003 GALILEOSAT FIRST LAUNCH 2003 COMMS./ NAV. PROG. NAV. EOPP

EOEP INCL. CRYOSAT, SMOS, GOCE 1/ POLAR PLATFORM LAUNCH EARLY 2002 METOP-1 LAUNCH 2nd HALF 2005 PROGRAMME EARTH OBSERV. EARTH MSG-1 LAUNCH JULY 2002

COLUMBUS LAUNCH OCTOBER 2004

ATV LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2004 V201 TEST FLIGHT X-38 OCT. 2003 (UNDER REVIEW) CRV UNDER REVIEW NODE-2 & -3 LAUNCHES FEBRUARY 2004 & JULY 2005 CUPOLA LAUNCH JANUARY 2005 ERA LAUNCH UNDER REVIEW

DMS (R) LAUNCHED JULY 2000 PROGRAMME MELF I LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2004 GLOVEBOX LAUNCH APRIL 2002

HEXAPOD LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2004

MANNED SPACE & MICROGRAVITY MANNED SPACE EDEN FAST/APCF/AGHF FLUIDPACK/ MOMO-3 APCF APCF-6/BIOBOX-5/ ARMS/ MATROSHKA MSL/EMS/ EMIR BIOBOX/MOMO-2 BIOPAN-3 BIOPACK/FAST-2 FLUIDPACK/ MARES/ BIOPAN PEMS MFC BIO, FSL, EPM, in COLUMBUS V503 V504 ARIANE-5 DEVELOP. OPERATIONAL ESC-A ARIANE-5 PLUS FIRST LAUNCH APRIL 2002 LAUNCH END-2005

FESTIP REUSABLE LAUNCHER DEFIN. LAUNCHER PROGRAMME FTLP TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

DEFINITION PHASE MAIN DEVELOPMENT PHASE LAUNCH/READY FOR LAUNCH

OPERATIONS ADDITIONAL LIFE POSSIBLE RETRIEVAL STORAGE

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Integral Mars Express late-October/early-November, having been completed. Immediately after the The flight-model environmental test Three main activities took place during successful conclusion of this test, the campaign has started at ESTEC (NL). The the third quarter of the year. Firstly, the bench will be dismantled and the spacecraft containing the Spectrometer structural model, consisting of flight hardware transported to for the (SPI) and Optical Monitoring Camera structure, flight propulsion system and flight-model programme. (OMC) flight models has successfully subsystem mass dummies, was shipped passed the sine-vibration and shock tests. from Alenia in Turin (I) to the Intespace Last but not least, the Mission Critical After integration and functional verification test facility in (F). In September Design Review was held in early July. of the remaining flight-model instruments, and October, the entire mechanical Chaired by two senior ESA managers, the test campaign will continue at the qualification programme was successfully the Review Board looked at all aspects beginning of 2002 with electromagnetic completed. This campaign included the of the mission, i.e. spacecraft, payload, compatibility (EMC), acoustic and thermal vibration, acoustic, shock and clamp- ground segment, launcher and science testing. band-release tests, as well as other operations. The Board made several activities. Meanwhile, the structural model recommendations to the Project and The Imager (IBIS) and X-ray Monitor is already back at Alenia, and the start of concluded that the review was (JEM-X) instrument teams have made the flight-model programme is awaited. successful. good progress in assembling their flight models. JEM-X FM1 has already been In parallel with the activities at Intespace, In close collaboration with the launch- integrated on the spacecraft and the electrical testing of all subsystems service provider, the launch and cruise delivery of FM2 is planned for December. continued on the Electrical and Functional phase to Mars has been optimised, IBIS has successfully completed its Verification Bench at SAS in allowing an extension of the launch acceptance campaign and is undergoing Toulouse. Also this task is now nearing window. Its opening, and thus the most calibration, with delivery to ESTEC expected, completion with the preparations for the likely launch date for Mars Express, is on schedule, in November. The currently final Integrated System Test, foreseen for now 23 May instead of 2 June 2003. foreseen IBIS and JEM-X FM2 delivery dates are fully compatible with Integral’s planned October 2002 launch date.

The mission analysis has been updated to match this new launch date. Good progress has been made regarding ground-station coverage during the transfer-orbit injection. The ground- segment verification activities are progressing as planned.

The Proton launcher manufacturing and adaptation activities are also progressing satisfactorily. The Russian Space Agency has confirmed that it can provide a launcher to suit the recently revised Integral completion schedule. A detailed launch-system-development and launch- campaign schedule has been agreed with our Russian partners.

The mission’s Time Allocation Committee (TAC) has finalised its work concerning the observation proposals in response to the Announcement of Opportunity (AO-1). The observation programme for the first year of the nominal mission is now defined.

Integral sine-vibration test being successfully completed in the ESTEC facilities in Noordwijk

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Herschel/Planck Herschel Planck

The technical work within the industrial core team, with Alcatel Space Industries as Prime Contractor, which initiated the industrial development and implementation phase for Herschel and Planck, continued throughout the summer period. The focus now is on the consolidation of the conceptual designs for both spacecraft, taking due account of the challenging technical needs and the review of the requirements to be placed on the lower subcontractors. The major achievement within the last few months was the successful completion of the first system-level review, namely the Herschel/Planck Requirements Review. Started on 1 August with the distribution fully commissioned and the satellite’s good of the documentation, it was successfully health has been confirmed. Also, the ion- completed with the Review Board meeting release the start of manufacture of the first propulsion elements have been tested and on 12 October. hardware-development models. The operated for some time, demonstrating critical development issues identified in the their ability to function over longer periods The second main activity, the build-up of recent instrument reviews are being than planned, which will be required for the complete industrial consortium up to followed up and closed out one by one. the orbit-raising manoeuvres. mid-2002, has started well with the The consolidation of the instrument selection of the subcontractors for the first interfaces with the spacecraft will be In the course of November, preliminary of the four procurement batches. The completed by year’s end. payload check-outs will be conducted. procurement process, from preparation of These tests can be performed for short the ITT documentation all the way through The co-ordinated parts procurement for periods only (a few hours every five days), to the archiving of the winning bid once Herschel and Planck, originally initiated by because the frequencies allocated can the contract is kicked-off, is being ESA to support the scientific-instrument only be used from the satellite’s nominal conducted by Industry under rigorous development, has now been handed over position. At other times, when the satellite guidelines set by the ESA Project Team in to the Prime Contractor and will also is drifting along its orbit, the transmitters order to guarantee a fair and competitive include the other parts procurement for have to be off to avoid interfering with procurement process. the two spacecraft. other satellites in the geostationary arc.

Outside the main development contract The activities initiated with CSL (Liege) for In its parking orbit, is drifting for the Herschel/Planck spacecraft with the development of a facility to allow around the Earth at a rate of 3 deg/hour. Alcatel Space Industries, it is worth noting vibration testing of the Herschel instrument’s To maintain contact with the satellite, that the evaluation of the offer for the focal-plane units at cryogenic temperatures therefore, a network of tracking stations 3.5 m silicon-carbide telescope for is approaching the Critical Design Review. has had to be set up around the world – Herschel, a direct delivery from ESA to The facility will be ready for instrument-unit in Fucino (Italy), Dongara (Aus.), South the Prime Contractor, was also completed testing by the end of 2002. Point (Hawaii) and Santiago (Chile) – to in this period. Following the successful ensure full satellite control at all times. This contractual negotiations between ESA and network will have to be maintained until Astrium SAS, the development work for Artemis reaches its nominal operating this activity has started. Artemis position. This major milestone should be achieved in June 2002, provided the On the telescope of the second The spacecraft is still in its parking orbit planned orbit-raising manoeuvres can spacecraft, where the telescope reflectors at an altitude of 31 000 km. The start of indeed be initiated in December. are provided via a collaboration with the the orbit-raising phase, using the ion- Danish Space Research Institute (DSRI), propulsion system on board has been progress has also been made and a postponed until about mid-December. The development contract has been awarded new software that has to be written to Earth Observation to Astrium GmbH (Germany) after a support the revised operating modes has Envelope Programme competitive tender action. turned out to be more complicated, and is consequently taking more time to prepare, (EOEP) With respect to the scientific instruments, than expected. progress is according to plan and the During the last months, Astrium GmbH, instrument teams are heading towards However, whilst in parking orbit, the the Prime Contractor for the CryoSat their major next formal review, which will sspacecraft bus subsystems have been project, has concentrated its activities on

107 r bulletin 108 — november 2001

consolidation of the satellite In response to the Call for Proposals for design resulting from Phase-B. the second cycle of Earth Thanks to the technical Explorer Opportunity contributions provided by some Missions, 29 outline 25 industrial partners, the design proposals were received by has now reached a level of maturity the deadline. These proposals address that will form the baseline for the main all themes of ESA’s Living Planet development phase (Phase-C/D). Cryosat Programme and use a variety of active and passive remote-sensing techniques, Concerning SIRAL, the CryoSat Radar (manufacturing and testing of pre- exploiting the full electromagnetic Altimeter, Alcatel (F) has successfully development model), Astrium SAS has spectrum. They are backed by hundreds demonstrated the performance of the been selected as the contractor for this of scientists from Europe, Canada and Solid-State Power Amplifier on a phase, with the kick-off taking place on elsewhere. The proposed missions require dedicated breadboard. This important 8 October. The PDM development and single-satellite, satellite-formation or milestone validates the technology of one test contract should last two years. satellite-constellation implementations, in of the most critical elements of the SIRAL low Earth orbit and in geostationary orbit. instrument. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the APEX The massive response illustrates the very instrument’s Phase-C/D was issued in high interest in the programme. The GOCE space-segment industrial August, with a submission deadline of 25 activities have continued to focus on the October. To ensure optimum coordination The Phase-A for SMOS is proceeding consolidation of the satellite configuration with the EOEP-funded elements, ESA will according to plan. A Preliminary and associated budgets and on the perform the technical management of Requirements Review is planned in competitive selection process for the Phase-C/D. October. The scientific review will proceed various equipment suppliers. The efforts in parallel. After these two reviews, the spent on the satellite configuration have In the market-development area, five new proposal for full implementation will be allowed an overall configuration to be short-term contracts and five new longer- submitted to the PB-EO in November. identified in terms of volume, shape, term contract opportunities have been dimensions, etc., capable of accom- selected as a result of two ITTs issued in modating either a micropopulsion May and in July. All of these activities assembly based on cold gas or one target the exploitation of the new International Space based on Field-Emission Electric capabilities offered by Envisat. Station Propulsion (FEEP). However, it will only be possible to complete the satellite design ISS Overall Assembly Sequence activities to the level of detail necessary for Three assembly flights have taken place holding the GOCE Preliminary Design Earth Observation in the third quarter of 2001. The Airlock Review (PDR) after the final selection of Preparatory ‘Quest’, the third MPLM logistics flight the micro-propulsion technology, which is (which included ESA’s Advanced Protein still pending. The GOCE PDR will therefore Programme (EOPP) Crystallisation Facility) and the Russian have to be shifted to the first quarter of Docking Compartment 1 ‘Pirs’. The third 2002. Step 2 of the implementation mechanism crew, Expedition-3, is already in orbit. In for the second cycle of Earth Explorer addition, two Russian ‘Progress’ logistics The Proceedings of the first International Core Missions (mission assessment) has flights have been launched. To date, 15 GOCE User Workshop at ESTEC have been completed. The five ESA Reports for of the planned 49 assembly flights have been distributed to the participants and Mission Assessment (ESA SP-1257) have been completed. individual papers have also been made been published and will be presented at available publicly on the GOCE Explorer the Third Earth Explorer Consultation The first scientific experiments have been web site. Meeting in Granada, in Spain, in operated, principally after the MPLM flight October. After this Consultation Meeting, in August, and the ESA Global Time The preparations for Earth Watch led the Earth Science Advisory Group (ESAC) System (GTS), which was successfully to the adoption of the Earth Watch will make its recommendation for the installed on the Russian Service Module Declaration and Implementing Rules by selection of the three missions for which ‘Zvezda’, should be switched-on later this the Earth Observation Programme Board Phase-A activities should be started. year. (PB-EO) on 20 September. Following the ESAC recommendation, the Executive will submit an implementation The ISS Assembly Sequence was updated Support to Eumetsat has continued within proposal to the Agency’s Earth-Observation in June to include some detailed changes the post-MSG consultation activities. In Programme Board (PB-EO) for discussion to flights up to early 2004 and the deletion particular, ESA experts are reviewing the at its November meeting. of the Propulsion Module from the observation requirements established by configuration. The Columbus launch the user application experts. Coordination with NASDA on EarthCARE remains scheduled in October 2004. has continued in the context of the recent After evaluation of the two proposals for ESA – Japan Meeting held in Tokyo in An independent high-level task force, the the Aladin instrument second phase September. ISS Cost and Management Evaluation

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Panel, has been appointed to evaluate the serious projected cost overrun of the NASA part of the Space Station and to propose corrective future actions.

Columbus Laboratory The integrated mechanical flight-unit assembly (the so-called ‘PICA’) has been transported from Turin (I) to the Prime Contractor in Bremen in an Beluga. There, the flight unit will be equipped with the functional boxes and the acceptance testing will commence next year. Meanwhile, the electrical test model is undergoing functional qualification testing, including Columbus/ISS interface tests with NASA. Qualification tests should be completed in the first quarter of 2002.

Columbus Launch Barter Nodes-2 and -3 The system-level modal-survey test has been successfully conducted and the flight-unit integration of Node-2 has been initiated. The harnesses have all been delivered, as has much of the secondary structure. The Node-3 Critical Design Review (CDR) is planned for Spring 2002 PICA arriving in Bremen, Germany Cryogenic Freezer (CRYOS) and preparation for this is now underway. The System Requirements Document (SRD) agreement with NASA should be Crew Refrigerator / Freezer (RFR) finalised in November. The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) has Arrival of the ATV at the ESTEC test facilities for been successfully completed. environmental testing Cupola The Neutral Buoyancy Test in the NASA/JSC pool has been successfully conducted and the few minor recommended changes are being incorporated into the design. The CDR has been completed, with no serious discrepancies being found. Manufacture of the flight-unit cylindrical and dome sections is underway, as is that of the window frames.

Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) The pressurised cargo-carrier structural/thermal model (STM) has been delivered to ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL) in preparation for environmental tests. The STM’s electrical and propulsion bays are nearing completion and will be integrated with the cargo carrier at ESTEC, before testing begins at the end of the year. Equipment and subsystem CDR campaigns have been initiated.

X-38/CRV and Applied Re-entry Technology (ART) The X-38 deliveries are continuing and the integration of the orbital flight-test vehicle (V201) is well underway at the integration site at NASA/JSC.

109 r bulletin 108 — november 2001

Negotiations have been advanced with global AO converged on a shortlist of ESA Astronauts R. Vittori and F. De Winne industry for the initial CRV activities, and projects that will require definition studies. (backup) started training on 6 August in the PATP contract has been agreed with Bilaterally with ESA, NASA indicated a Star City for a Soyuz Taxi Flight to the the new joint prime contractors. clear intention to co-operate in the joint International Space Station in April 2002. utilisation of ESA-developed facilities. Following up a request from NASA, For the second period of ISS Advanced discussions have taken place on a Hardware development Training at Johnson Space Center (JSC), potentially expanded role for Europe in A study has shown that relocation of the P. Nespoli was proposed to replace the overall CRV programme. This would Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) R. Vittori. Due to severe NASA security change the basis of ESA’s participation to the Columbus External Payload Facility restrictions, the start of his training period from that of supplier of interesting is feasible and a proposal for the Micro- was delayed until October. technology elements for the vehicle to wave Link is now under evaluation. fundamental participation in the system Preparations for the Andromède mission, design, system functions and the delivery The System Requirements Review for the with Claudie Haigneré on board, are on of major assemblies (which would still SOLAR/EXPORT facility was successfully track (see ‘In Brief’, elsewhere in this include the technological items). completed in September. issue, for the latest news). The crew has passed all tests and examinations and Ground-segment development and Phase-C/D of the European Technology is ready to fly the mission, which is operations preparation Exposure Facility (EuTEF) was kicked-off scheduled to take place from 21 to In response to the Request for Quotation in August and the PDR for the European 30 October. (RFQ) for the Columbus Control Centre, Drawer Rack (EDR) is planned for DLR (D) has released the lower-level December. Early deliveries subsystem RFQs. After their evaluation, Data Management System for the an integrated offer for the Control Centre The Requirements Definition Phase for Russian Service Module (DMS-R) will be submitted. the User Support and Operation Centres The in-orbit operation of DMS-R is (USOCs) is nearing completion and an proceeding nominally. The RFQ for the ATV Control Centre is ESA-led review is planned for end-2001. being prepared for release in the last (ERA) quarter of this year and the offer for the Astronaut activities The ERA flight model is undergoing ATV Control Centre Operations ‘Principles regarding Processes and functional qualification testing at the Preparation Definition Phase has been Criteria for Selection, Assignment, Training Prime Contractor. The work on the received from CNES (F). The RFQ for the and Certification of ISS Crew Members’, Mission Preparation and Training equivalent contract with DLR (D) was covering increment and visiting crews Equipment is experiencing further delays, released in July and the offer is expected including non-professional visitors, have which will have an impact on the ERA in October. been presented by the Multilateral Crew system-level schedule. A credible ERA Operations Panel to the Multilateral launch date is not expected before next Utilisation Control Board. Spring.

Preparation Meeting on 13 September, the European Utilisation Board (EUB) focussed on the issue of access policy for the Space Station. There remained some open points, mainly related to revenue policy and utilisation rights.

Later in the month, the Space Station User Panel (SSUP) advised on how an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for technology payloads on the ISS could be formulated, emphasising innovation and technology topical teams.

On 27/28 September, the International Microgravity Strategic Planning Group met and the Agencies involved in the recent

Preparations in progress for the Andromède mission (21 - 30 October), with ESA Astronaut Claudie Haigneré and the two Russian crew members

110 programmes & operations

Laboratory Support Equipment (LSE) The Advanced Protein Crystallisation The results of a study of the feasibility of The first flight unit of the –80°C Freezer Facility (APCF) was flown to the ISS’s accommodating the Biolab in the US (MELFI) is undergoing final verification, and Destiny module in August and has Destiny module, as a possible early flight shipment in October of the Microgravity operated well since then. opportunity in co-operation with NASA, Science Glovebox (MSG) to NASA is are positive and further assessment is being prepared. In discussions with representatives of the continuing. NASA Office of Biological and Physical The engineering unit of the Hexapod Research, an Agreement has been Mechanical qualification of the Standard pointing system is currently under test. reached on enhanced co-operation in Active Containers for the European the Life Sciences area. Physiology Module (EPM) has been ISS Exploitation Programme completed and early work on the A Multilateral Commercialisation Group Microgravity Facilities for Columbus Electromagnetic Levitation Furnace for has been set-up and is currently (MFC) the MSL has started. establishing the programme guidelines for Manufacturing and assembly of the commercial utilisation of the ISS. NASA engineering models of Biolab, the Fluid- has provided their draft Commercialisation Science Laboratory (FSL) and the Policy as an input to this activity. Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) are Ariane-5 Plus well advanced. Manufacturing of the flight The approach for a Public-Private models of these facilities has started and ESC-A Partnership between ESA and private or closeout of the Critical Design Review The modal-survey test campaign for the institutional investors has been agreed and (CDR) for MSL was successfully upper composite, including the ESC-A industry has offered the Agency their completed. stage’s full-scale mechanical model possible contributions in kind and/or cash, which are in excess of 30 MEuro. The Exploitation Contract RFQ has been Artist’s impression of Ariane-5 Plus released to industry. Due to changes in content established during the elaboration of the Exploitation Programme Proposal for the Ministerial Council, it was agreed that industry would provide, in October, a binding offer only for Period-1 of the exploitation phase. At the same time, a high-level commitment for the entire programme, in line with the approved Programme Proposal, will be provided and a formal binding offer will follow early in 2002.

Microgravity

EMIR programmes Preparations have continued for ESA’s participation in the STS-107 Spacehab mission, which has been delayed until June 2002.

Discussions with NASA have continued regarding the uncertain status of the future R-2 Spacehab mission, which would be a major flight opportunity for ESA payloads. At the same time, investigation of other flight opportunities has begun.

An Inquiry Board has reported on the parachute failure during the re-entry of the Maxus-4 sounding-rocket flight and preparations have continued for the -M1 mission.

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(known as the ‘Maquette Dynamique’, or The conclusions reached by the Review Finally, the P80 (Vega’s first stage) MD) was completed in July. The results Board recognised that very significant management scheme assigning project- were generally close to the predictions. efforts have been made by Industry and management responsibility to CNES in After refurbishment, the MD stage model the ESA Project Team during this initial Evry (F) has been agreed in detail, and it alone will be submitted to the vibration phase of the Vega launcher’s development. has already been adopted at working level test campaign. In parallel, integration The preliminary system definition, the pending its formalisation. The Request for began of the ‘Maquette Ergols’ full-scale development plan and design-to-cost and Quotation for the full P80 Development model dedicated to testing all of the organisation aspects were among the Contract was prepared according to the electrical and fluid systems, as well as main technical and programmatic issues ESA procurement procedure, and was the ground-handling procedures at CSG. that were reviewed. The Board assessed issued to Fiat Avio on 9 July, resulting in the design of the Vega launcher as being the industrial proposal being under Manufacture of the first flight hardware sound and largely based on proven evaluation during the month of October. items has started. Besides some small technology, and it concluded that it provides items, which are still in the final design a correct basis for the Request for From the P80 perspective, the Vega phase, the main attention is on the design Quotation for the Development Contract. System Preliminary Design Review has justification, considering the final load data been positive insofar as no major set. The re-use of existing equipment, in As far as the Vega ground segment is incompatibility has been identified this case developed for Ariane-4 and re- concerned, a Joint Working Group between the first-stage motor and the used on Ariane-5, is again proving to be composed of representatives from ESA, overall launcher system. less simple than expected, especially CNES, and ELV was tasked when trying to justify the design and with reassessing the choice of a launch The build-up of the management team identify the margins within the new site for Vega in Kourou, in the light of the both at ESRIN in Frascati (I) and at CNES environment. The cycle of qualification new schedule and on additional technical in Evry (for the P80) has progressed reviews will start during the last quarter and operational factors. The Group significantly, with the recruitment of ESA of 2001. completed its activity at the end of June. internal and external staff, with the Italian Both the ELA-1 and ELA-2 sites (the latter Space Agency (ASI) and CNES ESC-B, Vinci becoming available for Vega after the contributing three and one additional staff For ESC-B, the development activities conclusion of Ariane-4 launches) were member, respectively. are focusing on some fundamental considered, in combination with various architectural and system choices, such as options for the implementation of the the attitude-control system. In parallel, the Control Centre required for Vega. main launcher system inputs are being PROBA elaborated, and they are to be reviewed Although the ELA-3 solution had the during the system concept review later advantage of meeting the requirements of Following a three-week launch campaign this year. The development of the ESC-B the programme better in terms of synergy at Shar in India, PROBA was successfully Vinci engine has now completed a first and of facility sharing with Ariane-5, it was placed in orbit on 22 October by a PSLV important phase, which involved the felt that it would be difficult to optimise launcher provided by ISRO/Antrix. successful achievement of all of the major without putting a strain on investment subsystem Preliminary Design Reviews costs. The combined operations of Ariane- Contact with the spacecraft was (PDRs). This has allowed the development 5 and Vega would have made ELA-3 a established during logistics and the associated planning single-point failure within the European the first orbit. to be harmonised. Currently, more space transportation system. The ELA-2 Following component tests are being realised (i.e. solution was felt to be too expensive in verification of the powder metallurgy impeller, ceramic terms of initial investment, in association spacecraft’s health, bearings, casting process, etc.) in order to with the costs of dismantling Ariane-4 the commissioning prepare for the subsystem development infrastructure. A schedule conflict was also activities were tests, which represent the next major identified, which would lead to a shift of started from a milestone. 18 months in the timing of Vega’s first dedicated ground flight. The Working Group therefore segment located at concluded that, for the integration and ESA’s Redu station launch of Vega, the ELA-1 solution is the in Belgium. Vega cheapest option and the only one that fits Commissioning within the programme budget allocations should be The major milestone foreseen for 2002 for this segment. completed by the is the placing of the Vega Development end of the year. Contract with the company ELV, a joint As far as the launch Control Centre is r venture between the Italian Space Agency concerned, the group concluded that and Fiat Avio. Before committing to the the use for Vega of a dedicated centre full development activities, an intense accommodated within the existing CDL-3 launcher System Preliminary Design would allow substantial investment Launch of PROBA Review was conducted in June and July savings without incurring additional on 22 October 2001. exploitation costs.

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