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Next ESA Science Ulysses Encounters Programme Director Blustery Weather at the Appointed Sun’s South Pole

At its 147th meeting, at ESA Just as solar storms are brewing, the Headquarters in Paris on 19 and 20 European-built space probe Ulysses is October, the Council unanimously elected venturing over the Sun’s south pole for the Prof. David Southwood (UK) as the second time in its 10-year life. The intrepid Agency’s new Director of Science from spacecraft passed 70°S on 8 September, 1 May 2001 for the subsequent four shortly before the Sun’s 11-year activity years. Prof. Southwood will take over from cycle is due to peak. Solar storms are Prof. Roger Bonnet (F), who has been already numerous and the high-latitude ESA’s Director of Scientific Programmes solar wind (the stream of charged particles since 1984. blowing away from the Sun) is chaotic and In Brief blustery. Prof. Southwood (aged 55) holds a BA in Mathematics and a PhD in Physics from Conditions are now very different from Imperial College, London. He has spent those that Ulysses encountered during its most of his professional career at Imperial first south polar pass in 1994 when solar College, apart from two periods at UCLA activity, which is related to the magnetic (University of California, Los Angeles), first behaviour of the Sun, was very low. Then, as a post-doctoral Fellow and later as a the solar wind at high latitudes was fast, Visiting Professor. He joined ESA for the but steady. This latest polar pass gives first time in 1997 as Earth Observation scientists the opportunity to learn just how Future Programme different the polar regions of the Sun are Strategy Manager, after at solar maximum compared with solar which, since April 2000, minimum. he has been Regent’s Professor at the University After spending four months above 70°S, of California. Ulysses will swing towards the equator early next year to turn its attention to Prof. Southwood has the northern hemisphere, beginning its received numerous passage over the north pole on awards and honours and 3 September 2001. Although it will be has held many travelling the same path that it followed six Chairmanships during his years ago, conditions will be quite different career, including those of and new discoveries are eagerly awaited. the ESA Science Programme Committee Since its launch in October 1990, Ulysses (SPC) and the ESA Space has already proved to be one of the most Science Advisory successful interplanetary missions ever. A Prof. David Southwood Committee (SSAC). He joint ESA/NASA undertaking, it is the first has also been active both in Europe and spacecraft ever to be launched into an in the United States over the years in orbit outside the ecliptic, the plane in Public Outreach on Space Science. He which the planets orbit the Sun. From this has some 200 publications and 100 unique vantage point, it has changed our invited papers to his name. view of the heliosphere, the region of space filled by the solar wind and over “David Southwood is certainly one of the which our Sun exerts its influence. most prominent space-science experts Europe has the privilege to have”, said At solar minimum, instruments on board ESA’s Director General Antonio Rodotà in Ulysses found that the fast solar wind, welcoming Prof. Southwood to his Board emanating from the Sun’s poles, blows at of Directors, ……”and I am sure that, like a steady 750 km/s and fills a large fraction his predecessor Prof. Bonnet, he will do a of the heliosphere. The state-of-the-art really good job for the excellent scientific instruments were also able to show that community that we have in all our Member the boundary between the fast wind and States”. r the slower, more variable wind from the equatorial regions, is surprisingly sharp. Another surprise was that the effects of collisions occurring at low latitudes

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between fast and slow wind streams continue to be felt all the way up to the poles.

Ulysses’ discoveries, however, have not been confined to the Sun and heliosphere. Instruments on board the spacecraft have also made the first ever measurements of dust particles and neutral helium atoms originating outside the Solar System. These findings have contributed to a major increase in our knowledge about the gas and dust clouds surrounding the heliosphere. Other measurements have led to a better understanding of processes occurring even further away, in distant supernova explosions.

During the relative simplicity of solar- minimum conditions, Ulysses made many surprising discoveries – during the relative A Brochure (ESA BR-168) issued to Orbital schematic of Ulysses’ south polar pass chaos and unpredictability of solar celebrate Ulysses’ first ten years in orbit, maximum, many more are expected. and which contains further details on the Exciting times therefore lie ahead in our mission’s exciting discoveries to date, is quest to understand the Sun and its available from ESA Publications Division. heliosphere. r

Artemis, Europe’s Latest Communications Satellite, on Display at ESTEC

ESA’s advanced communications satellite, Artemis, is currently undergoing a final series of functional checkout tests at ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL).

Artemis is not the conventional type of communications satellite. In particular, it differs in one very important aspect: none Artist’s impression of Artemis of its payloads connects a fixed point on the Earth with other fixed points on the Earth. Instead: observation satellites such as the accuracy and 24-hour availability. – Artemis will connect users on the French Spot-4. Data communication Artemis will add corrections and health ground with satellites in orbit via its between satellites using an optical link checks to the existing GPS signals, radio-frequency data-relay payload. This (laser pulses) is a novelty in space and thus supporting the first phase of dramatically increases communication offers great advantages over Galileo, Europe’s new navigation time with spacecraft in low Earth orbit conventional radio-frequency systems. programme. (LEO). For instance, a scientist anywhere – With Artemis, a mobile user will be able in Europe will be able, via Artemis, to to link up from anywhere in Europe, In addition to these many novel monitor the status of an experiment on North Africa or the Middle East to any communication services, Artemis will the International Space Station in real fixed user in the same area at very provide European industry with time and actively intervene. This payload competitive prices. Large ocean areas opportunities to gain in-orbit experience will also enable ESA’s next Earth- are included in Artemis’ coverage zone, with advanced technologies. The most observation satellite Envisat, slated for allowing voice or data connections to prominent of these is the ion propulsion launch in June 2001, to transmit its data land from the Mediterranean, the North system, the very high power-to-mass ratio to the ground in real time. Sea or the eastern part of the Atlantic of which helps to reduce launch costs and – Via its optical data-relay payload, SILEX, Ocean. increase satellite lifetime. r Artemis can receive and re-transmit in – The navigation payload will enable users real time images taken by Earth- to determine their position with higher

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Caring for Planet Earth: measurements were presented at an for Earth-observation activities and future Europe’s Latest Space international gathering organised by ESA mission plans. and Chalmers University – ‘The Capabilities Presented in ERS/Envisat Symposium -Looking Down The data gathered by the ERS missions Gothenburg to Earth in the New Millennium’ – in continue to make important contributions Gothenburg, Sweden, from 16 to 20 to environmental monitoring and our The ozone layer, protecting our planet October. It included more than 400 understanding of the physical and from potentially harmful ultraviolet sunlight, presentations (talks and posters) by World chemical processes underlying Earth’s is threatened by human activities, in experts – scientists, remote-sensing systems, on both the global and the local particular the steady release of experts and industry representatives – scale. By integrating ERS data with local chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the in more than 40 sessions covering the information from other sources, national Earth’s atmosphere. In 1987 the leading scientific results and applications of ESA’s authorities and operators have a powerful industrial countries signed the Montreal ERS missions. tool for environmental monitoring, and Protocol in which they agreed to phase valuable information for planning and out the products responsible for ozone It also presented the Agency’s Envisat preventive actions. The transition from depletion. In April 1995, with the start of mission, to be launched in June 2001, ERS to Envisat is being managed in such operation of the GOME instrument, an which is designed to build on the ERS a way as to ensure continuity in the provision optical sensor on board its ERS-2 satellite, groundwork and to make a major of this key environmental information; ESA opened a new chapter in ozone contribution to global environmental once it is completed, a stream of new monitoring. GOME’s higher spectral monitoring. ESA has already received data will become available for resolution and broader wavelength some 700 project proposals from the oceanographic and atmospheric studies, coverage enable it to measure the levels World’s scientists designed to exploit this with particular emphasis on marine biology of ozone, and several other trace gases unique and valuable data source. In and atmospheric gases and aerosols also, much better than previous Gothenburg, ESA also presented its instruments. A 50% ozone loss in the in-orbit commissioning plan for the The Gothenburg event was attended by lower stratosphere was observed over the calibration of Envisat’s instruments and the some 550 participants, representing the Arctic for short periods this spring, and a validation of the derived data products. scientific community, operational and record increase in the size of the ozone Over 100 scientific groups are supporting commercial users, and service providers, hole over the Antarctic has been detected ESA in the preparation and execution of who relished this unique opportunity to in recent months. this commissioning phase. ESA’s new appraise the state of the art in ERS commercial distribution policy for Earth- applications and explore the imminent The latest scientific results and possible observation data was also presented, potential of Envisat. r future applications based on GOME along with the Agency’s overall strategy

Changes in the ozone hole over the Antarctic during the last 6 years, measured by GOME

GOME measurements of chlorine activation over the Arctic

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Luxembourg Strengthens Towards a European general overview by the Chairman of Its Ties with ESA Strategy for Space Eurospace’s R&D Group prepared the way for a lively discussion on industry’s – The Joint On 12 September, Mrs Erna Hennicot- Technology perception of and interest in space ESA/CDTI/Eurospace/EC Workshop on Schoepges, Minister for Culture, Higher technology research, development, European Strategy for Space Technology Education and Research of the Grand procurement, alliances and related issues. Duchy of Luxembourg, and Mr Antonio The ESA Technology Programmes Rodotà, ESA’s Director General, signed an Department, in cooperation with the The Workshop concluded with a Panel Agreement that will enable Luxembourg European Commission, Spain’s Centro Discussion chaired by H. Kappler and to participate in ESA’s ARTES para el Desarrollo Tecnológico e Industrial H. Allgeier. The participants made a telecommunications programme. (CDTI) and Eurospace (representing the number of recommendations and interests of European space industry), proposals on technology-related issues, to A member of the European Union and the were the joint organisers of a ‘Workshop be included in the ESA policy document. Council of Europe, Luxembourg has on European Strategy for Space already acquired experience in space Technology’, which took place in Seville, Some 150 participants, including ESA matters through its involvement in Intelsat, Spain, on 21-23 May. Industrial Policy Committee (IPC) Eutelsat and EuroControl, and through its delegates, representatives of the European national activities linked to space. With this The opening session provided an Commission, operators, and industry, and Agreement, the European dimension of overview of the space-technology scene representatives from the ESA Directorate the Grand Duchy’s space activities has in Europe and the strategy for European of Industrial Matters and Technology been further reinforced. Space Technology, as an integral Programmes and other ESA Directorates, component of the European strategy for took part in the various sessions. The Advanced Research in Telecommuni- space. Among the speakers, A. Rodotà, cations Systems programme ARTES ESA’s Director General, presented the The participants agreed that Europe consists of several elements covering development process for and current has to unify and coordinate its space- particular areas of telecommunications, status of the European space strategy, technology activities through a coherent such as on-board processing, multimedia/ and H. Allgeier, Director General of the European policy, and endorsed a position global information infrastructures, advanced European Commission’s Joint Research paper on a European strategy for space mobile systems, tele-education, tele- Centre (ISPRA), elaborated on the technology, the principal objectives of medicine, tele-conferencing, and data interests and role of the European Union which should be: exchange. Its overall aim is to improve the in space. – implementation of a technology competitiveness of European industry on specialisation policy, supported by world markets for communications The four main sessions of the Workshop networks of centres of excellence and missions, and to promote new services for focussed on: targetting innovative products advanced communications systems. – The Role of Technology – increased synergy with and application ARTES also provides support to other – Establishing the Strategy of highly innovative non-space applications programmes, such as – A European Space Technology Master technologies from other areas, such as navigation and Earth observation. Plan the defence sectors and information – European Plans and Activities in Space technology After the signing ceremony, Mrs Hennicot- Technology. – greater involvement of industry in the Schoepges and Mr Rodotà held a Press R&D decision-making process for public Conference for the assembled journalists. There was also a Round Table to solicit technology programmes, and increased r and discuss the views of industry. A R&D emphasis on new markets and new users by co-funding activities with industry where commercial potential exists – closer collaboration between industry, academia and research centres in the area of pilot development work, in partnership with space agencies, commercial companies and financial institutions – preservation and reinforcement of skills, experience and know-how at individual- company level, and – re-appraisal of the technology objectives of industry in the wake of the major

The Panel Discussion on the Role of Technology in progress in Seville (E)

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industrial restructuring taking place throughout Europe.

Led by ESA, the current approach to the European Strategy for Space Technology designed to achieve the above objectives is based on: – Identification of technology needs and priorities for European programmes, strategic areas for European independent capabilities and leadership, and the competitiveness of European industry in the short and long term (Dossier 0). – Acquisition of a complete overview of all relevant technology-development activities in Europe and the relevant skills, specifically at European and national level, and including industry and academia (Mapping, ESA Technology Master Plan and National From left to right: H. Kappler, ESA’s Director of Industrial Matters and Technology Programmes; Technology Master Plans). H. Allgeier, Director General EC Joint Research Centre; and and J.M. Leceta, CDTI, discussing – Definition of implementation guidelines Technology Strategy and joint funding for the necessary technology R&D activities, harmonised through a coherent and co-ordinated ESA’s Virtual Campus Through the Virtual Campus, users can European Space Technology Master for the International build contacts with the engineers in Plan (ESTMP), which will include Space Station European industry and space agencies selected concerted development who are working on the development programmes. and operation of the European research ESA inaugurated its Virtual Campus for facilities. They will also be able to Technology harmonisation is a basic the International Space Station on establish links with the programme prerequisite for the preparation of the 8 September at ESTEC, in the presence managers and scientists at ESA and ESTMP. The principal purpose of this of leading European scientists and at the national space and research harmonisation process is the specialisation industrialists, ESA’s Director General, organisations in Europe who are of skills and the strengthening of industrial Antonio Rodotà, and the Director of involved in the strategic planning and cooperation. Pilot cases for harmonisation Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, the attribution of resources and access are being discussed for selected Jörg Feustel-Büechl. rights for Station utilisation. technologies (such as synthetic aperture radar, solar arrays and electric propulsion). The Virtual Campus will be the main The Virtual Campus will bring the Items for discussion include the European source for validated ISS closer to the European space identification of possibilities for sharing information on the International Space community at large and to political skills, expertise, capacities and resources Station (ISS) and its utilisation. It will be decision-makers, the media and the by networking between specialised centres, a forum where present and future users general public in Europe. Video and and opportunities for sharing objectives of the Station can share their knowledge audio live transmissions from the and risks with potential partners. An and find new partners. The ‘campus’ is Station, the launch and landing sites, assessment is being conducted for each managed and operated by the ISS User and the astronaut training centres will technology included in the ESTMP. This is Information Centre, located at ESTEC. It be broadcast via direct satellite TV and directed in particular at such issues as is open to the whole European space Internet streaming video. Interactive maturity, target readiness, competitive community. information sessions will involve the impact and competitive position. audience via telephone and Internet. As a resource centre, the Virtual The information programme will be As a conclusion to the Workshop, the Campus will provide ISS information complemented by Internet chat participants expressed their strong and advice. It will explain the various sessions and by interactive virtual-reality support for the European strategy on experiment facilities of the Station’s tours of the Station via satellite television technology R&D as implemented by ESA. pressurised laboratories available to and Internet. They expect this strategy to produce a European scientific researchers, significant improvement in the efficiency development engineers and service The Virtual Campus will broaden the and effectiveness of European space- providers. It will not only focus on the audience for the research conducted technology R&D. technical aspects of Station utilisation, aboard the Station, with other r but also help interested users to find spacecraft and in ground facilities. scientific, operational, financial and It will organise regular lectures on political support for their experiments. scientific, technological and application-

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Inauguration of the Virtual Campus at ESTEC in September

oriented aspects of Station utilisation, Using the campus, ESA will publish the Ariane Launches presented by scientists who have announcements for space research proposed experiments for the Station. opportunities and for ground research The 131st Ariane launch (V131) took place They will also be transmitted live via opportunities that could be used for successfully on Thursday 17 August 2000 direct satellite TV and as streaming preparing future Station experiments. at 8:16 p.m. Kourou time (11:16 p.m. video on the Internet. Initially, these Users can receive additional information GMT). An Ariane-44LP equipped with two lectures will be held in the auditorium and advice to help them in responding liquid-propellant strap-on boosters lifted of the User Information Centre at and in developing their experiments. off from the Guiana Space Centre to put Noordwijk, which is equipped for TV two telecommunications satellites, recordings, satellite transmission and The campus will play an important role Brasilsat-B4 and Nilesat-102, into Internet communications. Over the in building up joint research teams by geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). coming months, the User Information giving users access to the information Centre will acquire the equipment and available at ESA on planned and The 132nd launch (V.132) took place expertise for transmitting lectures as intended research and applications successfully on Wednesday 6 September streaming Internet video directly from themes of other users. Within the 2000 at 7:33 p.m. Kourou time (10:33 the various research institutes and Microgravity Applications Programme, p.m. GMT), when an Ariane-44P, with four industrial laboratories involved in ESA has already introduced the idea of solid strap-on boosters, put the Eutelsat Station utilisation. ‘Topical Teams’ in which fundamental telecommunications satellite W1 into orbit. researchers from academia are teaming Particular efforts will also be made to up with more application-oriented The Ariane-506 launch (V.130) took place distribute the knowledge already gained researchers from industrial laboratories successfully on Thursday 14 September at by scientific experimentation and to work on topics of common interest 7:54 p.m. Kourou time. This time an technology demonstration in other which often have a commercial Ariane-5 lifting-off from the European projects such as Spacelab, Spacehab, perspective. A significant number of Spaceport in Kourou placed the two Foton, sounding-rocket flights, parabolic Topical Teams have already been telecommunications satellites Astra-2B, for aircraft campaigns, drop towers and created and more are expected. the Société Européenne des Satellites ground laboratories. ESA’s Microgravity (SES), and GE-7, for American operator Data Base (accessible at The Internet site of the Virtual Campus GE Americom, into geostationary transfer http://www.esa.int/cgi-bin/mgdb) is the is at: http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/ orbit. r starting point. It will be made more user- virtualcampus r friendly for the general public and will evolve into a general database on scientific results from Station research.

The Virtual Campus will offer its infrastructure for establishing Virtual Institutes in scientific disciplines that can benefit from the Station research facilities. The Virtual Institute for Health Care is the first planned; others might follow.

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Hubble’s New Solar Arrays being Tested at ESTEC

In mid-October, at ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL), a team drawn from ESA and NASA began a unique and difficult test on one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s new solar- array panels. Two of these panels will be installed by astronauts in November 2001, when the Space Shuttle Columbia visits Hubble on a routine servicing mission. The test will check the mechanical integrity of the new arrays before they are installed in orbit.

Hubble orbits the Earth once every 90 min, during which the telescope experiences 45 min of searing sunlight and 45 min of freezing darkness. The tests at ESTEC will detect any tiny vibrations, or ‘jitter’, caused by these dramatic and cyclic changes in temperature. Even a small amount of such jitter can affect Hubble’s sensitive instruments and interfere greatly with observations.

Hubble’s first set of solar arrays did experience mild jitter of this sort and were Hubble Space Telescope’s solar array under even more efficient arrays. Despite being test in the Large Space Simulator (LSS), at replaced in 1993 with a much more stable smaller, therefore, this new set of arrays ESTEC, Noorwijk (NL) pair. Since then, advances in solar-cell generates more power than the previous technology have led to the development of pairs. Unlike the earlier sets, which roll up like window blinds, the new arrays are rigid, using an advanced structural system to support the solar panels.

Because of the size of the new arrays and the requirement to conduct the testing on a seismic foundation to ensure a ‘quiet environment’, the Large Space Simulator (LSS) at ESTEC is the only facility in the World that can perform the tests. ESTEC has long-standing experience with Hubble’s solar arrays, in that ESA provided Hubble’s first two sets, and has built and tested the motors and electronics for the new set. This latest test is therefore another chapter in an enduring partnership between ESA and NASA on the Hubble Space Telescope.

The LSS facility features a huge vacuum chamber containing a bank of extremely bright lights that simulate the Sun’s intensity – including sunrise and sunset. By exposing the solar-array wings to the light and temperature extremes of Hubble’s orbit, the ESA and NASA engineers can verify how the new set of arrays will perform in space. r

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ESA Receives Russian From left to right: Jörg Feustel-Büechl, Yuri Koptev and Karin Barbance ‘Blue Planet Award’

In recognition of the excellent and long- standing cooperation between the Russian space agency, Rosaviakosmos, and ESA, Arrival of First ISS on 17 October in Moscow Mr Yuri Koptev, Expedition Crew Director General of Rosaviakosmos, handed over the ‘Blue Planet Award’ to The permanent occupation of the Mr Jörg Feustel-Büechl, ESA’s Director of International Space Station (ISS) began Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, and on 2 November with the arrival of the Mrs Karin Barbance of ESA’s International first 3-man crew. The docking followed Relations Department. r the flawless launch of the Soyuz spacecraft at 07:53 UT on 31 October from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. One Telephone Call communication satellites will also be Mobilises Space available to relay data directly to the The Expedition 1 crew of Station country concerned. commander Bill Shepherd (US), Soyuz Facilities for Natural- commander Yuri Gidzenko (Russia) and Disaster Management When called upon for help in a crisis, the flight engineer Sergei Krikalev (Russia) three agencies will designate a single will work aboard the Station until their From 1 November, countries that have project manager to liaise with the country Expedition 2 replacements take over suffered a natural or technological disaster that is affected. Assistance will not be next February. will be able to get emergency assistance confined to supplying the satellite data, from the space facilities of ESA, CNES but will also include its processing and This first crew’s arrival is not only an and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) by professional interpretation. historic moment for mankind, but also simply calling a single telephone number for Europe because their mission available now to authorised users. As The decision to set up this 24-hour hotline success involves elements provided by soon as a natural disaster occurs, they will was taken on 25 October, at the second ESA. For example, they will install the be able to call an operator at ESRIN meeting of the Board of the International Control Post Computers of the ESA- (ESA’s establishment in Frascati, Italy), Charter on Space and Major and Disasters. provided Data Management System, who will immediately contact the duty The Charter was signed on 20 June this which is the ‘brain’ of Russia’s Zvezda engineer at ESA, CNES or CSA. That year by ESA and CNES, with CSA service module and of the entire early engineer will then deploy the appropriate subscribing on 20 October. It is a far- ISS. space facilities belonging to the three reaching initiative to promote cooperation agencies to assist the country in which the by space-system operators in mitigating The astronauts will also unload a disaster has struck: earth-observation the effects of natural or technological Progress supply vehicle, planned for data from ERS (and soon Envisat), Spot disasters. Under the Charter, which is launch on 1 February 2001, carrying the and Radarsat, facilities for telemedicine open for signature to satellite operators electronic unit for the European Global and navigation (e.g. to track buoys anywhere in the World, all partners Time System (GTS) experiment and marking an oil slick), ground infrastructures undertake to cooperate on a voluntary mount it inside Zvezda. GTS will allow and archived satellite imagery. The basis, with no mutual exchange of funds. the synchronisation of radio-controlled forthcoming Artemis and Stentor r clocks and watches from space and, in the longer term, the disabling of stolen cars and credit cards.

During their 4-month tenure, the crew will host three visiting Shuttle crews delivering the first large solar arrays, the Destiny US Laboratory, Destiny’s first science racks and the first Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (Leonardo).

Umberto Guidoni will be the first ESA astronaut aboard the ISS as part of the Shuttle STS-102 mission in April 2001. r

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