programmes & operations

ISO cosmos, detections of young stars in Amplifier - have been successfully the Orion region of the sky and completed. The changes to the ISO’s supply of liquid helium ran out on measurements of infrared galaxies at experiment-carrying rigid booms needed 8 April, thus bringing to an end the highly immense distances (see ‘In Brief’ article in to fit inside the Soyuz launch vehicle’s successful routine operations phase of the this issue of the Bulletin). fairing have been agreed. world’s first true orbiting infrared observatory. This phase lasted nearly one The analysis and interpretation of the ISO The contract with Starsem, which is year longer than specified. Activities now results is only just beginning. All ISO data assessing all mission-analysis aspects of turn to a 1-month period of calibrations will be re-processed with the latest the Soyuz launch, will be completed by and technology tests prior to de- software over the summer and an archive mid-1998, before the main Launch commissioning of the satellite in mid-May. will be opened to the astronomical Services Agreement is signed. During the following 3.5 years, community in the autumn. Thereafter, astronomers all over the globe will there will be an international effort, co- collaborate to re-analyse and re-calibrate ordinated by the ESA ISO Data Centre at all of ISO’s 26000 individual observations Villafranca in Spain, to maximise the Huygens to extract the maximum scientific return exploitation of the ISO data and to from this unique mission and to leave prepare the best possible final archive to The Cassini/Huygens spacecraft is on its behind a legacy archive to serve the leave as a legacy from ISO to future way to Venus with its High-Gain-Antenna community for the next decades. astronomers. Many more discoveries still (HGA) pointing at the Sun, and everything await us! is nominal on-board. The first Venus flyby At 07:00 (Spanish time) on 8 April 1998, will occur on 26 April. The spacecraft is the spacecraft control team at ESA’s flown in a HGA-to-Sun attitude in order to ground station at Villafranca near Madrid keep the spacecraft, and the Huygens reported that ISO’s telescope was Cluster-II Probe in particular, in shadow. beginning to warm up, above its nominal operating temperature close to absolute The manufacture of all spacecraft and The spacecraft was continuously zero. This was the first sign that ISO had payload equipment is progressing monitored through NASA’s Deep-Space exhausted the superfluid helium used to according to plan, consistent with the Network (DSN) during the post-launch achieve the very low temperatures start of integration of the first new Cluster- one-month commissioning phase. Since necessary for infrared astronomy. At II spacecraft in the third quarter of 1998. 23.07, temperatures in the instruments Ninety percent of all parts for all had risen above 4.2K and the instruction spacecraft have been delivered to the Huygens Probe temperature since launch to switch off was given. At the time, ISO subcontractors. The Preliminary Design was making polarisation observations of Reviews (PDRs) for the new equipment - Courbes température de la sonde Huygens the galaxy NGC1808 with the camera Solid-State Recorder and High-Power depuis son lancement (ISOCAM) for Prof. J. Hough (UK).

Some of the main activities during the technology test programme will be testing the operation of the star trackers at low altitudes, i.e. in the radiation belts, use of the on-board redundant units that were not needed during the routine operations, and evaluation of the software intended to overcome multiple gyro failures. During gaps in this programme, the shortest- wavelength detectors in the Short Wavelength Spectrometer will be used to measure the 2.38 - 4.08 micron spectrum of many stars to extend their spectral classification to the infrared. After completion of these tests, the perigee will be lowered as much as possible and the satellite switched off. Re-entry is foreseen for around the year 2020.

Just prior to exhaustion of the liquid helium, some of ISO’s latest results were announced to the Press at a briefing in London. Among these discoveries were the finding of water vapour on Saturn’s moon Titan, complementing ISO’s many detections of water throughout the programmes & operations

then, the engineering data have been readiness of the project to proceed with within the spacecraft’s integration schedule stored on the Orbiter’s Solid-State flight-satellite integration was confirmed. without impacting on its delivery date. Recorder (SSR) and dumped once or twice per week when a suitable DSN pass In line with the model philosophy for Ground-segment development work has is available. Key Probe temperatures are XMM, the last elements of the spacecraft progressed nominally with the detailed measured continuously by the Orbiter and qualification will be part of the proto-flight design phase. Delivery of the first version the data transmitted to Earth during the model test programme. Flight equipment of the control software was foreseen for DSN passes. From the thermal point of is being delivered on time and integration March. view, the Probe’s behaviour is well within of the flight satellite has started with the specification. The thermal model of the mounting of the reaction control system, Probe is being updated for operational harness and thermal hardware on the Integral purposes, taking into account the in-flight service module at BPD (I) as foreseen. At measurements at the Orbiter/Probe the same time, tests are being conducted With all of the mission participants, the interface. at Matra Marconi Space (UK) on the project team is actively coordinating the attitude and orbit control subsystem prior delivery of units and subsystems to The Probe engineering model has been to its final integration into the spacecraft assemble, integrate and test the first full- retrofitted by Industry and was delivered later this year. scale model of the satellite, the structural to ESOC in Darmstadt (D) in February. Its and thermal model (STM). The lower part command and data-management Tests at Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL) of the satellite, the service module (SVM), systems (CDMS) are replicas (both have continued, involving the third flight will be reused from the XMM project. hardware and software, including the mirror module together with the second Good progress on XMM indicates that the interfaces with the experiments) of the flight model of the reflection grating SVM will be available on time for minor flight-model configurations. It will therefore assembly, as well as the associated X-ray refurbishment and insertion into the serve as a testbed during the mission’s baffle. The assembly was later transported satellite assembly flow. The upper part of 7-year cruise phase for validating any to Munich, where calibration tests will be the satellite, made up of the payload modifications to the in-orbit check-out conducted at the Max-Planck X-ray facility module (PLM) structure and payload sequences that may be required, and to (PANTER). instruments, is also progressing well. validate the eventual on-board software The strong but lightweight structure is modifications. The engineering-model In the meantime, final integration activities undergoing its final tests before delivery Probe has been set up next to the have been taking place at Media Lario (I) to the Prime Contractor, Alenia (I). The Huygens Dedicated Control Room in on the spare mirror module, in preparation payload teams are finalising their ESOC. for the acceptance tests at CSL. instrument models. Some delays are expected, but should be absorbed The second in-orbit check-out will be The instrument consortia are adhering to through simplifications of the unit or by executed on 27 March in the blind, as the the new flight-model schedule for the re-arranging the integration flow and test HGA cannot be used for high-data-rate scientific instruments, which had to be re- logic. communication with the Earth. The check- arranged at the end of 1997. The model out data will be recorded on the Orbiter’s philosophy for the Optical Monitor Most of the equipment required to SSRs and played back to Earth over nine experiment has been streamlined to ensure manipulate and transport the satellite DSN passes at a low 948 bit/s. All data compatibility with the launch date. These on the ground has been delivered. will be available for analysis by the modifications are being accommodated Preparations are in progress to have Principal Investigators and Industry on 9 April.

XMM

The test campaign on the structural and thermal model of the satellite was successfully completed in early March. In parallel, integrated system tests are being run at Dornier (D) on the engineering model. The results of all tests conducted so far were assessed during a qualification review in mid-March and the

XMM reflection grating assembly under test at CSL, Liège (B)

Le réseau de réflexion de XMM aux essais au CSL à Liège (B) programmes & operations facilities at Alenia in Turin (I) and at EOPP ESTEC in Noordwijk (NL) ready for the tests. Future strategy Following a comprehensive series of Overall, STM preparations are proceeding bilateral meetings with all Delegations, the on schedule and should allow the satellite future strategy, together with a proposal tests to be run as planned in the April to for the Earth Observation Envelope October period. Programme, has been submitted to the Earth-Observation Programme Board (PB- The ground-segment-element groups are EO) for discussion prior to submission of closing off the issues raised at the earlier the Enabling Resolution to the Council. Ground Segment System Review. The development effort is progressing Future programme according to plan. In response to the Call for Outline Earth- Watch Proposals sent to industry in Signed last November, the Arrangement November, twenty proposals have been with the Russian Space Agency for the received and accepted for evaluation. provision of a Proton launcher in These proposals demonstrate strong exchange for science data is slowly being support for the future strategy and the implemented, but further clarifications are Earth Observation Envelope Programme. still required before it can become fully operational. Proposals have also been received for the first four Phase-A studies of candidate Earth-Explorer Missions and these are Rosetta also under evaluation. Integral Spectrometer structural and thermal model (STM) developed by CNES Following a successful contract Campaigns negotiation, responsibility for spacecraft Modèle de structure/thermique du spectromètre Preparatory activities for the CLARE 98 Assembly Integration and Verification d’Intégral mis au point par le CNES (Cloud Lidar And Radar Experiment) (AIV) has been assigned to Alenia campaign are now underway. It has Aerospace (I), thereby completing the been designed to provide a better selection of the major subcontractors in understanding of three-dimensional cloud the Rosetta industrial consortium. structure in preparation for the possible Attention is now focused on the selection Definition of the ground segment is Earth Radiation Explorer mission. of the equipment suppliers. The first also proceeding on schedule, with the industrial offers received in response to refinement of the spacecraft-to-ground the earlier Invitation to Tender and interface definition and the spacecraft Request for Quotations are under operational aspects. The procurement Polar evaluation. The contract for the Parts of a new 34 m deep-space antenna, to Procurement Agency has also been be located in Perth, W. Australia, is Platform/Envisat placed, with Technologica (E). progressing according to plan. Envisat-1 system On the technical side, attention is being The first satellite validation test between given to critical issues in the thermal- the ESOC Flight Operations Control control and attitude and orbit control Artemis Centre and the Polar Platform/Envisat areas. Qualification of the Low Intensity service module located at Matra Marconi Low Temperature (LILT) solar cells has The Silex optical communications terminal Space (UK) was successfully conducted in made good progress, for both the silicon was launched onboard Spot-4 during the mid-February. and gallium-arsenide technologies. The night of 23/24 March 1998 and its early first test results on the cells’ efficiency are orbit operations have been completed The Announcement of Opportunity (AO) promising. without problem. In-orbit commissioning for scientific data exploitation and pilot will be carried out in the coming weeks, projects has been released, with a closing A significant effort, jointly undertaken with after which the terminal will be placed in a date of 31 May 1998. the Rosetta scientific community, has also dormant mode until the launch of Artemis been devoted to the definition of a sound next year. The Envisat Data Policy has recently been cometary dust and outgassing model, approved by the Earth Observation which is essential to ensure a robust Integration of the Artemis flight-model Programme Board, and the High-Level spacecraft design. This is not an easy satellite is now close to completion and its Operation Plan for Envisat-1 has been task as many properties of the comet shipment to ESTEC for environmental submitted to Delegations for approval. environment will only be known with testing is expected in May 1998. The certainty after the successful conclusion environmental test programme is planned Polar Platform (PPF) of the Rosetta mission itself. to last until February 1999. The Envisat satellite engineering model programmes & operations

Envisat’s GOMOS engineering model undergoing solar vacuum testing at Intespace in Toulouse (F)

Le modèle technologique de l’instrument GOMOS d’Envisat aux essais de simulation solaire en chambre à ride

integration and final testing with DORIS. The DORIS/MWR composite will be delivered in the coming weeks. The deliveries of the remaining instruments will be staggered through the year.

The modification needed to the MIPAS electronics for operation at low temperatures has been validated and is currently being implemented. Modifications have also been success- fully qualified on the ASAR antenna to eliminate RF interference from the RA-2 instrument.

Envisat-1 ground segment Data chains representative of the Payload Data Handling Station and the Low Rate Archiving Centre are being assembled within the Payload Data Segment (PDS) Reference Platform located at Datamat in Rome (I) for the PDS version acceptance scheduled for the end of 1998. The complete ASAR and MIPAS level-1b processors are already integrated within the Reference Platform.

Envisat spacecraft to PDS compatibility testing will take place in several stages, from March 1998 until early 1999, in parallel with the Envisat satellite AIT activities.

Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) The development of the Solid State programme has continued with the Recorder is progressing satisfactorily. The Meteosat completion of several functional tests of first part of the SSR Preliminary Design the integrated Payload Module and with Review has been held successfully and Meteosat operations integration of the ASAR engineering- the engineering model has already been All of the spacecraft of the first generation, model electronics assembly (CESA). integrated into the flight-model PEB. which is the design currently providing the Delivery of the last payload element, the The issue of shock compatibility with operational service, were supplied by engineering-model ASAR antenna panel, Ariane-5 remains a concern and several industry under contract to ESA. The is expected shortly. activities are in progress to establish the spacecraft are operated by Eumetsat from best course of action. its operational control centre in Darmstadt The flight-model Payload Module harness (D). The last spacecraft launched, in integration has been completed at Matra Envisat-1 payload September 1997, was Meteosat-7 (known Marconi Space (UK) after refurbishment of Significant progress has been made in before launch as MTP - Meteosat the payload carrier structure, and is now the development of the instruments: Transition Programme) and it is operating ready to be integrated with the flight- integration of the flight models is close to nominally. It is expected that the model Payload Equipment Bay (PEB). The completion at the various instrument operational service will be provided by acceptance-test preparation activities for prime facilities, and in a number of cases Meteosat-7 from Spring 1998 and, all the flight-model PEB are close to final testing is well advanced. being well, it should continue to function completion at DASA/DSS (D), and final in that role until the launch of the acceptance testing will be performed in The MWR was the first flight-model Meteosat Second Generation spacecraft the coming weeks. instrument to be delivered and it is now in early in the next decade. programmes & operations

Meteosat Second Generation them could be declared successful, ISS overall assembly sequence The Preliminary Design Review for SEVIRI allowing the sub-contractors to be fully A General Designers Review (GDR) was (Scanning Enhanced Visible and Infrared engaged in order to meet the tight project held in Moscow at the end of January to Imager) and its subassemblies has been schedule. The few remaining kick-offs review the status of the Russian Segment, closed out, with the instrument remaining, should take place before mid-April. in particular the Functional Cargo Block as expected, on a critical path for the first (FGB) and the Service Module. This review flight unit. showed the FGB to be on schedule for launch in June 1998, and the flight unit The structural and thermal model satellite ERS was subsequently transported to has arrived at ESTEC (NL) for thermal Baikonur. The Service Module was shown testing in the Large Space Simulator. Following the United Kingdom’s decision to be 2-3 months behind schedule, due to subscribe to the whole of Phase-E1, primarily to additional work on tubing and Critical Design Reviews (CDRs) at the level of subscriptions for the years harness replacement, and delays in the equipment and subsystem level continue, 1998 and 1999 has reached 89.79%. deliveries of sub-system hardware. The authorising more flight hardware satellite next GDR is planned for March, after manufacturing at this level. A CDR at The technical performance of ERS-2 which a decision will be taken on a subsystem level is planned for October remains excellent, combining the provision revised Assembly Sequence. 1998. of high-quality data with very good availability. The gain of the amplification Columbus Orbital Facility (COF) The development of the MSG-1 module of the Active Microwave The COF System Preliminary Design spacecraft and the procurement of Instrument will be increased to Review (PDR) and NASA Safety Review MSG-2 and -3 are on schedule, with compensate for the slow but continuous No. 1 have been successfully completed engineering and thermal/mechanical- Travelling Wave Tube degradation. The on schedule, following an in-depth review model production in progress at product quality is therefore expected to of the industrial documentation by ESA equipment and subsystem level. The remain the same until the end of the and the various NASA centres involved. launch of MSG-1 remains on schedule mission. The main purpose of the PDR was to for October 2000, with MSG-2 to be evaluate the system design to the point at launched in 2002 and MSG-3 to go into ERS-1 is in hibernation and the periodic which formal release for the manufacture storage in 2003. checkouts show that payload of the Electrical Test Model (ETM) could performance is being maintained. On be sanctioned. Equipment and subsystem 29 December 1997, however, the power CDRs have been initiated. output of the spacecraft’s solar array Metop suddenly fell by 38%, probably due to the The Bilateral Integration and Verification thermo-electrical degradation of an Plan, the Hardware/Software Exchange A major step forward was achieved with isolator provoking a short-circuit between Agreement and the Documentation a Potential Participants Meeting on 30 conductor strips. As a result, ERS-1 will Exchange Agreement have all now been January granting 90 MECU for the project, no longer be able to provide ‘full’ mission signed by NASA and ESA. following the Eumetsat decision at its back-up in that not all instruments can special Council Meeting in Darmstadt (D) now be operated at the same time. A final round of interface meetings has on 28 January to contribute 26 MECU. However, individual instruments like the resulted in a completed and frozen An Authorisation to Proceed with Metop Radar Altimeter, Global Wind or SAR definition of the COF to Common Berthing Phase-C/D activities could therefore be imaging are still operable and can serve Mechanism (CBM) and Hatch interfaces. issued with immediate effect, valid until as back-ups to ERS-2. A meeting with the Shuttle Programme 30 September, to bridge the period until team has advanced the definition of the the full approval of the EPS programme, COF-to-Shuttle interfaces. expected at a Eumetsat Council meeting in June. International Space COF launch barter Station Programme (i) Nodes 2 and 3 On the basis of these resolutions and Initial system-configuration and the previous approval of the Contract primary-structure design activities Proposal by the Agency, and the The highlight of the present reporting have been completed to enable the necessary level of subscription achieved period was without doubt the signature of release of primary structure jig so far, kick-off of the Metop project took the principal governing documents for the manufacturing and base metal place in February at the premises of the International Space Station, namely the ordering. The evaluation of the main contractor Matra Marconi Space, Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) and industrial proposals for the European in Toulouse (F). the corresponding Memoranda of items of the Nodes 2 and 3 Understanding (MOUs). The signing procurement has been completed, A series of pre-negotiated kick-off ceremony, on 29 January in Washington with the exception of the ECLSS meetings involving the majority of the sub- DC, marked the successful completion components, which await the final contractors then took place for the time- of a lengthy period of effort for many definition of items to be made critical Service and Payload Module people, both in the Delegations and the available from NASA. elements. By the end of March, most of Executive. programmes & operations

(ii) Software Deliveries/ DMS-R items/ Step-1 extension activities have been Following the successful completion of Associated Sustaining Engineering for further reoriented towards X-38 the definition study for the COF/ATV NASA cooperation, and the European team in Operations Control Functions and Engineering support personnel have Houston has been reinforced accordingly. Facilities, and of the study related to the continued to provide direct support to Implementation Definition of the NASA in Houston. The second set of The overall aerothermoynamics database associated Ground Communications hardware deliveries was made to work was essentially agreed by end- Infrastructure, the results were presented NASA in December 1997. January and that effort has now started. at ESTEC on 29 and 30 January. The detailed design of the complete aft (iii) Crew Refrigerator/Freezer Racks structure is on schedule and preparations The definition study for the COF/ATV The Phase-B and Phase-C/D for manufacturing essential elements of Operations Support Functions and procurement proposal for the the aft structure frames and panels are Facilities is experiencing delays. The Refrigerator Freezer Rack (RFR) was proceeding. Implementation Review is now planned for approved by ESA’s Industrial Policy end-March. Committee (IPC) in March 1998. The design work for the complete nose Phase-B will be based on the results of the vehicle is proceeding with The PLASMATRON facility was officially of Phase-A, which is presently being manufacturing capabilities identified which inaugurated on 8 December 1997 in the carried out by DASA/Dornier (D). support the V-201 schedule. presence of Minister Ylieff of Belgium.

(iv) Cryogenic Freezer Racks Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator Utilisation For the -180° C Cryo-Freezer, two (ARD) Utilisation promotion competitive Phase-A studies are Activities have proceeded as planned in The selection of Express Pallet Payloads ongoing and will be completed by order to meet the expected Ariane-503 to be flown within the framework of the mid-1998. A competitive Invitation mid-July launch date. Early Utilisation Agreement with NASA has to Tender (ITT) process for the next been finalised. It is intended to fly up to phases will be initiated shortly. Operations and Ground Segment six completely outfitted payload adapters A major effort to update the Space during a three-year period starting in MPLM Environmental Control and Station Implementation Plans involving all 2002. The following payloads were Life Support System (ECLSS) International Partners culminated in their selected for these opportunities: Equipment testing is underway and baselining at the Fourth Multilateral – TEF Equipment Qualification Reviews should Operations and Utilization Control Board – ACES be completed in April. Flight-unit (MO&UCB) meeting held at NASA/JSC – EXPORT (EXPOSE + SPORT) acceptance activities are continuing, with in December 1997.The MO&UCB also – SOLAR PACKAGE about 80% of the FM1 and FM spares approved the Operations Summary (OS) – FOCUS. deliveries now complete. for the first six planning periods Integration of the ARD at Aérospatiale corresponding to the Revision-C Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Assembly Sequence. Intégration de l’ARD à l’Aérospatiale Proposal revalidation activities have been running as planned. The Phase-C/D schedule has been reassessed and the reference launch date for the first flight is now end-March 2003. Industry gave a commitment in mid-March such that it is now expected that the ATV contract proposal will be submitted to the Agency’s Industrial Policy Committee (IPC) in June 1998, following evaluation of an updated industrial proposal.

Crew Transport Vehicle (CTV) Following the approval of the proposal for the extension of ESA/NASA cooperation in the X-38/CRV Programme by the ESA Manned Space Programme Board (PB- MS) in December, a Declaration for an additional slice of the European Participation in the ISS Development Programme was opened for subscription until end-February. By mid-February subscriptions had been made by three countries, up to a contribution level which permitted the start of the industrial work. programmes & operations

A barter agreement with NASA is under which is necessary to introduce the Effector, and Main Joint subsystems. negotiation whereby the cost of the results of the external payload selection. Efforts to relieve these slippages are launch for the majority of these payloads continuing, but the overall schedule is would be offset by ESA providing two In January, five International Standard considered critical and the delivery date Cupolas to NASA. Payload Racks (ISPRs) were delivered to of July 1999 for the ERA flight model is ESA by NASDA. They are being prepared threatened. The second Space Station Utilisation for delivery to the industries developing Symposium is planned to be held late in the - 80 degC Freezer and the Glovebox. Flight End Effector Basepoints and the 1998 at ESTEC (NL). It will include GEO model have been shipped to detailed presentations on the various The development of the Standard Payload RSC-Energia. Final acceptance of the Multi-User Facilities under development Outfitting Equipment SPLC, RPDA and Basepoints is held up, however, pending for Space Station and discussions on the AAA is progressing. Engineering models the resolution of some non-conformances. research ideas to be realised with these will be available in the second half of The Acceptance Review of the WET facilities. 1998. Qualification will be completed by (Weightless Environmental Test) model the end of 1998 and delivery of recurring was held in March, with the participation Utilisation preparation flight models for a large number of of representatives from the Gagarin Phase-1 of the External Payload payloads will start in early 1999. Cosmonaut Training Centre and RSC- Integration contract will be completed Energia. Shipment to Russia is planned by the end of April. An in-depth The industrial proposal for the for April. accommodation analysis of the six development of the European Drawer confirmed payload complements is Rack (EDR) was received in February and The Ground Segment and Operations presently being carried out. A is under evaluation. interfaces are partly defined, but the consolidation phase, lasting until the process of integrating ERA into the end of 1998, will be introduced prior to Astronaut Activities Science and Power Platform of the starting Phase-C/D in early 1999. A European Astronaut Policy Working Russian Segment still requires clarification Group was established in January. A from the Russian side. The generation of Interface Control series of meetings resulted in a report Documents for the first two MFC facilities which presents an analysis of the number (Biolab and Fluid-Science Lab) is in of future flight opportunities and, progress. In order to maintain the accordingly, the necessary size of the Microgravity payload-integration schedule for the COF, future European Astronaut Corps. The further documentation efforts and in ESA Council decided in March to EMIR-1 and EMIR-2 particular the analytical integration must integrate national astronauts into a single Under the EMIR-1 and EMIR-2 be started by mid-1998. The Statement of European Corps in order to optimise the programmes, two sounding rockets were Work for the COF payload-integration use of existing resources (see ‘In Brief’). launched from ESRANGE in Sweden. The contract is in preparation and a Maser Technology flight with the new procurement proposal will be submitted to Early Deliveries Maser service module was launched on ESA’s Industrial Policy Committee (IPC) in Data Management System for the 26 January. However, neither in-flight May. Russian Service Module (DMS-R) telemetry nor video signals were received Following delivery of the Fault Tolerant and it proved impossible to locate and The Invitation to Tender (ITT) for two ISS Computers (FTCs) at the end of October, recover the payload. The Mini-Texus 5 accommodation studies of complex some minor problems were encountered was flown on 11 February, and all facilities (ALADIN and XEUS) have been and these units were returned in experiment results were successfully issued. ALADIN - the Wind Lidar Facility - December for reworking. The units were received by telemetry. is being carried out jointly with ESA’s returned to RSC-Energia in the third week Directorate for Telecommunications, and of January, with no impact on the Service MFC XEUS - a large X-Ray Facility assembled Module Schedule. The Biolab Phase-C/D contract was at the ISS - is being studied in awarded in December and contracts with cooperation with the Directorate for The Control Post Computers (CPC), most of the subcontractors were signed in Scientific Programmes. Industrial which were originally planned to be February. The Preliminary Design Review proposals for these two activities will be delivered to Russia in December, (PDR) is scheduled for October 1998. submitted in mid-March 1998. experienced some failures during final Technical Interchange Meetings with acceptance testing and revised delivery NASA to discuss the fire-detection and Utilisation hardware development dates were agreed with RSC-Energia. The contamination issues are planned in The Critical Design Reviews for the revised hardware and software delivery March. The first meeting of the Science Glovebox and -80° C Freezer facilities are schedule does not affect the Service Team, to discuss the Experiment in progress and should be completed in Module integration and test planning. Processing Unit (EPU) test results and May. The main development phase schedule experiment preparation, is (Phase-C/D) for the Hexapod has started. European Robotic Arm (ERA) planned for April. Phase-C/D for the Coarse Pointing The ERA schedule indicates a slippage of System has been postponed by three one to two months, principally due to The Phase-C/D proposal for the Fluid- months to allow for a bridging phase, delays in the On-Board Computer, End Science Laboratory (FSL) is expected in programmes & operations

March 1998, with the objective of placing Two parallel Phase-A contracts were V103 to V107) successfully placed in the contract soon afterwards. initiated in November 1997 for the orbit: five commercial communications European Physiology Modules (EPM) satellites (JCSAT -5, Intelsat -804, The final presentation of Phase-B of the Laboratory. The mid-term reviews are Brasilsat -B3, Inmarsat-3F5, and Material Science Laboratory (MSL) will be planned in March 1998, while the Phase- Hotbird-4), one scientific mission (Equator- held in March, and a procurement A final presentations are foreseen in July S) and one Earth-observation satellite proposal for Phase-C/D for MSL in the 1998. Discussions have been initiated (Spot-4). The latter carried an ESA US Module will be submitted. The main with NASA on the harmonisation of the payload for optical inter-satellite contract will include the Low-Gradient payload composition between the Human communications, as part of the SILEX Furnace (LGF) module, while an option, to Research Facility (HRF) and the EPM. Programme. be placed at a later date, will develop the Solidification and Quenching Furnace (SQF) module. The Phase-C/D contract is Launchers Ariane-5 planned to start in June 1998. The Preparation of the third qualification flight Material Science Laboratory has been Ariane-4 has been the major activity, and has introduced into the NASA launch manifest Between December and March, five included the correction of flight-502 for flight on UF-3 in September 2001. Ariane-4 launchers (Arianespace flights anomalies, primarily:

FINDING THE CAUSE OF THE ARIANE-502 ROLL TORQUE

One of the activities to determine the actual cause of the roll Operation disturbance torque detected during the Ariane-502 flight was On firing the Vulcain engine, under the effect of the thrust the to measure the effect of the boundary layer of the Vulcain rotating block is released from contact with the bolts, engine main jet. A ‘roll-meter’ device has been developed, compressing the fluid separating it from the fixed block. In which is based on the following principle: the absence of friction, the load sensors can measure the roll torque specific to the Vulcain engine. Description The device is placed between the test stand and the engine. The device was used for the first time on the M18R2-07 test It consists of a rotating block housed within a fixed block, on 3 March. It measured a torque of 810 Nm, compared to separated by a highly viscous pressurised fluid. The bolts are the 900 Nm on the 502 flight. Further tests are planned and housed in oblong holes in the rotating block, allowing rotation will be executed while varying the parameters – replacing while also supporting the engine when not running. The two divergent, repositioning turbine exhausts, replacing engine, load sensors are connected to the stand-integrated fixed etc. – in order to analyse the effect of each in more detail. block and to the engine-integrated rotating block via a spherical gimbal. programmes & operations

– The solid-booster recovery parachutes with the owners of several candidate cooperation agreement with RSC-Energia did not deploy: the booster’s forward telecommunication satellites. is expected to be signed in March 1998. cone is being reinforced to cope with re-entry loads. Ariane-5 Evolution ASI is progressing well with its – A relatively constant roll torque of Several studies and component-level tests developments for the JERICO 900 Nm was present during main have been carried out on the cryogenic manipulation system. stage propulsion. The main-stage stage and Vulcain-2 engine. They cut-off occurred 5.8 s earlier than concerned mainly the oxygen flow and PROBA (Project for On-Board foreseen. pressurisation systems, the engine’s thrust Autonomy) frame and the oxygen and hydrogen Evaluation of the industrial proposal for Two possible causes of the roll movement turbopumps. the PROBA mission has been completed were retained in February, as a result of and the project’s system design phase the level-one flight-data analysis plus Manufacture of the on-ground and in-flight commenced in February. The outcome of specific investigations: qualification models of the Sylda-5 this phase will be submitted to an ESA – Spiral movement of the exhaust gases payload structure has been completed. review in June 1998 before release of the caused by roughness of the internal main development phase. The parallel surface of the Vulcain’s nozzle. The Future launchers developments of the instruments — torque level due to this phenomenon Future launchers with reusability features SREM (Standard Radiation Environment was estimated via computer modelling to reduce the cost of access to space are Monitor), DEBIE (Debris In-orbit Evaluator), to be between 250 and 950 Nm . being defined in the Future European and CHRIS (Compact High Resolution – An attachment rod on a turbopump Space Transportation Investigations Spectrometer) — are proceeding well. exhaust duct could have broken during Programme (FESTIP) and the Launch is planned for mid-2000, to flight. The deviated exhaust jet could corresponding technologies are being be followed by three months of have generated a torque of between developed. commissioning, one year of nominal 600 and 950 Nm. operations and a year of in-flight The most promising concepts will be experiments. r The early main-stage cut-off is attributed to selected in mid-1998 in order to define sloshing of the liquid propellant inside the the technology work to be conducted in oxygen tank, generated by the launcher’s the context of the follow-up to FESTIP, roll movement. It was therefore decided to namely the Future Launchers install an additional attitude-control system Technologies Programme ( FLTP). on the Ariane-503 vehicle to double the roll counteracting performance.

A first static firing test of a Vulcain engine was performed on 3 March in Vernon (F), In-Orbit Technology with a modified engine fixture to measure Demonstration the roll torque generated during the test. The results showed a quasi-constant roll Programme torque of 810 Nm ± 2% during the 800 s of firing. This finding, to be checked in JERICO (Joint European Robotics further tests, is very encouraging and Interactive and Calibrated should confirm that the torque Operations) encountered during the Ariane-502 flight A robotic system to be flown on the can be totally attributed to the Vulcain Russian Segment of the International nozzle design, and is therefore easily Space Station in 1999, JERICO is a counteracted by properly pre-orienting the cooperative effort by ESA (Belgian two turbopump exhaust ducts. industry), ASI (I) and RSC-Energia. The first contract for the development of As a conservative measure, the additional launcher-independent items – mostly attitude-control system is being ground-segment building blocks – is maintained on the 503 launcher. This almost finalised. Belgian industry is will probably be unnecessary on future currently preparing the proposal for the launches, if the results of this first test are continuation of the JERICO system- confirmed by the further tests and by the development phase, which is expected Ariane-503 flight results. to be presented to ESTEC in mid-April.

Present planning foresees that Ariane-503 RSC-Energia has provided valuable will be ready for launch in July. The exact input concerning the configuration of the date will depend on the availability of the Russian Segment, although major commercial co-passenger for ESA’s ARD obstacles for the communication capsule. Negotiations are still in progress interfaces have been identified. The