Programmes in Progress

Home , CSTS, Double Star (satellite), GIOVE

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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 PROJECT JFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJASOND COMMENTS SPACE TELESCOPE LAUNCHED APRIL1990

ULYSSES LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1990

Programmes SOHO LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1995

HUYGENS LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1997

XMM-NEWTON LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1999

CLUSTER RE-LAUNCHED MID-2000

INTEGRAL LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2002

MARS EXPRESS LAUNCHED JUNE 2003

SMART-1 LAUNCHED SEPTEMBER 2003 TC-1 LAUNCHED DECEMBER. 2003

SCIENTIFIC DOUBLE STAR

PROGRAMME TC-2 LAUNCHED JULY 2004 in Progress ROSETTA LAUNCHED MARCH 2004

VENUS EXPRESS LAUNCHED NOVEMBER 2005

HERSCHEL/PLANCK LAUNCH JULY 2008

LISA PATHFINDER LAUNCH 1st QUARTER 2010 Status end-June 2007 GAIA LAUNCH END-2011 JWST LAUNCH JUNE 2013

BEPICOLOMBO LAUNCH AUGUST 2013

METEOSAT-5/6/7 M5 LAUNCHED 1991, M6 1993, M7 1997

ERS-2 LAUNCHED APRIL 1995

ENVISAT LAUNCHED MARCH 2002

MSG-1 MSG-2 MSG MSG-3 LAUNCH 2011, MSG-4 LAUNCH 2013

METOP METOP-A LAUNCH OCTOBER 2006, METOP-B 2010, METOP-C 2015 CRYOSAT LAUNCH FAILURE OCTOBER 2005 CRYOSAT-2 LAUNCH MARCH 2009 GOCE LAUNCH END-FEBRUARY 2008 PROGRAMME SMOS LAUNCH MAY 2008 EARTH OBSERVATION EARTH

ADM-AEOLUS LAUNCH JUNE 2009

SWARM LAUNCH 2010

EARTHCARE LAUNCH END-2012

ARTEMIS LAUNCHED JULY 2001

ALPHABUS LAUNCH 2011

SMALL GEO SAT. LAUNCH END-2010

GNSS-1/EGNOS OPERATIONS START 2007 COMMS./NAV. PROGRAMME GIOVE-A GIOVE-B GALILEOSAT GIOVE-A LAUNCHED DEC. 2005 GIOVE-B LAUNCH END-2007, IOV 2009 PROBA-1 LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2001

PROBA-2 LAUNCH MAY 2008 PROG.

TECHNOL. SLOSHSAT LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

COLUMBUS LAUNCH DECEMBER 2007

ATV FIRST LAUNCH JANUARY 2008

NODE-2 & -3 & CUPOLA LAUNCHES OCTOBER 2007 & APRIL 2010 CUPOLA WITH NODE-3 ERA LAUNCH NOT BEFORE END-2009

MSG MELFI 1 EDR/EUTEF/SOLAR MELFI 2 ISS BARTER & UTIL. PREP. EDR/EUTEF/SOLAR WITH COLUMBUS

FOTON-MI APCF-6/BIOBOX-5/ MATROSHKA FOTON-M2 TEXUS-42 MAXUS-7/TEXUS-43 TEXUS-44/45MASER-11 MAXUS-8 MARES ARMS/BIOPACK/ PFS EML-1 EMIR/ELIPS FAST-2/ERISTO MASER-10 EMCS/ TEXUS MAXUS-6 PEMS FOTON-M3 PCDF -46 MSL MFC BIO, FSL, EPM with COLUMBUS

ASTRONAUT FLT. & EXPLORATION PROGRAMME & EXPLORATION AURORA CORE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, MICROGRAVITY HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, EXOMARS LAUNCH MID-2013

ARIANE-5 OPERATIONAL

VEGA FIRST LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2008 PROG. SOYUZ AT CSG READY FOR LAUNCH DECEMBER 2008 LAUNCHER

DEFINITION PHASE MAIN DEVELOPMENT PHASE STORAGE

LAUNCH/READY FOR LAUNCH OPERATIONS ADDITIONAL LIFE POSSIBLE

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Programmes In Progress

ULYSSES LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1990

Programmes SOHO LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1995

HUYGENS LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1997

XMM-NEWTON LAUNCHED DECEMBER 1999

CLUSTER RE-LAUNCHED MID-2000

INTEGRAL LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2002

MARS EXPRESS LAUNCHED JUNE 2003

SMART-1 LAUNCHED SEPTEMBER 2003 TC-1 LAUNCHED DECEMBER. 2003

SCIENTIFIC DOUBLE STAR

PROGRAMME TC-2 LAUNCHED JULY 2004 in Progress ROSETTA LAUNCHED MARCH 2004

VENUS EXPRESS LAUNCHED NOVEMBER 2005

HERSCHEL/PLANCK LAUNCH JULY 2008

LISA PATHFINDER LAUNCH 1st QUARTER 2010 Status end-June 2007 GAIA LAUNCH END-2011 JWST LAUNCH JUNE 2013

BEPICOLOMBO LAUNCH AUGUST 2013

METEOSAT-5/6/7 M5 LAUNCHED 1991, M6 1993, M7 1997

ERS-2 LAUNCHED APRIL 1995

ENVISAT LAUNCHED MARCH 2002

MSG-1 MSG-2 MSG MSG-3 LAUNCH 2011, MSG-4 LAUNCH 2013

ADM-AEOLUS LAUNCH JUNE 2009

SWARM LAUNCH 2010

EARTHCARE LAUNCH END-2012

ARTEMIS LAUNCHED JULY 2001

ALPHABUS LAUNCH 2011

SMALL GEO SAT. LAUNCH END-2010

GNSS-1/EGNOS OPERATIONS START 2007 COMMS./NAV. PROGRAMME GIOVE-A GIOVE-B GALILEOSAT GIOVE-A LAUNCHED DEC. 2005 GIOVE-B LAUNCH END-2007, IOV 2009 PROBA-1 LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2001

PROBA-2 LAUNCH MAY 2008 PROG.

TECHNOL. SLOSHSAT LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

COLUMBUS LAUNCH DECEMBER 2007

ATV FIRST LAUNCH JANUARY 2008

NODE-2 & -3 & CUPOLA LAUNCHES OCTOBER 2007 & APRIL 2010 CUPOLA WITH NODE-3 ERA LAUNCH NOT BEFORE END-2009

MSG MELFI 1 EDR/EUTEF/SOLAR MELFI 2 ISS BARTER & UTIL. PREP. EDR/EUTEF/SOLAR WITH COLUMBUS

ASTRONAUT FLT. & EXPLORATION PROGRAMME & EXPLORATION AURORA CORE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, MICROGRAVITY HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, EXOMARS LAUNCH MID-2013

ARIANE-5 OPERATIONAL

VEGA FIRST LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2008 PROG. SOYUZ AT CSG READY FOR LAUNCH DECEMBER 2008 LAUNCHER

DEFINITION PHASE MAIN DEVELOPMENT PHASE STORAGE

LAUNCH/READY FOR LAUNCH OPERATIONS ADDITIONAL LIFE POSSIBLE

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Programmes In Progress

The Deuteronilus Mensae region on Mars, an area primarily transit) should show an increase in both the X-ray counterparts are shown as circles. characterised by glacial features, was imaged on 14 March 2005 Ulysses galactic and anomalous cosmic ray Novae occur when material builds up on the by the High Resolution Stereo Camera of Mars Express. components as Ulysses approaches the surface of a white dwarf star and reaches Resolution is about 29 m/pixel. (ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, Ulysses completed its third passage over the ecliptic. The most recent observations have sufficient density for nuclear burning. The G. Neukum) Sun’s south polar cap at the beginning of yet to reveal a clear pattern, however. resulting explosion creates a nova visible in April and is now executing the rapid transit the optical waveband for a few to a hundred from south to north that will bring it over the days. The X-ray emission becomes visible northern polar cap at the end of the year. The some time after the explosion, when the subsystems and science instruments are in Cassini-Huygens matter ejected by the nova has thinned out. good health. The fact that Ulysses is now This allows astronomers to peer down onto coming closer to the Sun means that the Cassini-Huygens held its 42nd Project the surface of a white dwarf that is of May 2007. After some high downloading large onboard heaters are no longer needed Science Group meeting in Athens, Greece, on undergoing nuclear burning, which continues peaks in December and January (total and there is sufficient power to operate the 4–8 June. Several press and media activities until the fuel is exhausted. downloading rate was about 1 TB), the rate full science payload without time-sharing. were included. A series of Huygens science has returned to a regular level of 30 GB per results under publication in Planetary and The physics of these outbursts is still poorly month. CAA will produce extensive sets of As predicted, nutation returned in mid- Space Sciences was summarised in several understood and the well-constrained X-ray pre-generated plots (1-h, 6-h, 24-h, orbital February, and will last for about 12 months. web articles on ESA’s web page in early June. turn-on and turn-off times provided by XMM- plots from all spacecraft) that illustrate the During this period, the motion of the Newton are important constraints for various data products. This work is spinning spacecraft is disturbed by non- A 2-year Cassini mission extension (mid- computer models of these explosions. approaching completion and the system is symmetric heating of the axial boom. The 2008 to mid-2010) is under consideration by expected to become available in summer instruments instead of seven and VILSPA-2 of the distribution of aluminium-26 special operational measures developed NASA. In addition, the frequent X-ray observations 2007. The 2nd Operations Review, held on will not be needed for the smaller volume of throughout our Galaxy. Iron-60 is produced during previous nutation episodes are being have revealed a new class of novae: ones 15–16 May, was successful. Although there data. deeper in stars by a different process and successfully employed to keep the that start to emit X-rays and then turn off is still a lot of work to do before the end of expelled into space only when the star disturbance under control. within just a few months. Such novae would the year (delivery of all data up to 2005), the As of early June 2007, 614 papers had been explodes at the end of its life. By accurately XMM-Newton have been overlooked in previous surveys, Board acknowledged the considerable work published in the refereed literature and 35 measuring the amounts of aluminium-26 and On the science front, particular attention is which looked only once every 6 months or that was accomplished in one year. PhDs obtained using Cluster and Double star iron-60 in our Galaxy, astronomers will be being paid to the changes in the cosmic XMM-Newton is finding new ways of so. Within that time, the fast novae would data. A recent paper published by Sergeev better able to understand the processes by radiation detected by the instruments. The investigating exploding stars. The image have blinked on and off. As of early June 2007, 614 papers had been and co-workers showed a case study where which the elements are produced and how intensity of positively charged cosmic-ray below shows an XMM-Newton X-ray image published in the refereed literature and 35 magnetic reconnection was observed much they are distributed into interstellar space, particles measured by Ulysses during its of the central regions of the Andromeda PhDs obtained using Cluster and Double Star closer to Earth than usual over the nightside ready to condense to form the next slow climb to high southern latitudes showed galaxy, or M31. XMM-Newton monitored data. A. Retino, from IRF Uppsala, published (< 14 Earth radii or 90 000 km). The paper generation of stars. little or no dependence on solar latitude. M31 frequently for several months looking Cluster a paper in Nature Physics using Cluster data used data from TC-2, Cluster, IMAGE, GOES, Current models predict that data from the for new X-ray emission at the positions of showing, for the first time, magnetic LANL and DMSP-F15. ‘fast latitude scan’ (the rapid south-to-north known optical novae. The positions of ten The four satellites and instruments are reconnection taking place in turbulent operating nominally and the short eclipse plasma. Mars Express season was successfully passed. This year, the eclipse period lasted 1.5 months, with a Integral Mars Express continues to perform its total of 50 eclipses. Battery cycling rested routine operations. The Science Team met at some batteries in the middle of the eclipse Double Star Integral has discovered radioactive iron-60 in ESTEC 2–3 July. season. In June–July 2007, the constellation the interstellar space of our Galaxy. All past changed the formation of the 10 000 km The two satellites and their instruments are reported sightings have been subject to The 2007 eclipse season started on 8 June triangle formed by C1, C2 and C3 to move C3 operating nominally. The European Payload controversy, but now Integral has provided and will last until the end of August, with the to within 17 km of C4, the closest approach Operation System, which coordinates the unequivocal evidence by clearly detecting the longest eclipses taking place at the end of ever by two Cluster satellites. operations for the seven European gamma-ray emission lines that are emitted June. The power situation is accurately instruments, is running smoothly. Data are when iron-60 decays into cobalt-60. modelled during the planning process, and in JSOC and ESOC operations continue to acquired using the VILSPA-2 ground station the current eclipse season the prime science follow the Master Science Plan. The data in Spain and the Beijing and Shanghai With the exception of the hydrogen and goals (OMEGA/HRSC) are not affected by the return from January 2007 to end-May 2007 stations in China. helium produced in the Big Bang, the power available. However, MARSIS, PFS and averaged 99.6%. majority of the chemical elements were built ASPERA science operations have had to be In October 2007, TC-1 will enter Earth’s inside stars. Previously, astronomers had reduced during parts of the eclipse season. An XMM-Newton EPIC image The Cluster Active Archive is operating atmosphere. The Chinese have confirmed the only one radioactive isotope, aluminium-26, of the central region of M31 taken between 2000 and nominally. User access is growing every intention to continue operations of TC-2. For to probe the build-up of chemical elements A substantial effort, including orbit trim 2004. (W. Pietsch, MPE month; 453 users (a 30% increase from ESA, operating only TC-2 will be much and their distribution in interstellar space. manoeuvres, is being made on the Garching) December 2006) were registered at the end simpler because it involves only two Indeed, Integral has produced detailed maps preparations for supporting the entry-

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descent-landing phase of the NASA Phoenix A special section on Venus Express results thorough coverage of the processing pipeline mission, expected to land on Mars at either (some nine papers) will be published in caveats, further to the testing performed in the end of May or early June 2008. Nature after the summer. This will be spring and confirmation by the Japanese accompanied by a press conference. teams. A workshop is planned at ESAC for A highly successful Mars Express data 18–19 September to aid the European Open workshop was held at ESAC 11–15 June. The Venus Express Science Team met in Time holders in the analysis of their data. This new initiative was welcomed by the Rome 7–9 July. The attitude reconstruction software, community. The first workshop focused on developed at ESAC, has been further (co-)analysing HRSC and OMEGA data. More A series of high temporal, spatial and upgraded with a distortion correction. Mass workshops on different topics will follow. spectral resolution sequences of data was processing of the whole mission has started, acquired by Virtis during five consecutive but awaits consistently processed data from Preparation for the European Mars Science days in April. The data turned out to be JAXA for last year’s operations. and Exploration conference (ESTEC, scientifically valuable and very useful as Left: integration of the Planck telescope on the spacecraft’s cryo- 12–16 November 2007) is under way. outreach material. It is planned to repeat this structure type of observation in future. COROT Right: Herschel optical bench on top of the helium tank, with the A final attempt to open the PFS scanner is SPIRE focal plane unit integrated Rosetta planned for early July. This will be carried out COROT (COnvection, ROtation and planetary during reaction wheel off-loading in the hope Transit) was launched into a near-perfect Rosetta continues its long cruise and is now that the vibrations may help to overcome the orbit on 27 December 2006 and passed its on its way to its next Earth gravity-assist on initial friction. verification phase up to 2 April 2007 without 13 November 2007. After the successful incident. Indeed, this process went so well Mars flyby earlier this year, the third Deep During Vera bistatic radar operations with the that scientific operations could begin on calibration testing completed. The Herschel subsystems have been delivered, such as the For the LISA Technology Package, many Space Manoeuvre on 26 April set it precisely Deep Space Network, the spacecraft S-band 2 February. Service Module activities progress well, with Science Module primary structure, the Digital subsystem CDRs have taken place and good on course for Earth. signal was lower than expected. This was the debugging and preparation for the Sun Sensors and the separation system. progress is being made. Many electrical units confirmed during later measurements Under the management of CNES and in a satellite testing later this year. Some other units have been manufactured have been built and delivered to Astrium On 9 May the joint Jupiter Observation performed by New Norcia, Australia, and a major partnership with ESA, Austria, (gyro package, low- and medium-gain GmbH for the Real Time Test Bench. The Campaign of Rosetta’s ALICE instrument and significant (about –15 dB) reduction in power Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Spain, COROT The activities on the Planck spacecraft antennas) and are ready for acceptance most critical subsystems are still the inertial its twin instrument on NASA’s New Horizon was detected. The situation is being is the first satellite dedicated to the search continue in line with the Flight Model plan. testing. sensor vacuum enclosure, the electrostatic spacecraft was successfully completed. investigated. for, and the study of, planets orbiting other The spacecraft is now fully assembled, with suspension front-end electronics and the Shortly after, Passive Payload Checkout 5 stars. It is designed to detect planets as the focal plane units (HFI and LFI) and The two European micropropulsion caging mechanism. Progress has been made was successful and the spacecraft was A major spacecraft activity was the 180º small as our own Earth for the very first telescope mounted on top of the Service technologies (needle indium thrusters and slit on all these subsystems, but they remain prepared for near-Sun hibernation. After a rotation around the z-axis to keep the solar time. A second major objective is the study Module. Major work is being carried out in caesium thrusters) continue their challenging critical in terms of performance and successful test on 4 June, Rosetta entered illumination in line with thermal constraints. of acoustic waves in stars. preparation for the electrical and functional development to prove the readiness of the schedule. hibernation on 5 June. This was successful on 1 June. testing later this year. technologies. Many problems have been All scientific specifications have been verified solved and progress has been made in both The launch is expected to take place in the A science workshop is scheduled for or surpassed, and the exploitation phase Good progress is also being made on the technologies. The technology suited to the first quarter of 2010. 22–24 October in Athens to prepare for the (nominally 2.5 years) is now running. ground segment, with the completion of the need will be selected at the beginning of flyby of asteroid 2867 Steins on 5 September Akari (Astro-F) science ground segment implementation 2008. 2008. reviews on both spacecraft. Akari continues operations in a healthy state. Microscope More than 90% of the sky has been observed Herschel/Planck twice in the survey mode. The first results CNES began the Phase-C/D contract with Venus Express will be published as a special issue of The final round of testing on the spacecraft LISA Pathfinder ONERA for the development of the T-SAGE Publications of the Astronomical Society of Flight Models is starting, following accelerometer. A CNES internal key-point Venus Express continues to perform its Japan, this autumn. completion of their integrations. The The challenging development of review is planned for December 2007 to routine operations. Several articles on the Herschel cryostat is open after return from SMART-2/LISA is proceeding largely decide (in agreement with ESA) if the observations by ESA’s Venus Express and ESA’s contributions to the mission are the final qualification testing in ESTEC. It is in according to schedule. The main activity in NASA’s Messenger spacecraft, performing a working well: the ground station coverage Astrium ready for the integration of the the reporting period was the finalisation and Venus flyby on its way to Mercury, were from Kiruna (S) continues at a very efficient scientific instrument focal plane units. The consolidation of the satellite design, in published at www.esa.int. One story level. More than 300 European pointed Herschel SPIRE instrument was the first to preparation for the CDR. In parallel, some The LISA Pathfinder Separation System Device joins the spacecraft to the Propulsion Module. It provides the electrical connectors and describes the extensive ground campaign to observations were successful by the end of be delivered and is already integrated on the subsystems have had their CDRs: the the spring system to separate the modules. The Flight Model observe Venus in order to place the June. The User Support team at ESAC optical bench. The two other instruments will Propulsion Module and the On Board (shown here) was manufactured by SAAB Ercicsson Space AB and spacecraft observations in a broader context. updated the user documentation with a more follow in July with the final stages of their Computer. The Flight Models of a few delivered to the prime contractor Astrium Ltd (UK)

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Microscope drag-free propulsion remains have been completed and the close-out of June ready to be integrated on the of the individual units are now delivered and FEEP or if it should switch to cold gas. This BepiColombo report written. The system, support and satellite. tuning of the transmitters is well advanced. decision is pending the results of the LISA Planetary and subsystem specifications have been The antenna reflectors were found to have a Pathfinder micropropulsion development Magnetospheric consolidated and the equipment procurement Good progress has also been made on the manufacturing defect, so they were scrapped Orbiters activities. phase is under way. launch vehicle; the Qualification Review with and replacements are being built. This work Eurockot was completed at the end of April. has been absorbed with no impact on the A number of activities have begun to advance The GOCE Ground Segment Overall overall schedule. key technologies before the start of Validation activities are close to completion, Gaia equipment procurement. This involves work with tests performed between the Flight The Ground Segment PDR was held during on multi-layer insulation, radiator, blocking Operations Segment and the Payload Data May 2007, covering both the Flight All flight hardware suppliers have been diodes, solar array, high-temperature rotary Ground Segment. Work on the Calibration Operations Segment and the Payload Data competitively selected; a few procurements joint and high-gain antenna. Both candidate and Monitoring Facility and the High Level Ground Segment. This review scrutinised the for support tasks and test equipment are still electrical propulsion engines have Processing Facility of the European GOCE documents defining all of the requirements open. Around 80 procurements have been successfully completed 5500 h of tests. The Gravity Consortium has progressed as on the various facilities that constitute the handled according to ESA’s ‘best practice’, lifetime predictions are exceeding the project planned. ground segment, as well as higher level most of them competitively, while a very requirement. Work has started to upgrade overall documentation. The documents were small number were performed in direct the Large Space Simulator at ESTEC to finalised by taking the review findings into negotiations. 10 solar constants. account, and the various sets of contractual CryoSat-2 documents were prepared. The workload during this reporting period The System Requirements Review for all 11 focused on the preparation and execution of instruments of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter Mechanical preparation of the satellite is the PDR. About 40 project-independent has been conducted. The scientific complete, with the installation of pipework engineers, predominantly from the Technical The JWST Partners Workshop (programme- The NIRSpec Intermediate System Review performances were confirmed and the design for the thruster subsystem and other SMOS Directorate, reviewed the data package level meeting) was hosted by the MIRI will be held in early July and will focus on a definition is generally adequate. However, hardware such as brackets and fittings. The delivered by the Prime Contractor. The final European Consortium in Dublin in mid-June. CDR-level verification of the design by further work was requested for four bare solar array panels were installed and After completion of the thermal balance/ step was the meeting of the Review Board on More than 200 participants representing the analyses. This review will bridge the 2-year instruments before close-out of the review, in alignment pins fitted before the panels were thermal vacuum testing in ESTEC’s Large 29 June. various parties involved in the JWST gap between the PDR and CDR. particular to consolidate the thermal design. shipped to Emcore in Albuquerque (US), Space Simulator, the payload was transferred partnership took part. The full-scale JWST The overall payload mass could be brought where the advanced solar cells and to the Maxwell facility, which is a large Meetings of the Gaia Science Teams and mock-up was on display during the meeting, All European Consortium hardware for the back to within the allocation with some associated electrical hardware will be chamber carefully shielded from all related working groups have taken place. The attracting press interest. Optical Module of the MIRI Verification margin. installed. Several equipment units were electromagnetic radiation. Two distinct Science Team and the Radiation Calibration Model has been delivered to the Rutherford delivered and more are expected in the near measurement campaigns were conducted Working Group were briefed about the latest The vibration test of NIRSpec’s critical silicon Appleton Laboratory (UK). The core Work at JAXA on the Mercury future; integration of the satellite is starting. radiation test results on flight-representative carbide FORE optics was successfully assembly of deck, spectrometer, input optics Magnetospheric Orbiter design is The main payload, the redundant SIRAL CCDs. Both groups expressed their completed. The FORE is NIRSpec’s largest and calibration module, and imager is progressing nominally and is being finalised radar altimeter, is also coming together. Most Electromagnetic testing of the SMOS payload at ESTEC satisfaction about the results and agreed on SiC subassembly – more than 1 m long. The complete. Several MIRI Flight Model units in preparation for the PDR at end-2007. The a way-forward strategy to be developed FORE mirror polishing is nearing completion. have completed their Manufacturing mass of the spacecraft could be reduced by through the Radiation Work Plan. Ion beam figuring was successful in Readiness Reviews (MRRs). The MRRs of 10 kg, which almost satisfies the allocation. accelerating the convergence of the mirror other units will follow throughout the ESA’s science advisory structure endorsed figure. summer until mid-October. The first flight- both the new composition of the Gaia quality detector chips have been Science Team and the formation of the Data manufactured and successfully tested by GOCE Processing Analysis Consortium. Both Qualification Model of JWST’s NIRSpec FORE three-mirror Raytheon. endorsements conclude competitive anastigmat The Gradiometer Core proto-flight model selections following an Announcement of The planning for the PDR analysis campaign (PFM) passed its mechanical and thermal Opportunity. (RAMP) has been finalised and will constitute vacuum acceptance testing, respectively, in an input to the JWST mission-level PDR in May and June. Satellite PFM integration and March 2008. testing activities continued, in double shifts, at Thales Alenia Space in Turin (I). A satellite JWST Integrated System Test, covering the launch and early orbit phase, and a System The Director General and the NASA BepiColombo Validation Test involving ESOC were Administrator, Michael Griffin, signed the successful. The Ion Propulsion Assembly JWST Memorandum of Understanding at a The critical actions identified by the completed its final acceptance testing in ceremony on 18 June at the Paris Air Show. spacecraft System Requirements Review QinetiQ (UK) and arrived in Turin at the end

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Left: the SMOS payload meets its Proteus platform in Cannes; the SMOS satellite is born!

Right: the latest Swarm satellite configuration. The optical bench with the startrackers and the vector field magnetometer sensors are in the middle of the boom. The absolute scalar magnetometer sensors are at the top of the boom. (Astrium GmbH)

Assembly of the ALADIN instrument Potsdam (D) to review the methodology for Above: the total amount of nitrogen dioxide (NO ) in the continues; all units with the exception of the the ground characterisation and in-orbit 2 atmosphere above Europe on 4 February 2007, as measured by Mie-Spectrometer (MSP) are now integrated. verification of the magnetic performance of the GOME-2 instrument on MetOp-A. GOME-2 can measure NO2 Delivery of the MSP was delayed because of the spacecraft, and to prepare a draft plan. worldwide on a daily basis at a city-scale. (Eumetsat) anomalies detected during unit-level mechanical tests. The repair of this unit is The latest meeting with Eurockot showed under way. significant progress, in particular in flight dynamics and collision avoidance. There is a Right: severe thunderstorms developed along a low-level airmass boundary in France and Germany on 25 May 2007. In the there: the electromagnetic compatibility test The integration and test activities of the solid concept of the satellite dispenser. afternoon, Paris and Berlin were hit simultaneously by major demonstrated that the instrument is not satellite platform at Astrium Friedrichshafen thunderstorms. The high repeat cycle of Meteosat-8 is essential disturbed by its own or the platform’s (D) are largely completed. Shipment of the Subcontractors were selected for the boom, for the early detection of rapidly developing thunderstorms operations, and the image validation test in platform to Astrium Stevenage (UK) for the solar cells and tanks. Specifications were which an artificial source mounted to the integration of the remaining platform prepared for the harness, thrusters and ceiling was used to produce an image and to hardware and performance of further magnetotorquers. The level-1b algorithms for prediction models that compute forecasts MSG-3 of 14 world space organisations was the exercise the sophisticated data processing. platform-level tests is planned for July. the magnetic package and the EFI instrument ranging from a few hours to up to 10 days It is planned to move MSG-3 from inter- focus of the third ESA/ASI workshop, on With this campaign successfully completed, were released by industry. Work is beginning ahead. mediate storage in the Thales Alenia Space ‘International Cooperation for Sustainable the payload was transported to Cannes (F), The flight campaign of the Aladin Airborne on level-2 algorithms, with four studies cleanroom into a long-term storage in Space Exploration’, held in Spineto (I) from where it was mated by Thales Alenia Space Demonstrator (A2D) is planned for October starting on processing architecture, The MetOp-A satellite shows excellent autumn 2007. Launch is projected for early 30 May to 1 June. The workshop was opened with the Proteus platform to form the 2007. In preparation for this milestone, the ionospheric current, mantle conductivity and performance. The project and industrial 2011. by D/HME, the Administrator of the China integrated satellite. A2D hardware was assembled by DLR at the air density. activities are now in a standby mode, with National Space Agency and the ASI German Weather Service’s Lindenberg test MetOp-1 (MetOp-B) and MetOp-3 (MetOp-C) MSG-4 President. More than 70 representatives from The Final Mission Analysis Meeting was site for a final Aeolus ground campaign in in storage, waiting for the restart in 2009 for After successful completion of its Pre- 16 space agencies and organisations successful for the Rockot launcher, with only July. the next launch (MetOp-B), in 2010. Storage Review, MSG-4 will be prepared for attended, plus non-governmental entities one thermal analysis case still to be refined MetOp long-term storage. Launch is planned for no such as COSPAR. This group of space and completed. earlier than 2013. organisation representatives will continue to MetOp-A, Europe’s first polar-orbiting work on the principles that will inform the Step-by-step integration testing of the flight Swarm meteorological satellite was declared MSG international coordination mechanism and operations ground segment with CNES has operational on 15 May 2007, after only the open reference architecture. These will be started, while the data processing ground Progress has been made since the Satellite 6 months of commissioning, starting a new Meteosat-8/MSG-1 Human Spaceflight, the topics of a meeting to be held in segment is still integrating alpha versions of PDR in conducting lower level PDRs, in era of meteorology and climatology. The satellite was hit by an object on 22 May connection with the ‘International Space all the facilities. particular the satellite structure, boom that raised the orbit by about 130 m. Initial Microgravity & Exploration Conference’ in Berlin on assembly and thermal subsystem. The major The first science data were received 2 days investigations revealed that the R1 thruster is 8–9 November. elements are in progress: the engineering after the Launch and Early-Orbit Phase, but bent and that some multi-layer insulation is Exploration models of the accelerometer, vector the full data flow from the 11 instruments is damaged. The propulsion system shows no At the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, the ADM-Aeolus magnetometer and scalar magnetometer are now available to users on an operational leakage; the unaffected redundant thruster Highlights ESA/ASI agreement for the joint management being built. The development of the optical basis, offering unprecedented accuracy and branch became the nominal one. The ExoMars Enhanced Baseline Mission of Paolo Nespoli, as mission member of the The first Flight Model of the modified bench that supports the vector resolution of variables such as temperature configuration received a preliminary STS-120 crew, was signed by the ASI transmitter laser master oscillator was magnetometer and the three startrackers has and humidity, wind speed, ozone and Satellite performance, which is operating in endorsement by the Participating States in a President and D/HME. Also announced by assembled and IR laser operation begun. Two startracker prototypes showed measurements of trace gases such as carbon Rapid Scan mode, and instrument meeting of the HME Programme Board on ESA was the MARS-500 study, and a call was demonstrated. The modifications were excellent results on the optical test bench of dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. performance remain of excellent quality. 11 June. made for European and Canadian candidates. necessary to improve the thermo-mechanical Astrium GmbH in Ottobrunn (D). stability of the laser. Assembly of the mirror MetOp data will significantly improve weather Meteosat-9/MSG-2 The concluded work on, and the public International Space Station assemblies for the second Flight Model of A peer review with experts from the Cluster, forecasting by, for example, direct Meteosat-9 is now Eumetsat’s nominal release of, The Global Exploration Strategy: Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-117, was the master oscillator is under way. Oersted and CHAMP missions was held in assimilation into numerical weather operational satellite at 0º longitude. The Framework for Coordination document launched from the Kennedy Space Center

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Left: the SMOS payload meets its Proteus platform in Cannes; the SMOS satellite is born!

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supplies: oxygen, water, food, propellant, objective of transferring the lessons-learned consumables, scientific equipment and The Columbus to Columbus operations. hardware, all necessary to maintain ISS Control Centre operations and provide for the crew. Part of In Paris, on 28 May, the 8th meeting of the the scientific equipment aboard was GTS-2 HME Programme Board endorsed the results (Global Transmission Service-2), a of the Announcement of Opportunity (AO-06- technology experiment for the test, validation BR) for the Bed Rest Studies in ELIPS-2 and demonstration of radio transmission during 2007–2009. Following the installation techniques for the synchronisation of Earth- of ESA’s first Short-Arm Human Centrifuge, at based clocks and watches from the ISS. In MEDES, Toulouse (F), the Human Exploration addition, the GTS data services, based on a preparation benefits of bed rest activities have unique coding scheme, could ultimately lead been enhanced by the combination with to commercial services such as the blocking artificial gravity. of stolen cars or lost credit cards, directly from space. The Norwegian User Support and Operation Centre (N-USOC), having commissioned the The Space Station Control Board baselined European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) Shuttle, Progress, Soyuz and Automated in the Destiny ISS module and successfully Transfer Vehicle (ATV) launches through to launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The and Solar external payload packages are in performed NASA’s TROPI experiment, also April 2008. spacecraft and all its ground support the final stages of acceptance and will be completed ESA’s GRAVI-1 experiment. TROPI equipment, with a total weight of 400 t, left shipped to KSC this summer. The FlyWheel investigated cellular mechanisms of The configuration of the ISS as STS-117 left in June 2007 Space Infrastructure Development Rotterdam in mid-July. Once in Kourou, at Exercise Device, GEOFLOW and WAICO phototropism and determined the effects and ATV Jules Verne integration and testing, the end of July, the launch campaign testing experiments, to be performed standalone and influences of gravity on light perception in together with system functional qualification and integration continued. The launch in the Biolab and FSL racks, respectively, are plants. GRAVI-1 subjected lentil (Lens tests, were successfully completed.On schedule was revised to allow for the ‘heavy integrated in the European Transport Carrier culinaris var. anicia) seedling roots to (KSC) on 8 June. The launch followed repairs STS-122, the mission for the transportation 28 June, members of the international media traffic’ to the ISS at the end of the year and rack. WAICO is expected to be delivered to centrifugal acceleration to determine the to the External Tank after a severe hailstorm of the Columbus laboratory, is now targeted visited the cleanrooms at ESTEC to view ATV will now be no earlier than January 2008. KSC by September for Shuttle mid-deck threshold acceleration at which the root at the end of February. During four EVAs, the for no earlier than 6 December 2007, on for the last time in Europe. They had the Meanwhile, the System Qualification Review stowage. responds to the gravity stimulus. crew attached the new S3/S4 solar array Atlantis instead of Discovery. This mission chance to interview D/HME, John Ellwood is well underway, with the board meeting Truss segment on the starboard side of the will include ESA astronauts Hans Schlegel (ESA ATV Programme Manager) and Nicolas planned for September. The Columbus Control Centre (COL-CC) ESA’s second EMCS experiment, Multigen-1, Station’s backbone, deployed a new set of and Léopold Eyharts. While Eyharts will Chamussy (Astrium ATV Programme development contract was completed; is ready for flight and due to be launched in solar arrays, and retracted the remaining P6 remain aboard the Station for up to 3 months Director) on the programme. After delivery of the new version of the COL-CC is now maintained as a part of the August aboard STS-118 for installation in solar array in readiness for relocation to its to oversee the activation and commissioning Russian Service Module Simulator, the ATV ISS Operations Services Contract. The EMCS. final destination later this year. The Station of Columbus, Schlegel will return on the The Pre-Shipment Review was held at ESA’s Control Centre is preparing to support the operations qualification, training and has a new look, with two symmetrical Shuttle 12 days after launch. premises in Les Mureaux (F) on 4 July. This Joint Integrated Simulations Programme now simulations programmes for both ATV and After agreements with Space Adventures, Ltd. solar panels mounted on each end of the review confirmed that all the required work established with NASA and Roskosmos. Columbus are progressing on schedule. and Roskosmos, Charles Simonyi, as a Truss. After a 12-day mission, Atlantis Progress-25P was launched from Baikonur had been performed on the spacecraft in Engineering support tools were exercised visiting Soyuz cosmonaut during the docked touched down safely at the secondary Cosmodrome on 12 May carrying 2.5 t of Europe, giving the green light to ship it to the during the ATV System Validation Test and Node-2 ‘Harmony’, having completed close- period in April, performed five human landing site of Edwards Air Force Base in the ATV Cargo Safety Review was conducted. out, is in the cleanroom at KSC with its hatch physiology experiments for ESA. The first California because poor weather conditions ATV begins its journey to the launch site closed waiting for integration and preparation results of the experimental package indicate a over KSC prevented use of the primary Columbus spares, for launch on the first ATV, for launch in October. Node-3, having high success rate. landing site. have been identified and are being prepared completed its Element Leak Test, Engineering for delivery. The spares will be stowed Review and Preliminary Acceptance Review, During ISS Increment-15, the Russian crew is Space Shuttle Endeavour, flying STS-118, is aboard the ISS to improve Columbus will be maintained in Europe, at the request performing several long-duration science targeted for a launch window no earlier than availability and reduce future upload of NASA, until mid-2009. Once delivered to experiments for ESA. In addition, GTS-2 and 7 August. It will carry the Spacehab Single transportation costs. KSC in 2009, it will undergo flight close-out the radiation-measurement experiment Cargo Module, the starboard Truss segment and then be integrated with Cupola (currently Matroshka-2B will begin during the S5 and External Stowage Platform 3. At KSC, the Columbus system checkout test stored at KSC) for launch together in late Increment. was followed by the final modifications and spring 2010. STS-120, using Space Shuttle Discovery, adjustments to the payload racks, including ANITA (Analysing Interferometer for Ambient scheduled to transport Node-2 ‘Harmony’, the final integration of the Canadian Space Utilisation Air) was shipped to KSC for final interface along with ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, is Agency-developed Microgravity Vibration A debriefing of the AstroLab mission testing with the host Express rack. Manifested targeted for launch no earlier than Isolation System into the Fluid Science operations was held at COL-CC, with the for STS-118, ANITA will provide superior ISS 16 October 2007. Laboratory (FSL) of Columbus. The EuTEF participation of all the parties, with the prime cabin air analysis of more than 30 volatile

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The Pasteur instrument exobiology payload on ExoMars will constituents, using novel process technology. 24 April. Several milestones were reached in include a drill that will be able to look for traces of life forms The information from this analysis will be an beneath the surface of Mars the reporting period: the PDR of the modified asset for future long-duration missions. interstage-1/2, acceptance of the interstage-2/3 Qualification Model (QM), and Preparation of the ESA experiment package the Manufacturing Readiness Reviews of the for launch on Soyuz-15 in early October is 19 June. The final selection of candidates is Zefiro-23 QM case and the Zefiro-9 QM2 proceeding well. ANGKASA, the Malaysian due to be concluded by November. case. Preparation of the P80 QM firing test is Space Agency, agreed that their cosmonaut under way; the nozzle has been formally (Angkasawan is the Malaysian word for The evaluation of all proposals received for accepted. astronaut) will participate in some ESA the Architecture Studies was completed. medical experiments. In addition, three For the ground segment, the second sector of biology experiments will fly in a Kubik ESA and the European Science Foundation the mobile gantry was completed. incubator and be managed aboard the ISS by organised a workshop held on 15–16 May in the Russian Increment cosmonaut. Athens. Scientists from 11 European countries agreed on the science goals for Early in Increment-16, Paolo Nespoli will Europe’s future planetary exploration Soyuz at CSG perform a set of ASI and ESA science programme. The draft recommendations experiments during mission STS-120/10A, provide an ambitious roadmap to examine The CDR for the laucher, which started in which also will deploy Node-2. Mars, the Moon and Near-Earth Objects. March, concluded in May. The tests of the ‘Kit Sauvegarde Europe’ were completed in April. Foton-M3 payload developments are science payload will accommodate the full Having been presented to the second After the Soyuz Launch Base was officially completed and Science Verification Tests were selection of the 16.5 kg Pasteur Payload and meeting of the Advisory Committee for inaugurated on 26 February, construction completed in ESTEC’s Microgravity Lab and a complete Geophysics/Environment Package Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and continues on schedule. Mission Simulation Test in the Erasmus High (GEP) of about 30 kg, on a heavy lift Exploration Programmes, the development Bay. The Payload Flight Models, transported to launcher for a 2013 launch. The Request for status of the ‘European long-term strategy The schedule of the Russian contributions is TsSKB/Samara during June, are undergoing Quotation release for Phases-B2/C/D/E1 is for Space’ was presented at the ‘Sky and under revision by the Russian contractor, who payload integration in the carrier satellite. In expected in July, having been approved at the Space Intergroup’ meeting of the European will deliver inputs for schedule consolidation August, the satellite and its integrated Industrial Policy Committee meeting at the Parliament, in Strasbourg, to the HME by June. The main critical aspects have been payloads will be transported to the Baikonur end of June. It was agreed that there would Programme Board on 23 May and to the identified and might generate a delay of Cosmodrome, with a scheduled launch date of be a Baseline Consolidation Review in the Council of ESA. 3 months at most on the launch date. Efforts 17 September for a 12-day mission. autumn and further discussions would take are in place to minimise the effects, with the place at the HME Programme Board in Authorisations to Proceed were placed for goal of keeping of keeping to the launch date. Astronauts November. It is planned that Phase-B2 will both the system and the breadboarding On 26 April, Thomas Reiter participated in a start in January 2008. activities for the Crew Space Transportation joint European Commission/ESA press System (CSTS) to allow exchanges with the conference in Brussels, along with EC Vice- Discussions with Roskosmos continue to Russian counterpart. The short-term FLPP President Günter Verheugen and ESA’s Columbus module to the ISS. Schlegel has, Paolo Nespoli at the Kennedy Space Center consolidate a broad cooperation agreement activities of CSTS were discussed and agreed Director General, for the announcement of the so far, participated in three 2-hour sessions on Exploration, including both ExoMars and with Roskosmos to place Russian industry All activities are proceeding after the European Space Policy, prior to the official in the Neutral Buoyancy Facility (NBF), the Phobos-Grunt mission. A first joint under contract and allow them to work with Consolidated Contract integrating all adoption by the EC on 22 May. training to carry out the various EVA Astronaut Centre followed, during the second meeting, held at the Russian Academy of European industry. A draft understanding is remaining activities from FLPP-1 was signed. practices and many emergency and safety week in May, by Special Purpose Dextrous Science in Moscow, drew enthusiastic under development between JAXA and ESA Thomas Reiter and Christer Fuglesang drills, in preparation for his part in the Manipulator training at the Canadian Space support from both scientific communities. to cover participation in CSTS. The proposal for the first set of activities on (Celsius Mission) continue to be in demand docking of Columbus to the ISS. Agency. Later in May, they both went to the the High Thrust Engine was received; the for post-flight activities. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre to A mission design review was held in April for Technical Assistance Agreements were drafted Léopold Eyharts (F) was been named as an practise left-seat Soyuz procedures. Phase-A2 of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) and approved by the Launchers Programme After the signature of the ESA/ASI agreement, ISS crewmember for STS-122, with Frank study. The four MSR precursor mission Vega Board. The Preliminary Requirements Review work continues on the finalisation of the Joint De Winne (B) as his backup. Eyharts will be Exploration studies, each lasting 6 months, were kicked for the Intermedidate Experimental Vehicle Implementation Plan, the Joint staying aboard the ISS for about 3 months to At the Programme Board meeting in May, the off. Following the System CDR board on 2 April, was accomplished. Communication Plan and the Joint Education help commission Columbus and its payload Executive presented a working document that an action plan was set up, leading to the Plan. Paolo Nespoli is continuing his training facilities. He is due to return to Earth aboard emphasised the importance of converging on Preparation of the MARS-500 isolation study closure of the review by end-September. A Contract Change Notice for continuation of at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. STS-123 in February 2008. a single ExoMars configuration to secure the in conjunction with the Institute of the first set of activities and bridging with the 2013 launch date. After a dedicated meeting Biomedical Problems in Moscow, is The acceptance campaign of the Zefiro-23 second set relevant to the Cryogenic Hans Schlegel (D) continues training for his Both Eyharts and De Winne underwent on 11 June, the board approved the underway with the ‘Call for Candidates’ QM1 structure was concluded with the Reignitable Upper Stage Engine – Expander flight on STS-122 (1E), which will deliver the Columbus specialist training at the European Enhanced Baseline Mission: the larger launched during the Paris Air Show on completion of the compression test on Demonstrator was committed. ed

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