r bulletin 102 — may 2000
3rd Space Station ESA, together with a European industrial Element to be Launched consortium headed by DaimlerChrysler (D) and including Belgian, Dutch and French NASA and the Russian Aviation and partners, was responsible for the design, Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos) plan that development and delivery of the core data the next component of the International management system, which provides Space Station (ISS) – the Zvezda service Zvezda’s main computer. module – will be launched on 12 July from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. ESA also has a contract with Rosaviakosmos and RSC-Energia for Following a Joint Programme Review and performing system and interface a General Designers’ Review in Moscow, it integration tasks required for docking with was agreed that Zvezda (Russian for Zvezda by ESA’s Automated Transfer ‘star’) will be launched by a Proton rocket Vehicle (ATV), which will be used for ISS with the second and third stage engines re-boost and logistics support missions In Brief modified to increase engine reliability. from 2003 onwards. Through its ATV industrial consortium led by Aerospatiale Zvezda will provide the early living quarters Matra Lanceurs (F), ESA is also procuring for ISS crew, together with the life sup- some Russian hardware and software for port, electrical power distribution, data use with the ATV. management, flight control, and propul- sion systems for the ISS. On the scientific side, ESA has concluded contracts with Rosaviakosmos and RSC- Energia for the conduct of scientific experiments on Zvezda, including the Global Timing System (GTS) and a radiobiology experiment (called Matroshka) to monitor and analyse radiation doses in ISS crew. Cooperation on further scientific experiments to be conducted on the Russian segment of the ISS is continuing with Rosaviakosmos and Russia’s IBMP (Institute for Biomedical Research). r
Zvezda (left-most module) is the third infrastructure element of the International Space Station (ESA/D. Ducros)
Zvezda integration at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
156 in brief
Synergies and programme. The main thrust of this effort € 700 million. On that basis, the ministers Cooperation Save was to make Columbus a four-rack module, responsible for space gathered in similar in length to the ASI Multi-Purpose Toulouse in November 1995 were able to on European Logistics Module (MPLM), in order to approve the overall ISS programme. Contribution to the ISS radically reduce the programme’s design and operational costs. Alenia Spazio, as the MPLM prime At a ceremony held on 14 April at Alenia contractor, manufactured the structure Spazio in Turin, Italy, the Columbus flight In the second half of 1994, and into 1995, and performed ECLSS integration for the structure was handed over to ESA by ASI ESA and ASI reached an agreement Multi-Purpose Logistics Module under ASI (Italian Space Agency). On the same whereby they would cooperate both contract; DASA-Dornier, as the ECLSS occasion, the Environmental Control and generally on the development of subcontractor for Columbus, was Life Support Subsystem (ECLSS) pressurised modules and specifically on entrusted with ECLSS development and ownership transfer from ESA to ASI was two particular cases. The essence of this verification under a contract with ESA. The formalised. agreement was that: industrial activities were jointly controlled by ESA and ASI. Columbus, the cornerstone of ESA's – ESA would design and verify an contribution to the International Space Environmental Control and Life Support In addition to these specific joint Station, is a scientific laboratory scheduled Subsystem which would satisfy the developments, further synergies were for launch in 2004. Astronauts from requirements of both the MPLM and found. Alenia Spazio became the prime Europe and elsewhere will be able to use the Columbus laboratory, and would contractor for ISS Nodes-2 and -3, a the laboratory to conduct material deliver to ASI engineering models, three contract managed by ASI on behalf of sciences, medicine, biology and sets of flight hardware, some spares ESA, the price of which is being used to technology experiments, many eventually and the ground support equipment for offset the launch costs of the Columbus leading to benefits in commercial the MPLM. ESA would then use this laboratory by NASA's Space Shuttle. processes or everyday life on Earth. equipment for its Columbus module. European industry is thus developing hardware for the Station using ESA funds, rather than ESA paying NASA in dollars for the launch of Columbus.
Alenia Spazio is also the contractor for the pressurised Carrier part of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) which, launched atop Ariane-5, will be used as a 'ferry' vehicle for payload, propellant, fresh food and general provisions.
This agreement has also fostered an increasing use of common subcontractors (and hence common design principles) for the Columbus and Node harnesses and Mechanical Ground Support Equipment (OHB, Germany) and Thermal Control Subsystems (Microtecnica, Italy), further The ECLSS, composed of fans, heat – ASI, which was already developing the improving the cost-efficiency of European exchangers, sensors and motorised and MPLM, would supply ESA with a flight human spaceflight projects. These pneumatic valves, all operated and unit primary structure for Columbus synergies will continue into the operational monitored via the onboard computer, based on that of the MPLM, and would phase, in terms of integration, payload provides comfortable working conditions provide the MPLM qualification data to operation and logistics activities. inside the space laboratories. In particular, enable ESA to qualify Columbus on the the system controls temperature, humidity basis of commonality, thereby avoiding The final ECLSS equipment and the and ventilation, regulates atmospheric the need for a separate qualification Columbus primary structure were delivered pressure, detects fire and monitors test model. in March/April. Much of the ECLSS contamination of the living environment. hardware is already at NASA/Kennedy Thanks to this agreement, both Agencies Space Center awaiting the first launch of Prior to the ESA Council meeting at would avoid duplicating high development the MPLM Leonardo, currently planned for ministerial level in Toulouse in November costs and would help save roughly February 2001, but several tonnes of 1995, it had seemed that approval of € 70 million of taxpayers’ money. Further ECLSS and structure equipment can still European participation in the ISS would be reductions arising from the downsizing of be viewed in Turin, together with other impossible to obtain, owing to the excessive the Columbus laboratory enabled the elements of ASI and Alenia Spazio's price of the proposed programme. In mid- Columbus part of the ESA ISS contribution to the development of the 1994, ESA had embarked on a serious development programme to be literally International Space Station. r 'design-to-cost' exercise to revive the halved in price, down to approximately
157 r bulletin 102 — may 2000
Physics on Stage competitions will select some of the best Europe. CERN is delighted to take part in and most convincing new ideas for this collaboration between the European Physics is everywhere. The laws of presentations and educational materials Community and the continent's three physics govern the Universe, the Sun, the which will receive development support leading physics research organisations." Earth and even our own lives. In today’s from the programme. rapidly developing society, we are Catherine Cesarsky (ESO): "Astronomy becoming increasingly dependent on high The project will culminate in November and astrophysics are at the very heart of technology – computers, transport and 2000, with approximately 400 delegates modern physics. As vibrant research communication are just some of the key converging at CERN for the 'Physics on disciplines they use the most advanced areas that are the result of discoveries by Stage' conference. The conference will technology available to humanity to scientists working in physics. enable the national competition winners, explore the cosmos. It is also a science of science teachers, science communicators, extreme conditions – the largest But how much does the average person publishers, top scientists and high-level distances, the longest periods of time, the really know about physics? There is now a representatives of the ministries and highest temperatures, the strongest unique opportunity to learn more about European organisations to brainstorm electrical and magnetic fields, the highest this elusive subject! Three major European solutions to bolster the popularity of and lowest densities and the most research establishments have organised a physics. The conference will also include extreme energies. The cosmos is indeed unique Europe-wide programme to raise spectacular demonstrations of educational the greatest physics laboratory. For years, public awareness of physics and related tools, the best of which will be disse- ESO - Europe's Astronomy Organisation - sciences. minated over national TV networks and has been engaged in communicating the other media to the European public. outcome of the exciting research 'Physics on Stage' was launched in programmes carried out at the ESO February by ESA, CERN (European Statements by the Directors General observatories to a wide audience and in Laboratory for Particle Physics) and ESO of ESA, CERN, and ESO particular to Europe's youth. I warmly (European Southern Observatory) with welcome the broad international support from the European Union. Other Antonio Rodotà (ESA): "Space has collaboration within 'Physics on Stage'. I partners include the European Physical become an integral part of every day life. am confident that working together with Society (EPS) and the European The immense technological development the European Union and our sister Association for Astronomy Education that has led to this achievement has taken organisations ESA and CERN, as well as (EAAE). This exciting programme is part of place and might be taken for granted. But teachers' organisations and dedicated the European Week for Science and now is the time to follow up and form the individuals in all member countries, this Technology and will culminate in a Science future on this basis, a future that has to be innovative education programme will make Festival, on 6-11 November, at CERN made by the youth and has to give its a most important contribution towards (Geneva). benefits to the youth. The European raising the interest in fundamental Space Agency is dedicated to support the research in Europe." The primary goal of 'Physics on Stage is youth in its development to become a to heighten interest in and knowledge of space generation. Many activities have * 'Physics on Stage' is being initiated in 22 European physics in Europe by means of a series of been done and are taking place, and countries which are members of at least one of the participating organisations or the EU: Austria, Belgium, high-profile, physics-related activities. It many more are planned for the future. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, will bring together leading scientists and Teachers and educational institutions and France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, educators, government bodies and the organisations form a key role in this Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, media, to confront the diminishing development. ESA is enthusiastic about Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, attraction and knowledge of physics in cooperating with ESO, CERN and the Switzerland, United Kingdom. More information can be young people and to develop strategies to European Union to create an opportunity found via the 'Physics on Stage' website:
158 in brief
The XMM-Newton model welcomes visitors in the exhibition entrance hall (photo courtesy E. Popow)
At the exhibition (left to right): Dr G. Hartmann (DLR, Bonn), Prof G. Hasinger (Director AIP), Prof R. Lüst (MPI for Meteorology) and Dr F. Jansen (author of ESA 2000). (photo courtesy E. Popow)
ESA 2000 Space Science Exhibition
The ESA 2000 Space Science Exhibition (13 March - 25 May) was opened by Prof. R. Lüst (ESA's Director General from 1984 to 1990) during the inauguration of the The exhibition consisted of 8 scale models The scientific programme of the European new Schwarzschild-building of the and more than 70 information panels Space Agency’ and ‘Success Story: 30 Astrophysical Institute Potsdam in which informed the public about ESA in discoveries from ESA's science missions Germany. A scientific talk was also given general and its science missions in in space’ provided further insight. r by Prof. R. Giacconi (Associated particular. In addition, guided tours, Universities Inc., Washington). videos, and the ESA brochures ‘ESA 2000
ERS-1: together with the data from other The most exciting results from the ERS-1 Nine-year instruments on board, were delivered to a mission have been in the field of SAR worldwide community of some 4000 users interferometry, where for the first time Success in science and applications. Surface winds precise topographic information could be Story derived from the scatterometer and routinely produced from space data. The Comes to altimeter have been supplied to ERS-1 and ERS-2 tandem operations meteorological services worldwide since demonstrated this technique for various an End 1991. The duration of the mission has also applications and paved the way for the Having given meant that scientists have already definition of new dedicated SAR excellent service observed several El Niño phenomena interferometry missions. ERS-2 (launched for nine years, through combined obser-vations of in 1995) took over the operational services over three times its planned lifetime, the surface currents, topography, temperatures of ERS-1 in 1996. It too has now ERS-1 mission was ended on Friday and winds. The measurements of sea exceeded its nominal lifetime and remains 10 March by a failure in the onboard surface temp-eratures, critical to the in excellent condition. Next year Envisat attitude control system. Since its launch understanding of climate change, made will be launched to continue this series of on 17 July 1991, ESA’s first sun- by the ERS-1 Along-Track Scanning Earth Observation missions. r synchronous polar-orbiting mission, has Radiometer, are the most accurate ever made 45 000 orbits, acquiring more than from space. All these critical 1.5 million individual Synthetic Aperture measurements are being continued and Radar (SAR) scenes. ERS-1 SAR images, enhanced by the current ERS-2 mission.
159 r bulletin 102 — may 2000
Long-Term Ozone Measurements from Space Assured
The continued monitoring of ozone is assured well towards the end of the next decade through a € 38.3 million contract signed on 3 March in Florence, Italy for three new Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2) instruments.
GOME-2 is an enhancement of the ESA GOME-1 instrument flown on ERS-2, the Earth Observation satellite which, continues to provide a wealth of scientific data from orbit. Within the EUMETSAT Polar System, consisting of a space segment comprised of three METOP The contract on the procurement of three flight models of the GOME-2 instrument was signed by (left to right) Dr. Giancarlo Grasso, Deputy Head, Defence Sector of Finmeccanica for Alenia satellites and their payloads, and a ground Difesa/Officine Galileo BU Spazio, Dr. Claudio Mastracci, ESA Director of Applications Programmes, segment for command, control and data and Dr. Tillmann Mohr, EUMETSAT Director processing, GOME-2 is the operational instrument specifically devoted to measuring the ozone content in the to complement and complete an atmosphere. GOME-2 measurements will international system of polar satellites In addition, to innovative data for allow the daily global retrieval of total operated together with the US. Numerical Weather Prediction, one of the ozone and vertical ozone profile in the most important contributions of GOME-2 atmosphere and, in addition, the The variations of atmospheric ozone are of will be the continuation and improvement measurement of atmospheric trace gases. vital importance for many reasons, and its of the climate record of ozone. Monthly distribution in the atmosphere needs to be and seasonal maps of ozone distribution The EUMETSAT Polar System and the mapped continuously. The enhanced throughout the atmosphere will provide a ESA METOP-1 Programme together form GOME-2 instrument on METOP will record of its variation with time and will a cooperative venture between the two continue the series of ESA measurements help detect long-term trends of major organisations, and lead to the launch of started by GOME-1 on ERS-2 and to be importance for the health of the planet the first METOP satellite in mid-2003. The provided by the SCIAMACHY instrument and its population. r system provides operational meteoro- on ESA’s environmental satellite Envisat logical data from polar-orbiting satellites, due to be launched in 2001.
ISU Summer Session principal space-related fields, both the globe. The interactive, international technical and non-technical. These include environment provides participants with The International Space University is a space and society, space business and numerous opportunities to forge new non-profit organisation, founded in 1987, management, space policy and law, space professional relationships. SSP alumni, with the aim of educating professionals in system architecture and mission design, numbering over 1200 to date, faculty the field of space and its peaceful space engineering, space resources, members, visiting lecturers and members applications. Its programs are designed to robotics and manufacturing, satellite of the host community have all contributed meet the needs of a rapidly expanding applications, space physical sciences, to creating a professional network sector where international and cross- space life sciences and an informatics facilitating access to information and disciplinary understanding and cooperation lecture series. exchanges. are fundamental to the success of future development. Specialised educational The interdisciplinary curriculum with its Summer Session 2000 opportunities and training are offered by emphasis on international cooperation This year's summer session will take place international experts in all space-related gives students broad new perspectives on from 1 July - 2 September and is hosted disciplines from a global perspective. the world's space activities, perspectives by the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Programmes include: Master of Space otherwise reserved for those with years of Maria in Valparaiso, Chile. Studies, Professional Development professional experience. Programs, tailor-made Forum Activities For more information visit the ISU SSP site and the ISU Summer Session. The SSP has proved to be an excellent at: forum where students and faculty alike
160 in brief
SOHO Top Comet Finder found the candidate SOHO-101. On the Snowballs in hell same day and in the same LASCO Of the first 100 SOHO comets, 92 Calculations confirm that a comet spotted images, Douglas Biesecker, a member of vaporised in the solar atmosphere. Isaac by a Lithuanian astronomer on 4 February the SOHO science team, spotted the Newton suggested 300 years ago that is a previously unknown object, making it candidate SOHO-102 travelling ahead of infalling comets might supply the Sun with the 100th comet discovered with the 101. Computations have now validated fuel, but no one has ever tracked a comet SOHO spacecraft. the orbits for all three candidates, and that definitely hit the bright surface. Near shown them to be bona fide comet misses are well known, and 100 years ago Launched four years ago as a project of discoveries. Heinrich Kreutz in Kiel, Germany, realised international cooperation between ESA that several comets seen buzzing the Sun and NASA, the Solar and Heliospheric Other amateur astronomers have used the seemed to have a common origin, Observatory has revolutionised the LASCO images to find comets. In the because they came from the same science of the Sun. summer of 1999, Terry Lovejoy in Australia direction among the stars. found five and, since September 1999, an Although this latest comet, SOHO-100, is amateur in England, Jonathan Shanklin, These comets are now called the Kreutz an 'ordinary' comet, SOHO has also has spotted three more. sungrazers, and the 92 vanishing SOHO revealed an amazing number of kamikaze comets plunging into the solar atmos- phere, which help to make SOHO the most prolific comet finder in the history of astronomy.
Like nearly all of SOHO's discoveries, the 100th comet showed up in images from the LASCO instrument. This is a set of coronagraphs that view the space around the Sun out to 20 million kilometres, while blotting out the bright solar disk with masks. Developed for SOHO by a multinational team led by the US Naval Research Laboratory, LASCO watches for mass ejections from the Sun that threaten to disturb the Earth's space environment. The comet discoveries are a big bonus.
SOHO's experts spot many of the comets as soon as the images come in. But still pictures and movies from LASCO are In this coronagraph image, the shaded red disk is a mask in the LASCO instrument that bolts out freely available on the Internet to direct sunlight. The white circle added within the disk shows the size and position of the visible Sun. astronomers around the world, who can the square black outline (upper left) shows the position of SOHO-100 and the larger black outline is discover less obvious comets without a zoomed-in view leaving their desks. This was the case when Kazimieras Cernis of the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy in "SOHO is a special chance for comet comets belong to that class. They were Vilnius, Lithuania, found SOHO-100. hunters," said Shanklin, Director of the not unexpected. Between 1979 and 1989 British Astronomical Association's comet the P78-1 and SMM solar satellites "On 4 February I saw the comet as a section. "It allows amateurs to discover spotted 16 comets closing with the Sun. small speck of light in the previous day's some of the smallest comets ever seen. LASCO images," Cernis explained. "It had Yet they link us to sightings of great Life is perilous for a sungrazer. The no visible tail, but it was too fuzzy to be an comets going back more than 2000 mixture of ice and dust that makes up a asteroid. By the time I had seen the object years." comet's nucleus is heated like the proverbial moving steadily across the sky in six snowball in hell, and can survive its visit to successive images, I was convinced it Nine of the comets found with LASCO, the Sun only if it is quite large. What's was a comet and I sent the details to the including SOHO-100, 101 and 102, more, the very strong tidal effect of the SOHO scientists for verification." passed the Sun at a safe distance. Sun's gravity can tear the loosely glued SOHO-49, which showed up in LASCO nucleus apart. The disruption that created The competition to find SOHO's 100th images in May 1998 and was designated the many SOHO sungrazers was similar to comet was keen. An amateur astronomer, as Comet 1998 J1, became visible to the the fate of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, Maik Meyer of Frauenstein, Germany, naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere. which went too close to Jupiter and broke discovered SOHO-98 and -99. On 5 But the great majority of SOHO's comets up into many pieces that eventually fell February, less than 24 hours after Cernis failed to survive very close encounters into the massive planet in 1994. r reported the candidate SOHO-100, Meyer with the Sun.
161 r bulletin 102 — may 2000
"SOHO is seeing fragments from the A comet spotted by its gas cloud gradual breakup of a great comet, The count of SOHO's comet discoveries Farewell to a Legendary perhaps the one that the Greek would be one fewer without a recent Mission astronomer Ephorus saw in 372 BC," bonus from SWAN. This instrument's commented Brian Marsden of the Center name unpacks into Solar Wind ESA hands the IUE archive over to the for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Anisotropies, and it was provided by the global scientific community Massachusetts. "Ephorus reported that French Service d'Aéronomie and the the comet split in two. This fits with my Finnish Meteorological Institute. SWAN The IUE (ESA/NASA/UK) spacecraft calculation that two comets on similar looks away from the Sun to survey atomic launched in January 1978 became the first orbits revisited the Sun around AD 1100. hydrogen in the Solar System, which space observatory facility available to the They split again and again, producing the glows with ultraviolet light and is altered by entire astronomical community. It marked sungrazer family, all still coming from the the solar wind. The instrument also sees the beginning of UV astronomy, a field for same direction." large clouds of hydrogen surrounding which space telescopes are essential comets, produced by the breakup of since UV light does not reach the Earth's The sungrazing comets slant in from the water molecules evaporating from the surface. By the time IUE was switched off, south, at 35° to the plane where the comets' ice. in September 1996 – 14 years later than Earth and the other planets orbit. As originally planned – IUE had changed the SOHO moves around the Sun, in step In December 1999, the International view astronomers had of the Universe. with the Earth, it sees the comets Astronomical Union retrospectively Among many other findings, IUE approaching the Sun from the east (left) credited SWAN and SOHO with finding discovered the auroras in Jupiter; in February and from the west (right) in Comet 1997 K2 in SWAN full-sky images detected for the first time the halo in our August. In June and November the from May to July 1997. It made number galaxy and measured the size of a black sungrazers seem to head straight up 93 on the SOHO scorecard. This comet hole in the core of an active galaxy. towards the Sun. remained outside the orbit of the Earth even at its closest approach to the Sun. The IUE archive, storing two decades of "The rate at which we've discovered Although it was presumably a small, faint ultraviolet astronomy, has become a comets with LASCO is beyond anything comet, the gas cloud grew to a width of historical reference. It contains more than we ever expected," said Douglas more than 4 million kilometres. 110 000 spectra from observations that in Biesecker, the SOHO scientist personally most cases cannot be repeated, and is an responsible for the greatest number of "The discovery was a surprise," said excellent source for studying variable discoveries, 45. "We've increased the Teemu Mäkinen, a Finnish member of the phenomena. The long time-lapse covered number of known sungrazing comets by a SWAN group. "Our normal procedure is to and the stability of the instrument have factor of four. This implies that there could observe hydrogen clouds of comets enabled astronomers to witness events be as many as 20 000 fragments." detected by other people. In that respect, they never thought they would. The SWAN on SOHO is the most important archive was the first of its kind accessible Their ancestor must have been enormous instrument now available for routinely online – already in 1985, when the World by cometary standards. Although SOHO's measuring the release of water vapour Wide Web did not yet exist – and has sungrazers are all too small to survive, from comets." been a key catalyst for science. To date, it other members of the family are still large has triggered the publication of some enough to reappear, depleted but intact, When Comet Wirtanen, the target for 3600 articles in refereed journals and a after their close encounters with the Sun. ESA's Rosetta mission (2003), made its whole generation of astrophysicists has Among them were the Great September most recent periodic visit to the Sun, it used IUE data at some stage. Comet (1882) and Comet Ikeya-Seki pumped out water vapour at a rate of (1965). 20 000 tons a day, according to the Now, the IUE archive will belong to the SWAN data. For the great Comet Hale- global scientific community. ESA has just The history of splitting gives clues to the Bopp the rate reached 20 million tons a released the new IUE archive, INES (IUE strength of comets, which will be of day and SWAN watched its hydrogen Newly Extracted Spectra) as the first practical importance if ever a comet cloud grow to 70 million kilometres – by astronomical database distributed to seems likely to hit the Earth. And the far the largest object ever seen in the national data centres all over the world for fragments seen as SOHO comets reveal Solar System. faster and easier access. "This is the best the internal composition of comets, freshly farewell from ESA to a historic mission. exposed, in contrast to the much-altered For further information on SOHO, pictures Thanks to the new distributed system the surfaces of objects like Halley's Comet and movies visit the ESA science web IUE archive will become both a mine of that have visited the Sun many times. pages at discoveries and a powerful educational aid LASCO reveals how much visible dust
162 in brief
about the technicalities of the mission or whether there is an improvement in archive technology. And the distributed structure is better adapted to changes in user needs than a single archive centre", says Antonio Talavera from the Laboratory for Space Astrophysics and Theoretical Physics (LAEFF), based at Villafranca. "ESA has created INES using a minimalist engineering approach for the world scientific community, and has made it to last. INES is easy to use and easy to upgrade, and LAEFF in Spain is proud to serve as the hub for the whole world".
The INES Principal Centre is at the LAEFF, owned by INTA, the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology. This centre, with a data mirror at the CADC in Victoria (Canada), holds the complete The INES Newsletter and Brochure are available from ESA Publications
163 r bulletin 102 — may 2000
ESA’s First Biomedical Application Research Contract for the ISS
ESA and researchers from academia and industry signed the contract on 3 May for a health research project that will develop a space bioreactor for research aboard the International Space Station into biomedical applications. At the ceremony, held in the Erasmus User Centre at ESTEC, Mr Jörg Feustel-Büechl, ESA's Director of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, pointed out that "This is the first in a series of almost 50 contracts for Mr Jörg Feustel-Büechl (left) and Prof Augusto Cogoli sign the contract for the first in a series of application-oriented research projects that almost 50 new projects in ESA’s Microgravity Applications Promotion Programme involve the International Space Station."
A bioreactor is used for growing bacteria, The modular space bioreactor for scientific research institutes and industry. yeast or animal cells and, more recently, medically-relevant organ-like structures A major aspect of this MAP Programme is for tissue. The new bioreactor will be was proposed by a European scientific the setting up of Europe-wide teams and designed specifically for cultivating medically- and industrial research team under the networks involving partners from relevant mammalian cells, tissues and coordination of Prof. Augusto Cogoli from academia and industry to work together organ-like structures, with particular the Swiss Federal Polytechnical University on industrially-relevant research. The aim emphasis on vessels and cartilage. (ETH) Zurich. It will be essential in is to initiate concrete industrial projects in clarifying the cellular and molecular which terrestrial research with industrial Millions of people every year suffer organ mechanisms responsible for cell objectives and commercial funding, and tissue loss from diseases and aggregation and differentiation control together with the participation of accidents. Transplantimg tissues and mechanisms, and in obtaining better researchers from scientific institutes, are organs from other human bodies is pseudo-organs for possible clinical uses. supported by ESA, including the severely limited by the availability of donors. sponsoring of space flight opportunities Taking tissue samples from healthy areas Prof. Cogoli's team comprises participants and associated ground-based activities. of the patient's own body, growing them from Switzerland, Italy and Germany: Dr. in vitro, outside the patient's body, to a Isabelle Walther from ETH, Dr. Werner Prof. Cogoli and his scientific-industrial size and structure which then allow their Müller from the Sulzer Medica company in team proposed the space bioreactor reimplantation into the damaged parts is a Winterthur (CH), Prof. Saverio Ambesi- project in response to ESA's first promising alternative. Reimplantation also Impiombato from the University of Udine Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for avoids the fundamental problem of (I), Dr. Augustinus Bader from the Medical Physical Sciences and Biotechnology. rejection of foreign tissues and organs. University of Hannover (D), Prof. Peter This 1998 AO for Space Station research Growing tissue samples in vitro – in a Bruckner from the University of Münster proposals produced 145 responses, bioreactor – is currently one of the major (D) and Dr. Ralf Pörtner from the Technical substantially exceeding expectations. After goals of medical research. It is expected University of Hamburg-Harburg (D). a review by independent peers, 6 proposals that such techniques will revolutionise were rated as ‘outstanding’, 26 as ‘highly biomedical and surgical procedures in the The modular space bioreactor project is recommended’ and 30 as ‘recommended’. near future. Space research may be one of more than 50 microgravity Of these, 31 dealt with application-oriented instrumental for the breakthrough in tissue application projects for the Space Station research, including thermophysical engineering – the microgravity that ESA expects to initiate in the near properties of liquid metals, advanced environment may provide much better future. They will use the Station to obtain foams, biological tissue culturing, conditions for obtaining proper 3D cell application-oriented data that provide osteoporosis and combustion processes. structures. deeper insights into Earth-based industrial processes or be used in numerical The peer review panel summarised its A potential application is the mass simulations. The availability of the Space evaluation of the proposal made by Prof. cultivation on Earth of biological implants Station means that examining specific Cogoli and his team as "The proposal for to regenerate the meniscus and articular applied-research questions in that unique producing cartilage … is an outstanding cartilage of the knee, using techniques environment may be, in the long term, and innovative approach. … this may be resulting from the space experiments. rewarding for industry. the only way for in vitro production of a Cartilage regeneration is urgently needed functional cartilage analogue. This for 20 to 50 year-old patients, many of The modular space bioreactor project is approach cannot be done except under them suffering from sports accidents. The sponsored by ESA's Microgravity microgravity conditions.” r demand for such implants in Europe alone Applications Promotion Programme and is is estimated to be 100 000 per year. funded jointly with the participating
164 in brief
Historic WA Town to Host Deep Space Ground Station
The start of construction of a Deep Space Ground Station, just outside the historic monastic town of New Norcia, Western Australia, has been marked with a Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony by ESA on Thursday, 2 March 2000.
Mr David Dale, ESA Director of Technical and Operational Support, and the Western Australian Minister for Planning, Graham Kierath, officially buried a time capsule and laid the first foundation stone.
Part of ESA's global network, the Ground Station features a 35-metre high antenna which will be built 8 km south of New Norcia. Site of the new Deep Space Ground Station outside New Norcia, Western Australia The $40 million antenna will transfer data to and from ESA's deep space missions. The first large mission, the Rosetta satellite, will leave in 2003 on a 10-year mission to study the Wirtanen Comet. formed to manage the project. Telstra has Rosetta will send a Lander to the surface been contracted to maintain the Ground of the comet to analyse its structure and Station on ESA's behalf. composition. Further information is available from ESOC The antenna will also communicate with Public Relations (Robert-Bosch-Str. 5, ESA's first mission to Mars. The Mars 64293 Darmstadt, Germany). r Express will also be launched in 2003 as part of an international flotilla of spacecraft sent to study the planet. Mr David Dale (right), ESA Director of Technical and Operational Support, and Mr Graham Construction of the antenna tower Kierath, Western Australian Minister for commenced in April. Components for the Planning, during the stone laying ceremony antenna will be shipped from Europe and assembled on site. The expected completion date is Spring 2001.
Mr Dale said New Norcia was chosen over a number of sites in the Southern Hemisphere. "This site has excellent weather conditions, sits on the perfect latitude for the launch operations and is sufficiently distant from urban areas so that no other transmission devices disturb the satellite's operations." "Western Australia also has high quality telecom- munications infrastructure and we are working closely with Telstra because of its experience in the maintenance and operation of tracking stations."
Bovis Lend Lease will oversee the construction under the leadership of the Canadian company, SED, which will head the International Antenna Consortium
165 r bulletin 102 — may 2000
ESA Astronaut Brings be used to produce unrivalled three- radar system, was designed to demon- Back New Views of dimensional images of the world," he said. strate the technology for obtaining high- resolution digital topographic maps of the Earth Orbiting at 233 km above the Earth, with Earth. The radar has imaged mountains German astronaut Gerhard Thiele landed two radar antennas mounted in the and deep valleys carved by glaciers and back on Earth on 22 February with his five Shuttle payload bay and two extended on rivers – like those in the Andes, the Rocky international colleagues after a ground- a 60-metre mast, the imaging system has Mountains and the Himalayas of Asia – breaking Space Shuttle mission that will measured the undulations of landscapes vast expanses of deserts and coastal change the way we look at the Earth. that have been sculpted through the plains around the world, as well as cold millennia. regions and forests of the northern The Space Shuttle Endeavour glided to an latitudes. early evening landing at the Kennedy NASA extended mapping operations for Space Center, touching down on the nine hours, allowing Endeavour's In the future, any project that requires runway after a mission of over 11 days. astronauts to continue collecting data until accurate knowledge of the shape and a day before returning to Earth and, height of the land – such as flood control, Elated scientists from all over the world therefore, achieving almost 100 percent of soil conservation, reforestation or volcano gave the international SRTM team a the planned coverage. The mission's monitoring – will benefit. standing ovation and heralded the mission target mapping area included about 123 as a huge success. million square kilometres and more than After a series of delayed launch attempts, 65% of this – nearly 80 million square the mission got off to a perfect start on 11 ESA astronaut Gerhard Thiele, completing kilometres – was mapped with two or February with Thiele reporting successful his first space flight, described the mission more passes. deployment of the 60 metre radar mast – as a 'fantastic experience'. "We have the longest structure to be flown in space mapped regions that are home to 95% of The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission from the Shuttle – and activation of the the world's population and this data will (SRTM), consisting of a specially modified complex radar instruments going more smoothly than expected. "We'd expected that there would be more teething problems but the intensive training and preparations paid off," he said.
STRM is a joint project between NASA, the United States National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) developed the C-band Spaceborne Imaging Radar and DLR developed the X-band Synthetic Aperture radar (X-SAR). Dornier Satellitensysteme GmbH, a corporate unit of Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace (Dasa), is the prime contractor for the X-SAR system.
Although the first images have already been released, the gathering of the radar data from orbit marks only the end of the first phase. Scientists will spend another 18 months processing the huge volume of SRTM data.
For further information, see the following web pages: ESA:
166 in brief
This topographic image of Patagonia, Argentina, shows a spectacular landscape formed by volcanoes, rivers, and wind. The area is located just east of the narrow range of the Andes Mountains, about 100 km east of the border with Chile. Interesting features include basalt-capped mesas with sink holes (lower centre), arcuate ridges of windblown beach sands downwind from a salty desert lake (upper centre), young volcanic cones (right). A computer-generated artificial light source illuminates the elevation data to produce a pattern of light and shadows. Colours show the elevation as measured by SRTM, ranging from blue at the lowest, to white at the highest elevations. White speckles on the face of some of the mountains are holes in the data caused by steep terrain and will be filled using coverage from an intersecting pass. Geologists will use SRTM topographic data to study the interaction of volcanic, climatic and erosion processes
Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is a large and growing urban area with limited space and water resources. This perspective view, combining a Landsat image with STRM topography, shows how the topography controls the urban growth pattern, causes cloud formation, and directs the rainfall runoff pattern. Features of interest in this scene include downtown Honolulu (right), Honolulu harbour (right), Pearl Harbor (centre), and offshore reef patterns (foreground). The Koolau mountain range runs through the centre of the image. Clouds commonly hang above ridges and peaks of the Hawaiian Islands, and in this rendition appear draped directly on the mountains. The clouds are actually about 1000 metres above sea level. This type of display adds the important dimension of elevation to the study of land use and environmental processes as observed in satellite images, allowing ecologists and planners to assess the effects of urban development on the sensitive ecosystems in tropical regions
California’s Garlock Fault, marking the northwestern boundary of the Mojave Desert, lies at the foot of the mountains, running from the lower right to the top centre of this image. These mountains are the southern end of the Sierra Nevada and the prominent canyon emerging at the lower right is Lone Tree Canyon. In the distance, the San Gabriel Mountains cut across from the left side of the image. At their base lies the San Andreas Fault, which meets the Garlock Fault near the left edge at Tejon Pass. The dark linear feature running from lower right to upper left is State Highway 14 leading from the town of Mojave in the distance to Inyokern and the Owens Valley in the north. The lighter parallel lines are dirt roads related to power lines and the Los Angeles Aqueduct which run along the base of the mountains. The data will be used by geologists studying fault dynamics and landforms resulting from active tectonics
167 r bulletin 102 — may 2000
'Beyond the Peaks' a millimetre. They collide with each other, forming bigger and bigger On 2-4 February 2000, the 'ISO bodies. Models predict that in beyond the Peaks' workshop was about ten to one hundred million held in Villafranca del Castillo, years they will make planets", Madrid, Spain. This workshop was Waters says. "In fact, crystalline the second in a series initiated with silicates are very common in our the successful 'First ISO Workshop own Solar System. You also have on Analytical Spectroscopy', held in them in the comet Hale Bopp!". October 1997, in which 100 astronomers gathered in Villafranca The reason why crystalline to discuss ESA's Infrared Space silicates had not previously been Telescope ISO observations and detected in stars has to do with associated scientific interpretation, their low temperatures. Cold 2 years into the ongoing mission. material emits mostly infrared light, This second workshop took place which means an infrared space with all ISO data having entered the telescope like ESA's ISO was public domain. 140 astronomers, needed. The two high-resolution more than expected, attended the spectrometers onboard the workshop, discussing in 38 talks satellite, able to detect the and 50 posters, aspects of the Signatures of crystalline silicate forsterite found by ISO close 'chemical fingerprint' of the detailed ISO spectroscopic heritage to young stars and in comets. crystals, did the rest. including, among other topics, the Credits: ISO (ESA), SWS & C. Waelkens et al. cosmic cycle of water and the Astronomers are sure about the derivation of an inventory of cosmic discovery because those chemical ices. Many results lead to the ordered internal structure; that means you fingerprints, the spectra, can be compared development of more sophisticated cannot differentiate among the many in laboratories with spectra from crystalline models, such as dynamical models for different silicates existing. Now we can try silicates found on Earth. This method has AGB stars, or upper layers of warm to identify them and track their presence demonstrated the crystalline structure and molecular gas in the atmospheres of Mira in different regions. A whole new research has even already allowed the identification stars. Representatives of upcoming IR field is starting", said Waters, who brought of some of the crystals, such as forsterite missions such as SIRTF, SOFIA and to the press conference samples of and enstatite. However, crystalline silicates ASTRO-F were also present. several terrestrial crystalline silicates: are a large family and their chemical olivine and pyroxene, the most common signatures can be very similar; to enlarge The Crystalline Revolution silicates on Earth. the list of precise crystals more work will ISO's Finding Opens a New Research be needed, say experts in space Field, 'Astro-Mineralogy' Crystals give key clues about the physical chemistry. Silicate crystals, the most abundant conditions and evolutionary history of minerals on Earth, are also found in great crystal-bearing objects. The precise "Crystalline silicates are synthesised quantities around old stars and in mechanisms for crystal-making are now around the stars; then that dust goes into protoplanetary discs – the discs where being actively researched in laboratories, the interstellar space, and enriches the planets form. This finding, presented at a although some working-hypotheses are raw material out of which more stars and press conference on the last day of the already being used. For instance, crystals planets will form. So you would expect 'Beyond the Peaks' workshop, is can be made by heating the material to crystals also to be in the interstellar considered by experts in space chemistry temperatures above 1300°C and then medium! Crystals will certainly make us as one of the main results of ESA's slowly cooling it down. Those found so far learn a lot...", according to Waters. infrared space telescope, ISO. Silicate by ISO are at -170°C, both in stellar minerals were known to be a main envelopes and in protoplanetary discs. "This finding shows that ISO is really component of dust in space, but unveiling the chemistry of the Universe", detecting them in a crystallised state has In the case of the old stars – red giant says ESA astronomer Alberto Salama, been a surprise. It allows the identification stars, where crystals are found to account chairman of the workshop about ISO of precise silicates in astronomical objects, for as much as 20% of all the surrounding results in spectroscopy held this week at which will open a totally new field in dust – astronomers think that that the high ESA's Villafranca station in Madrid where astronomy: 'astro-mineralogy'. "This is the temperatures near the star triggered the the results were presented to the scientific crystalline revolution", said the author, crystallisation of the silicates. In the community. "This is becoming more and Dutch astronomer Rens Waters of protoplanetary discs some experts more a 'hot field' of research. Initially we Amsterdam University. postulate that electric shocks – like intended to organise a modest workshop, lightning flashes – heated the dust, which but we have had 140 astronomers coming "It's really fantastic, this possibility of cooled afterwards. from all over the world!". r identifying the silicates. Before ISO everybody thought that all silicates in "The crystals detected by ISO in these space were amorphous, without a well- discs have a size of about a thousandth of
168 in brief
AP2000 Millennium Explorer Opportunity Missions, will Conference monitor from space soil moisture, salinity, vegetation biomass and Summary surface temperature using micro- wave interferometry at L-band. The AP2000 Millennium Such a new instrument, with its Conference on Antennas and large two-dimensional array poses Propagation was held from challenging antenna engineering 9-14 April in Davos, Switzerland. and retrieval problems. Atmos- Some 1100 delegates, one third pheric remote sensing for from overseas, attended the communication and radar conference, presenting over 900 applications is also an expanding papers in 65 specialised oral and field. poster sessions. Several short courses were also offered to delegates by into the millimetre-wave range. This Multifrequency synthetic aperture radar eminent scientists. Equipment, software requires new propagation models, new requires new low-cost printed antenna and books were displayed by industry in impairment restoration techniques to technologies, much discussed at the some 20 exhibitions. AP2000 is the overcome fading and scintillation at higher conference. Spaceborne repeat and largest conference ever organised in this frequencies. Here also, closer coopera- single-pass SAR interferometry opens new field in Europe. tion between propagation modelling and perspectives and challenges for digital antenna design is required to develop elevation mapping, cartography and Current work in Antennas and Radio-wave active fade compensation techniques for seismology Propagation is driven by new requirements satellite and terrestrial systems, where for expanding wireless communication antenna gain and power are continuously Finally, ground penetration radars, and remote sensing applications. adapted to propagation conditions. At involving both antennas and complex millimetre wave frequencies, integrating propagation issues, have been extensively For mobile communications, multibeam active components and radiating elements discussed at AP2000, mostly for the reflector and planar or conformal arrays on the same substrates, some of them detection of buried objects. They are also with active or semi-active feeding and with frequency sensitive (Photonic Band being considered for planetary observation smart beam forming, are being developed Gap), or for multifrequency capability missions. for satellites and for cellular base stations. (fractal antennas) is the object of Channel modelling in complex com- sustained research activities. This successful conference has provided munication environments, building ESA with precious inputs for its future penetration and avoidance of interference The new concept of stratospheric com- R&D in the key areas of antennas, wave are key topics in mobile propagation. munication relay, and perhaps observation propagation and microwave remote Interactions of microwave with biological platforms, also introduces new challenges sensing. It has also enhanced the image tissues is also an area of extensive to propagation and antenna engineers, of ESA's technical excellence in the research activity. Concurrent engineering which are currently being investigated. antenna and propagation communities involving antenna, propagation and signal world-wide, as well as in the associated processing disciplines is becoming the key In the field of remote sensing, challenging engineering societies. to mobile communication system design. perspectives have been discussed both for passive and active instruments. In For technical information on the AP2000 For wideband multimedia communications, particular, the SMOS sensor, accepted by conference, please consult the AP2000 the trend is to use higher frequencies up ESA in the framework of the Earth website:
The Proceedings of the conference are available on CD-ROM from the ESA Publications website
Photos of the AP2000 Opening Session
169 r bulletin 102 — may 2000
ESA and Hubble: With the astronauts who took part in the With an expected life time of 20 years, Changing our Vision most recent Servicing Mission (SM3A) in Hubble is now at the midpoint of its life. attendance, ESA presented a complete It has so far been one of the most In light of the Hubble Space Telescope’s overview of Europe’s major contribution to successful scientific space missions, and 10th anniversary on 27 April, ESA held a the HST mission, and reviewed the first the continuous maintenance and upgrading press conference at the Space Telescope- ten years of operations and the of the observatory through the Servicing European Coordinating Facility (ST-ECF) in outstanding results that have 'changed Missions makes Hubble’s next ten years Munich in which the new and fully our vision' of the cosmos. appear even more promising. r European outreach initiative, the 'European Space Agency Hubble With this initiative, ESA shows its Information Centre' was presented and commitment to public outreach and launched. to the communication of science.
ESA Brochure-157 '10 Years that Changed our Vision' covers the background and science information of the Hubble Telescope Project. It is available from the ESA Publications Bookshop at
Visit the new 'European Space Agency Hubble Information Centre' at
ERS – ENVISAT SYMPOSIUM ‘Looking Down to Earth in the New Millenium’
Organised by: ESA and the Chalmers University of Technology 16-20 October 2000 – Gothenburg, Sweden http://www.esa.int/sympo2000
Contacts: – for Website aspects, registration, information: Barbara Scarda, ESRIN tel. +39-06-94180941 fax +39-06-94180942 E-mail: [email protected] – for Local Support: Britt-Marie Boisen – for Symposium contents: Chalmers University of Technology, Gianna Calabresi, ESRIN Gothenburg, Sweden tel. +39-06-94180625 tel. +46-31-7721840 fax +39-06-94180552 fax +46-31-164513 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]
170