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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 PROJECT J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND COMMENTS SPACE TELESCOPE LAUNCHED APRIL1990 Programmes ULYSSES LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1990 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 in Progress PROGRAMME TC-2 LAUNCHED JULY 2004 ROSETTA LAUNCHED MARCH 2004

VENUS EXPRESS LAUNCHED NOVEMBER 2005

HERSCHEL/PLANCK LAUNCH MAY 2008

LISA PATHFINDER LAUNCH 4TH QUARTER 2009 Status end-September 2006 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 SEPTEMBER 2007 PROGRAMME

EARTH OBSERVATION EARTH SMOS LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2007

ADM-AEOLUS LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2008

SWARM LAUNCH 2010

EARTHCARE LAUNCH END-2012

ARTEMIS LAUNCHED JULY 2001

ALPHABUS LAUNCH 2009

SMALL GEO SAT. LAUNCH JUNE 2010

COMMS./NAV. GNSS-1/EGNOS OPERATIONS START 2006 PROGRAMME

GIOVE-A GIOVE-B GALILEOSAT GIOVE-A LAUNCHED DEC. 2005 GIOVE-B LAUNCH 2007, IOV END-2008 PROBA-1 LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2001

PROBA-2 LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2007 PROG.

TECHNOL. SLOSHSAT LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

COLUMBUS LAUNCH OCTOBER 2007

ATV FIRST LAUNCH JUNE-JULY 2007

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

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

FOTON-MI APCF-6/BIOBOX-5/ MATROSHKA FOTON-M2 TEXUS-42 MAXUS-7/TEXUS-43 PCDF TEXUS-44/45 ARMS/BIOPACK/ MASER-11 EMIR/ELIPS MASER-10 EML-1 EMCS/ MARES FAST-2/ERISTO MAXUS-6 PEMS FOTON-M3 MSL MFC BIO, FSL, EPM with COLUMBUS & EXPLORATION PROGRAMME & EXPLORATION ASTRONAUT FLT. HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, MICROGRAVITY HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT,

AURORA CORE

EXOMARS LAUNCH MID-2013

ARIANE-5 DEVELOP. OPERATIONAL

ARIANE-5 PLUS AR5-ECA QUALIF. LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

VEGA FIRST LAUNCH DECEMBER 2007 PROG.

LAUNCHER SOYUZ AT CSG READY FOR LAUNCH MAY 2009

DEFINITION PHASE MAIN DEVELOPMENT PHASE STORAGE

LAUNCH/READY FOR LAUNCH OPERATIONS ADDITIONAL LIFE POSSIBLE

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Programmes In Progress

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 PROJECT J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND J FMAMJ JASONDJ FMAMJ JASOND COMMENTS SPACE TELESCOPE LAUNCHED APRIL1990 Programmes ULYSSES LAUNCHED OCTOBER 1990 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 in Progress PROGRAMME TC-2 LAUNCHED JULY 2004 ROSETTA LAUNCHED MARCH 2004

VENUS EXPRESS LAUNCHED NOVEMBER 2005

HERSCHEL/PLANCK LAUNCH MAY 2008

LISA PATHFINDER LAUNCH 4TH QUARTER 2009 Status end-September 2006 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 SEPTEMBER 2007 PROGRAMME

EARTH OBSERVATION EARTH SMOS LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2007

ADM-AEOLUS LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2008

SWARM LAUNCH 2010

EARTHCARE LAUNCH END-2012

ARTEMIS LAUNCHED JULY 2001

ALPHABUS LAUNCH 2009

SMALL GEO SAT. LAUNCH JUNE 2010

COMMS./NAV. GNSS-1/EGNOS OPERATIONS START 2006 PROGRAMME

GIOVE-A GIOVE-B GALILEOSAT GIOVE-A LAUNCHED DEC. 2005 GIOVE-B LAUNCH 2007, IOV END-2008 PROBA-1 LAUNCHED OCTOBER 2001

PROBA-2 LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2007 PROG.

TECHNOL. SLOSHSAT LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

COLUMBUS LAUNCH OCTOBER 2007

ATV FIRST LAUNCH JUNE-JULY 2007

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

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

FOTON-MI APCF-6/BIOBOX-5/ MATROSHKA FOTON-M2 TEXUS-42 MAXUS-7/TEXUS-43 PCDF TEXUS-44/45 ARMS/BIOPACK/ MASER-11 EMIR/ELIPS MASER-10 EML-1 EMCS/ MARES FAST-2/ERISTO MAXUS-6 PEMS FOTON-M3 MSL MFC BIO, FSL, EPM with COLUMBUS & EXPLORATION PROGRAMME & EXPLORATION ASTRONAUT FLT. HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, MICROGRAVITY HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT,

AURORA CORE

EXOMARS LAUNCH MID-2013

ARIANE-5 DEVELOP. OPERATIONAL

ARIANE-5 PLUS AR5-ECA QUALIF. LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2005

VEGA FIRST LAUNCH DECEMBER 2007 PROG.

LAUNCHER SOYUZ AT CSG READY FOR LAUNCH MAY 2009

DEFINITION PHASE MAIN DEVELOPMENT PHASE STORAGE

LAUNCH/READY FOR LAUNCH OPERATIONS ADDITIONAL LIFE POSSIBLE

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Programmes In Progress

ISO Explanatory Library on the ISO web site. under a different geometry may help to observations to be performed between May HST Support continued to be provided directly to answer this question. 2007 and May 2008 has opened. XMM- users in their exploitation of the ISO data Newton scientific results have been reported A team of US and European astronomers throughout the period. The analysis and interpretation of Huygens in 1188 refereed papers, of which 181 are analysing two of the deepest views of the data continue. The excellent scientific return from 2006. cosmos made with the Hubble Space of Huygens is well illustrated by the movies Telescope has uncovered a gold mine of recently released by the DISR team (available A preliminary version of the second XMM- more than 500 galaxies that existed less than SOHO at http://saturn.esa.int). These give a good Newton serendipitous source catalogue, a billion years after the Big Bang. This account of the work done so far by all the 2XMMp, has been released. The catalogue sample is the most comprehensive SOHO-18 ‘Beyond the Spherical Sun: A New teams to understand and interpret the has been constructed by the XMM-Newton compilation of galaxies in the early Universe, Era in Helio- and Asteroseismology’ was held performance of the probe during the descent Survey Science Centre (SSC) on behalf of researchers said. The discovery is jointly with the annual meeting of the Global and the returned science data. A recent ESA. It contains over 150 000 source scientifically invaluable for understanding the Oscillation Network Group (GONG) detailed interpretation of the Huygens detections, making it the largest catalogue of origin of galaxies, considering that just a 7–11 August at the University of Sheffield, observations by Titan meteorologists astronomical X-ray sources ever produced. decade ago early galaxy formation was UK. Nearly 130 participants discussed over suggests that methane was drizzling down The catalogue is derived from the available largely uncharted territory. Astronomers then 150 papers, which will be published as ESA on the day of the Huygens landing. pointed observations that XMM-Newton has had not seen even one galaxy from when the SP-624. A French-Spanish team reported the made so far, and covers less than 1% of the Universe was a billion years old, so finding detection of g modes in the Sun using sky. 500 in a Hubble survey is a significant leap 10 years of GOLF data. Their results also forward for cosmologists. devoted to these topics was held in This Hubble image shows 28 of the more than 500 young suggest a solar core rotating significantly XMM-Newton XMM-Newton has found evidence linking September to honour him and celebrate his galaxies uncovered in the analysis of two Hubble surveys. faster than the rest of the radiative zone. If stellar remains to the oldest recorded birthday. At that meeting, George Gloeckler, (NASA; ESA; R. Bouwens & G. Illingworth, University of California, confirmed, this could open a new era in the XMM-Newton operations are continuing supernova. The combined image from the Santa Cruz, USA) his Co-PI on the Ulysses Solar Wind Ion study of the dynamical properties of the smoothly, with the spacecraft, instruments Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray Ulysses Composition instrument (SWICS), noted that central solar interior. and ground segment all performing observatories of a supernova remnant called Johannes Geiss was the first to measure the best use of the legacy provided by the first nominally. The 6th Announcement of RCW 86 shows the expanding ring of debris On 6 October, Ulysses completed its 16th composition of the noble gases in the solar true infrared observatory in space, in close On 9 August a Polish amateur astronomer Observing (AO-6) opportunity for that was created after a massive star in the successful year in orbit. The spacecraft wind when, in the late 1960s, he flew his collaboration with active National Data discovered the 1000th SOHO comet in the continues its climb to high southern latitudes brilliant foil experiments on five Apollo Centres. Major releases of the ISO Data Kreutz group of Sun-grazing comets. The XMM-Newton full field (left) and Chandra close-up (right) images of the oldest recorded supernova, RCW 86. Both images show low- with all subsystems and science instruments missions to collect solar wind ions on the Archive included: 1185th comet discovered in data from energy X-rays in red, medium energies in green and high energies in blue. (ESA/XMM-Newton; NASA/CXC; Univ. Utrecht, J. Vink) in good health. Science operations are Moon. In recent years, Geiss, together with SOHO’s LASCO and SWAN instruments in currently being conducted according to a his colleagues on the SWICS team, has – the introduction of products derived from total, the faint object is officially designated revised payload power-sharing plan. Largely determined the isotopic and elemental systematic manual processing of data, C/2006 P7 (SOHO) by the Minor Planet as a result of the gradually improving composition of the solar wind under all solar including queryable catalogues and atlases Centre of the IAU. Before the launch of thermal situation as Ulysses gets closer to wind conditions and at all helio-latitudes. (Highly Processed Data Products). ISO will SOHO, only some 30 members of the Kreutz the Sun, several instruments not in the core have about a third of its content populated group were known. All 1000 Kreutz comets payload category have been able to acquire Geiss’ quest to measure and understand the with Highly Processed Data Products; are believed to be fragments of a single data for short periods (typically a month). composition of matter is not limited to the – the adoption of an innovative way to comet observed in about 371 BC by Aristotle These include the gamma-ray burst solar wind, however. He has also played a document quality information for each and Ephorus, and the fragments themselves experiment and the solar wind electron key role in the in situ measurement of observation; continue to fragment, making more sensor. Ground segment performance has molecular ions in comets and the – the characterisation by object type; Sun-grazing comets. been excellent, leading to an overall data interpretation of these data, and in the study – full integration into the Virtual Observatory. return for the period of 98.6%. By the middle of the composition of plasmas in the of November, the spacecraft will have magnetospheres of Earth and Jupiter. On ISO results continue to appear in the refereed reached 70ºS solar latitude, marking the start behalf of the Ulysses team, we wish literature and are clearly used to prepare Cassini-Huygens of the third South Polar Pass. Johannes Geiss ‘many happy returns’ and proposals with other astronomical facilities. many more scientific discoveries. The ISO Science Legacy book was published, The Cassini Orbiter mission continues One of the fathers of the Ulysses mission reviewing the most significant results from smoothly. Regular observations are (and one of its longest-serving Principal papers published until 2005. Over 1380 published on JPL’s web page Investigators), Johannes Geiss, recently refereed papers based on ISO data have been (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov). Each Titan flyby celebrated his 80th birthday. Geiss is a ISO published to date. Documentation about the brings new surprises as the radar probes world-leader in the measurement and mission, its instruments and data products new territory. Lakes have been spotted near interpretation of the composition of matter The 5-year ISO Active Archive Phase is due has been published in the 5-volume ISO the north pole but it is not yet known that reveals the history, present state and for completion in December 2006. This is the Handbook. This is accompanied by a legacy whether they are dry or filled with liquid. future of astronomical objects. A symposium last phase of ISO, aiming at ensuring the of around 200 documents organised in the Upcoming observations of the same territory

78 esa bulletin 128 - november 2006 www.esa.int www.esa.int esa bulletin 128 - november 2006 79 BP128 11/9/06 4:38 PM Page 78

Programmes In Progress

ISO Explanatory Library on the ISO web site. under a different geometry may help to observations to be performed between May HST Support continued to be provided directly to answer this question. 2007 and May 2008 has opened. XMM- users in their exploitation of the ISO data Newton scientific results have been reported A team of US and European astronomers throughout the period. The analysis and interpretation of Huygens in 1188 refereed papers, of which 181 are analysing two of the deepest views of the data continue. The excellent scientific return from 2006. cosmos made with the Hubble Space of Huygens is well illustrated by the movies Telescope has uncovered a gold mine of recently released by the DISR team (available A preliminary version of the second XMM- more than 500 galaxies that existed less than SOHO at http://saturn.esa.int). These give a good Newton serendipitous source catalogue, a billion years after the Big Bang. This account of the work done so far by all the 2XMMp, has been released. The catalogue sample is the most comprehensive SOHO-18 ‘Beyond the Spherical Sun: A New teams to understand and interpret the has been constructed by the XMM-Newton compilation of galaxies in the early Universe, Era in Helio- and Asteroseismology’ was held performance of the probe during the descent Survey Science Centre (SSC) on behalf of researchers said. The discovery is jointly with the annual meeting of the Global and the returned science data. A recent ESA. It contains over 150 000 source scientifically invaluable for understanding the Oscillation Network Group (GONG) detailed interpretation of the Huygens detections, making it the largest catalogue of origin of galaxies, considering that just a 7–11 August at the University of Sheffield, observations by Titan meteorologists astronomical X-ray sources ever produced. decade ago early galaxy formation was UK. Nearly 130 participants discussed over suggests that methane was drizzling down The catalogue is derived from the available largely uncharted territory. Astronomers then 150 papers, which will be published as ESA on the day of the Huygens landing. pointed observations that XMM-Newton has had not seen even one galaxy from when the SP-624. A French-Spanish team reported the made so far, and covers less than 1% of the Universe was a billion years old, so finding detection of g modes in the Sun using sky. 500 in a Hubble survey is a significant leap 10 years of GOLF data. Their results also forward for cosmologists. devoted to these topics was held in This Hubble image shows 28 of the more than 500 young suggest a solar core rotating significantly XMM-Newton XMM-Newton has found evidence linking September to honour him and celebrate his galaxies uncovered in the analysis of two Hubble surveys. faster than the rest of the radiative zone. If stellar remains to the oldest recorded birthday. At that meeting, George Gloeckler, (NASA; ESA; R. Bouwens & G. Illingworth, University of California, confirmed, this could open a new era in the XMM-Newton operations are continuing supernova. The combined image from the Santa Cruz, USA) his Co-PI on the Ulysses Solar Wind Ion study of the dynamical properties of the smoothly, with the spacecraft, instruments Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray Ulysses Composition instrument (SWICS), noted that central solar interior. and ground segment all performing observatories of a supernova remnant called Johannes Geiss was the first to measure the best use of the legacy provided by the first nominally. The 6th Announcement of RCW 86 shows the expanding ring of debris On 6 October, Ulysses completed its 16th composition of the noble gases in the solar true infrared observatory in space, in close On 9 August a Polish amateur astronomer Observing (AO-6) opportunity for that was created after a massive star in the successful year in orbit. The spacecraft wind when, in the late 1960s, he flew his collaboration with active National Data discovered the 1000th SOHO comet in the continues its climb to high southern latitudes brilliant foil experiments on five Apollo Centres. Major releases of the ISO Data Kreutz group of Sun-grazing comets. The XMM-Newton full field (left) and Chandra close-up (right) images of the oldest recorded supernova, RCW 86. Both images show low- with all subsystems and science instruments missions to collect solar wind ions on the Archive included: 1185th comet discovered in data from energy X-rays in red, medium energies in green and high energies in blue. (ESA/XMM-Newton; NASA/CXC; Univ. Utrecht, J. Vink) in good health. Science operations are Moon. In recent years, Geiss, together with SOHO’s LASCO and SWAN instruments in currently being conducted according to a his colleagues on the SWICS team, has – the introduction of products derived from total, the faint object is officially designated revised payload power-sharing plan. Largely determined the isotopic and elemental systematic manual processing of data, C/2006 P7 (SOHO) by the Minor Planet as a result of the gradually improving composition of the solar wind under all solar including queryable catalogues and atlases Centre of the IAU. Before the launch of thermal situation as Ulysses gets closer to wind conditions and at all helio-latitudes. (Highly Processed Data Products). ISO will SOHO, only some 30 members of the Kreutz the Sun, several instruments not in the core have about a third of its content populated group were known. All 1000 Kreutz comets payload category have been able to acquire Geiss’ quest to measure and understand the with Highly Processed Data Products; are believed to be fragments of a single data for short periods (typically a month). composition of matter is not limited to the – the adoption of an innovative way to comet observed in about 371 BC by Aristotle These include the gamma-ray burst solar wind, however. He has also played a document quality information for each and Ephorus, and the fragments themselves experiment and the solar wind electron key role in the in situ measurement of observation; continue to fragment, making more sensor. Ground segment performance has molecular ions in comets and the – the characterisation by object type; Sun-grazing comets. been excellent, leading to an overall data interpretation of these data, and in the study – full integration into the Virtual Observatory. return for the period of 98.6%. By the middle of the composition of plasmas in the of November, the spacecraft will have magnetospheres of Earth and Jupiter. On ISO results continue to appear in the refereed reached 70ºS solar latitude, marking the start behalf of the Ulysses team, we wish literature and are clearly used to prepare Cassini-Huygens of the third South Polar Pass. Johannes Geiss ‘many happy returns’ and proposals with other astronomical facilities. many more scientific discoveries. The ISO Science Legacy book was published, The Cassini Orbiter mission continues One of the fathers of the Ulysses mission reviewing the most significant results from smoothly. Regular observations are (and one of its longest-serving Principal papers published until 2005. Over 1380 published on JPL’s web page Investigators), Johannes Geiss, recently refereed papers based on ISO data have been (http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov). Each Titan flyby celebrated his 80th birthday. Geiss is a ISO published to date. Documentation about the brings new surprises as the radar probes world-leader in the measurement and mission, its instruments and data products new territory. Lakes have been spotted near interpretation of the composition of matter The 5-year ISO Active Archive Phase is due has been published in the 5-volume ISO the north pole but it is not yet known that reveals the history, present state and for completion in December 2006. This is the Handbook. This is accompanied by a legacy whether they are dry or filled with liquid. future of astronomical objects. A symposium last phase of ISO, aiming at ensuring the of around 200 documents organised in the Upcoming observations of the same territory

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Programmes In Progress

Milky Way collapsed and exploded. The new downlinked to the ground station at the end demonstrated and the VMC imaging system observations reveal that RCW 86 was created Double Star of the test. Preliminary analysis indicates that provided the first sequences of the by a star that exploded about 2000 years all instruments and the Philae lander are in observations of the cloud movements in the ago. This age matches observations of a new The two spacecraft and their instruments are good health. atmosphere. Most spectacular so far have bright star by Chinese (and possibly Roman) operating nominally. TC-2 has started the been the observations by VIRTIS at the astronomers in 185 AD and may be the eclipse season and TC-1 follows in November. On 29 September the second large Deep different wavelengths in the 1–5 µm range. It oldest known recording of a supernova. Space Manoeuvre was executed to target the clearly showed that we can penetrate to The European Payload Operation System, trajectory for the Mars swingby. The different levels deep in the atmosphere and which coordinates the operations for the manoeuvre was extremely accurate (0.1%) even can relate the observations to distinct seven European instruments, is running and placed Rosetta on its final course surface features. Cluster smoothly. Data are acquired using the towards the Red Planet. VILSPA 2 ground station for 3.8 h/day over an Venus Express is operated from the VEX The four spacecraft and instruments are average of two passes per day. The availability Intense analysis, testing and validation Mission Operations team at ESOC with daily operating nominally and have successfully of the ground station between January and activities are under way at the Control Centre 8 h tracking passes via ESA’s deep space come through the long eclipse season, July 2006 was above 99%. in preparation of the next critical mission antenna in Cerbreros (E). Payload operations including spacecraft-1, which now has very phases: Mars and Earth swingbys in are coordinated by the VEX Science weak batteries. To counteract this, ESOC A study on pulsed magnetic reconnection was February and November 2007, respectively, Operations Centre at ESTEC. defined a new mode of operation called A perspective view of the Cydonia region of Mars based on images from the High Resolution Stereo Camera aboard Mars Express. published in Annales Geophysicae using and the first asteroid (Steins) flyby in ‘decoder only’, where the computer and all Resolution is 13.7 m/pixel; date 22 July 2006. See the ‘In Brief’ news section of this issue for further information. Double Star and Cluster data. It was shown September 2008. The payload is usually other subsystems are switched off. To warm (ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, G. Neukum) that newly reconnected flux tubes (‘flux inactive in this cruise period, with the up spacecraft-1 and recharge the batteries, transfer events’) are observed in the exception of periodic test activities and SMART-1 the instruments were switched off for all the Announcement for Observing proposals longest eclipses. With the craft being equatorial plane by Double Star and at higher occasional scientific opportunities. However, eclipses (15–23 September). The other three (AO-4) are being observed. AO-4 includes a configured for the low-power/aphelion latitude by Cluster. This showed that the payload operations are planned for The operational mission ended on satellites recorded data as usual between pilot key programme observation of the season, payload operations are suspended reconnection site was at least extended over December, when there will be many test and 3 September, at 05:42:22 UT, when the New eclipses. galactic bulge region, which attracted a great (except for radio science during solar 2 h in local time. Furthermore, Double Star calibration activities, including major Norcia ground station in Australia lost radio deal of interest. The scientific community will conjunction) for some 10 weeks. However, could detect these events during one of its onboard software updates. contact with the spacecraft. SMART-1 ended JSOC and ESOC operations continue be invited to propose specific key thanks to excellent support from the full longest observations (about 8 h). its journey in the Lake of Excellence, at nominally. The data return from June 2006 to programmes in AO-5. ground segment, it proved possible to make 34.4ºS/46.2ºW. The ~2 km/s impact took the end of August 2006 was on average two sets of coordinated Mars Express-NASA place on the nearside of the Moon, in a dark 99.8%. The Cluster Active Archive is also Integral scientific results have been reported Rover/CRISM spectrometer observations Venus Express area just near the terminator at a grazing operating nominally. User access is growing in 203 refereed (of which 62 are from 2006) between the low-power/aphelion and the Rosetta angle of 5–10º. The time and location was every month and a total of 256 users were and 355 non-refereed publications. The 6th solar conjunction windows. Insufficient After the successful insertion into Venus planned to favour observations of the event registered at the end of August (more than Integral workshop was held at the Space downlink capacity was available at the time, At the end of its first period of solar orbit on 11 April, the spacecraft and its from ground-based telescopes. This was 80% increase over the last quarter). Research Institute (IKI) in Moscow with the and the data will be downlinked after the end conjunction, lasting March–May 2006, subsystems and the payload passed their achieved by a series of orbit manoeuvres theme ‘The Obscured Universe’. The of the solar conjunction on 5 November. Rosetta was configured in Passive Cruise in-orbit commissioning with flying colours. during the summer, using ingenious An article on magnetic reconnection in the workshop was attended by about 180 Mode during June and July. In this mode, the The spacecraft is functioning well and all combinations of wheel offloading and tail, where Cluster could detect a magnetic scientists from around the world. The topics The latest major Mars Express discovery was craft’s activity level is reduced and ground payload elements, with the exception of the thruster firings to reach an optimum orbit. null for the first time, was accepted by a new discussed covered nearly all the major made by the SPICAM team when they found contact is limited to once per week. Planetary Fourier Spectrometer, show The last manoeuvre was performed on journal: Nature Physics. The article was scientific areas being investigated using the highest clouds above any planetary Nevertheless, at the beginning of July it was nominal performance. During Venus Orbit 1 September. A final adjustment had to be written by a team of Chinese scientists from Integral, including the nature of the high- surface. The results are a new piece in the possible to perform, via time-tagged Insertion, VIRTIS provided spectacular views made as a reanalysis of available lunar data Peking University together with European energy cosmic background, massive black puzzle of how the Martian atmosphere works. commands autonomously executed onboard, of the south pole’s cloud structure. On performed at the University of Nottingham scientists. Magnetic nulls are expected in the holes, and nucleosynthesis and X-ray Until now, scientists had been aware only of measurements of the plasma environment 4 June commissioning concluded and the (UK) suggested that, in the absence of any centre of the reconnection when the two binaries in our own Galaxy. the clouds that hug the Martian surface and with the RPC instruments while Rosetta was nominal science mission started. further manoeuvres, impact would very likely opposite fields cancel each other before lower reaches of the atmosphere. Thanks to crossing the tail of Comet Honda. In August, Management of the mission was transferred occur one orbit earlier if SMART-1 clipped reconnecting. SPICAM, a fleeting layer of clouds was preparation for the Mars swingby of from the Scientific Projects Department to the rim of Clausius crater. discovered at an altitude of 80–100 km, most 25 February 2007 began, with more frequent the Research and Scientific Support Mars Express likely composed of carbon dioxide. tracking from ESA’s New Norcia and NASA’s Department. The impact concluded a highly successful Deep Space Network ground stations. The mission that, in addition to testing innovative Integral In early June, Mars Express celebrated A spectacular set of images covering the fourth periodic payload checkout took place at During the initial science phase the space technology, conducted a thorough 3 years in space. Most of the summer was Cydonia region, and including the famous the end of August, when the scientific instruments already demonstrated that the scientific exploration of the Moon for about a Integral operations continue smoothly, with spent preparing for, and entering, the power- ‘Face on Mars’ and its appearance following instruments were activated in sequence and objectives of the mission can be fulfilled: year and a half, gathering data on the the spacecraft, instruments and ground challenging eclipse/aphelion season. The years of geological processing, were checked out over a period of 5 days outside of preliminary temperature and composition morphology and mineralogical composition segment all performing nominally. Targets special Survival Mode was tested and released, and can be found on ground contact, and the resulting profiles of the atmosphere were derived. The of the surface in visible, IR and X-ray selected in response to the 4th successfully used to sail safely through the http://www.esa.int/marsexpress housekeeping and science telemetry data feasibility of bi-static radar observations was wavelengths.

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Programmes In Progress

Milky Way collapsed and exploded. The new downlinked to the ground station at the end demonstrated and the VMC imaging system observations reveal that RCW 86 was created Double Star of the test. Preliminary analysis indicates that provided the first sequences of the by a star that exploded about 2000 years all instruments and the Philae lander are in observations of the cloud movements in the ago. This age matches observations of a new The two spacecraft and their instruments are good health. atmosphere. Most spectacular so far have bright star by Chinese (and possibly Roman) operating nominally. TC-2 has started the been the observations by VIRTIS at the astronomers in 185 AD and may be the eclipse season and TC-1 follows in November. On 29 September the second large Deep different wavelengths in the 1–5 µm range. It oldest known recording of a supernova. Space Manoeuvre was executed to target the clearly showed that we can penetrate to The European Payload Operation System, trajectory for the Mars swingby. The different levels deep in the atmosphere and which coordinates the operations for the manoeuvre was extremely accurate (0.1%) even can relate the observations to distinct seven European instruments, is running and placed Rosetta on its final course surface features. Cluster smoothly. Data are acquired using the towards the Red Planet. VILSPA 2 ground station for 3.8 h/day over an Venus Express is operated from the VEX The four spacecraft and instruments are average of two passes per day. The availability Intense analysis, testing and validation Mission Operations team at ESOC with daily operating nominally and have successfully of the ground station between January and activities are under way at the Control Centre 8 h tracking passes via ESA’s deep space come through the long eclipse season, July 2006 was above 99%. in preparation of the next critical mission antenna in Cerbreros (E). Payload operations including spacecraft-1, which now has very phases: Mars and Earth swingbys in are coordinated by the VEX Science weak batteries. To counteract this, ESOC A study on pulsed magnetic reconnection was February and November 2007, respectively, Operations Centre at ESTEC. defined a new mode of operation called A perspective view of the Cydonia region of Mars based on images from the High Resolution Stereo Camera aboard Mars Express. published in Annales Geophysicae using and the first asteroid (Steins) flyby in ‘decoder only’, where the computer and all Resolution is 13.7 m/pixel; date 22 July 2006. See the ‘In Brief’ news section of this issue for further information. Double Star and Cluster data. It was shown September 2008. The payload is usually other subsystems are switched off. To warm (ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, G. Neukum) that newly reconnected flux tubes (‘flux inactive in this cruise period, with the up spacecraft-1 and recharge the batteries, transfer events’) are observed in the exception of periodic test activities and SMART-1 the instruments were switched off for all the Announcement for Observing proposals longest eclipses. With the craft being equatorial plane by Double Star and at higher occasional scientific opportunities. However, eclipses (15–23 September). The other three (AO-4) are being observed. AO-4 includes a configured for the low-power/aphelion latitude by Cluster. This showed that the payload operations are planned for The operational mission ended on satellites recorded data as usual between pilot key programme observation of the season, payload operations are suspended reconnection site was at least extended over December, when there will be many test and 3 September, at 05:42:22 UT, when the New eclipses. galactic bulge region, which attracted a great (except for radio science during solar 2 h in local time. Furthermore, Double Star calibration activities, including major Norcia ground station in Australia lost radio deal of interest. The scientific community will conjunction) for some 10 weeks. However, could detect these events during one of its onboard software updates. contact with the spacecraft. SMART-1 ended JSOC and ESOC operations continue be invited to propose specific key thanks to excellent support from the full longest observations (about 8 h). its journey in the Lake of Excellence, at nominally. The data return from June 2006 to programmes in AO-5. ground segment, it proved possible to make 34.4ºS/46.2ºW. The ~2 km/s impact took the end of August 2006 was on average two sets of coordinated Mars Express-NASA place on the nearside of the Moon, in a dark 99.8%. The Cluster Active Archive is also Integral scientific results have been reported Rover/CRISM spectrometer observations Venus Express area just near the terminator at a grazing operating nominally. User access is growing in 203 refereed (of which 62 are from 2006) between the low-power/aphelion and the Rosetta angle of 5–10º. The time and location was every month and a total of 256 users were and 355 non-refereed publications. The 6th solar conjunction windows. Insufficient After the successful insertion into Venus planned to favour observations of the event registered at the end of August (more than Integral workshop was held at the Space downlink capacity was available at the time, At the end of its first period of solar orbit on 11 April, the spacecraft and its from ground-based telescopes. This was 80% increase over the last quarter). Research Institute (IKI) in Moscow with the and the data will be downlinked after the end conjunction, lasting March–May 2006, subsystems and the payload passed their achieved by a series of orbit manoeuvres theme ‘The Obscured Universe’. The of the solar conjunction on 5 November. Rosetta was configured in Passive Cruise in-orbit commissioning with flying colours. during the summer, using ingenious An article on magnetic reconnection in the workshop was attended by about 180 Mode during June and July. In this mode, the The spacecraft is functioning well and all combinations of wheel offloading and tail, where Cluster could detect a magnetic scientists from around the world. The topics The latest major Mars Express discovery was craft’s activity level is reduced and ground payload elements, with the exception of the thruster firings to reach an optimum orbit. null for the first time, was accepted by a new discussed covered nearly all the major made by the SPICAM team when they found contact is limited to once per week. Planetary Fourier Spectrometer, show The last manoeuvre was performed on journal: Nature Physics. The article was scientific areas being investigated using the highest clouds above any planetary Nevertheless, at the beginning of July it was nominal performance. During Venus Orbit 1 September. A final adjustment had to be written by a team of Chinese scientists from Integral, including the nature of the high- surface. The results are a new piece in the possible to perform, via time-tagged Insertion, VIRTIS provided spectacular views made as a reanalysis of available lunar data Peking University together with European energy cosmic background, massive black puzzle of how the Martian atmosphere works. commands autonomously executed onboard, of the south pole’s cloud structure. On performed at the University of Nottingham scientists. Magnetic nulls are expected in the holes, and nucleosynthesis and X-ray Until now, scientists had been aware only of measurements of the plasma environment 4 June commissioning concluded and the (UK) suggested that, in the absence of any centre of the reconnection when the two binaries in our own Galaxy. the clouds that hug the Martian surface and with the RPC instruments while Rosetta was nominal science mission started. further manoeuvres, impact would very likely opposite fields cancel each other before lower reaches of the atmosphere. Thanks to crossing the tail of Comet Honda. In August, Management of the mission was transferred occur one orbit earlier if SMART-1 clipped reconnecting. SPICAM, a fleeting layer of clouds was preparation for the Mars swingby of from the Scientific Projects Department to the rim of Clausius crater. discovered at an altitude of 80–100 km, most 25 February 2007 began, with more frequent the Research and Scientific Support Mars Express likely composed of carbon dioxide. tracking from ESA’s New Norcia and NASA’s Department. The impact concluded a highly successful Deep Space Network ground stations. The mission that, in addition to testing innovative Integral In early June, Mars Express celebrated A spectacular set of images covering the fourth periodic payload checkout took place at During the initial science phase the space technology, conducted a thorough 3 years in space. Most of the summer was Cydonia region, and including the famous the end of August, when the scientific instruments already demonstrated that the scientific exploration of the Moon for about a Integral operations continue smoothly, with spent preparing for, and entering, the power- ‘Face on Mars’ and its appearance following instruments were activated in sequence and objectives of the mission can be fulfilled: year and a half, gathering data on the the spacecraft, instruments and ground challenging eclipse/aphelion season. The years of geological processing, were checked out over a period of 5 days outside of preliminary temperature and composition morphology and mineralogical composition segment all performing nominally. Targets special Survival Mode was tested and released, and can be found on ground contact, and the resulting profiles of the atmosphere were derived. The of the surface in visible, IR and X-ray selected in response to the 4th successfully used to sail safely through the http://www.esa.int/marsexpress housekeeping and science telemetry data feasibility of bi-static radar observations was wavelengths.

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Programmes In Progress

The Herschel cryostat in the ESTEC cleanroom during preparation Professional and amateur observers from violent mass ejection took place from the for its straylight test South Africa, the Canary Islands, South star about 10 000 years ago. This image was America, the continental USA, Hawaii and taken with the far-IR surveyor instrument at many other locations participated in the 90 µm. Akari is due to complete its first scan campaign. The most impressive observation of the entire sky in October. was the IR impact flash seen by the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope. The Joint ESA’s contributions to the mission are Institute for Very-long Baseline working well: regular and efficient ground For the LTP, all the subsystem PDRs have Interferometry (JIVE) in Europe coordinated station coverage from Kiruna (S) and been held and some CDRs have taken place. a successful joint campaign covering five pointing reconstruction software, developed Hinode is operating successfully (JAXA) Good progress is being made despite the radio telescopes. at ESAC, which is already in routine use. The many technical challenges. The most critical ESAC team is in close contact with the Open subsystems are still the inertial sensor In addition to its mission proper, SMART-1 Time users in Europe, to maximise the enhance the scientific outcome of the vacuum enclosure, the electrostatic tested and calibrated parts of the ground overall scientific return of the pointed mission, ESA joined the Hinode team in 2005 suspension front-end electronics and the segment for the Chinese and Indian space observations programme, despite increasing in the form of a coordinated endeavour with caging mechanism. Progress has been made agencies in preparation for their Chang’e-1 operational constraints. Norway. In partnership with the Norwegian on all of these. Breadboard tests confirmed and Chandrayaan lunar missions. Space Centre in Oslo, ESA is providing the difficulty in meeting the extremely ground station coverage through the demanding performance requirements of Svalbard Satellite Station. This is the only these subsystems. Hinode (Solar-B) station in the world that can receive data for Akari (Astro-F) each of Hinode’s 15 daily orbits. As a result, and integration of the instruments and the LTP structural integrity during launch, In the meantime, tests continue on the LTP Solar-B was launched on 22 September at the data rate of Hinode and hence the telescope. The electrical and functional while ensuring the delicate thermoelastic various Engineering Models, both to confirm Akari, Japan’s IR astronomical satellite with 21:36 UT from JAXA’s Uchinoura Space scientific return of the mission will be verification testing is now concentrating on performance during the orbital measurement the basic concept of the electrostatic ESA participation, continues its sky survey Centre and renamed Hinode (‘sunrise’). It is a significantly increased, and scientists from the Planck SVM, and is overall progressing phases. suspension of the inertial sensor in the and its mapping of our cosmos. New exciting Japan-led mission with US and UK ESA’s member states will have access to the nominally. The telescope FM completed its pendulum facility at the University of Trento images recently recorded by Akari depict instrument participation and ESA and data. These will be accessible via the cryogenic testing with the videogrammetry All the subsystem and equipment has now and to measure the magnetic susceptibility of scenes from the birth and death of stars. In Norwegian ground support. It is studying the European Hinode Data Centre, which is being measurement of the displacements. been selected and the contracts kicked off the test mass. The test mass is made from a the IR camera image of the reflection nebula mechanisms that power the solar atmosphere built at the Institute of Theoretical with one only exception: the thermal special alloy (73% gold, 27% platinum by IC1396 at 9 µm and 18 µm (see photo), it is and looking for the causes of violent solar Astrophysics at the University of Oslo. On the Herschel telescope, a Tiger Team hardware is due to be procured in 2007. An mass) designed to minimise this possible to discern new generations of stars eruptions. The Sun-pointing platform carries reviewed the results of the cryo-optical important contract, awarded before the fundamental property, to make the test mass being born in the outer shells of gas and three major instrument packages: testing and confirmed readiness for summer, was the parallel development of the insensitive to the spacecraft magnetic field dust ejected by violent massive star integration with the spacecraft. two European micropropulsion technologies and its gradient. formation at the centre of the nebula. Akari’s – Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), a high- Herschel/Planck (needle indium thrusters and slit caesium superior quality and high-resolution imaging resolution (0.2 arcsec) visual imaging All Herschel and Planck instruments are in thrusters). This additional technology The Ground Segment, consisting of the allowed the clear detection of a shell-like system with a vector magnetograph and The satellite development in industry is the final stages of their acceptance testing development phase was deemed necessary Mission Operation Centre and the Science dust cloud surrounding the old star U Hydrae spectrograph; progressing well, with the completion of the and instrument FM calibration. Planck’s after a previous competitive Invitation to and Technology Operation Centre, has been at a distance of about 0.3 light years from – X-ray Telescope (XRT), for coronal flight hardware. The improvements to the instrument testing was completed and the Tender revealed that no technologies were defined and will undergo its PDR in October. the central star, implying that a short and imaging in a wide temperature range from insulation system of Herschel’s cryostat to instruments are being deliveried for ready for use in LISA Pathfinder. The suitable 1 million K to over 30 million K; recover the full lifetime performance have integration. Herschel’s instruments are close technology will be selected in the second half The launch is expected to take place at the – EUV Imaging Spectrograph (EIS), to been completed, and the cryostat is back in to the start of their final calibration phase. of 2007. end of 2009. Akari reveals stars being born in nebula IC1396 (JAXA) measure temperatures and flows in the ESTEC for another round of cryogenic solar corona. testing. These tests include cryostat lifetime The LISA Pathfinder Engineering Model proof-mass undergoing verification and verification of the cryostat magnetic susceptibility testing at the International Bureau of The satellite is in good health. It was injected internal straylight. The Flight Model (FM) of LISA Pathfinder Weights and Measures (BIPM) in Paris Microscope into an orbit well within the nominal range the Herschel Service Module (SVM) is now and then adjusted into its final Sun- fully assembled and in the final stages of its The SMART-2/LISA Pathfinder The system- and satellite-level PDR was held synchronous polar orbit. Following electrical and functional testing. During the Implementation Phase contract is on 13 February 2006 and closed on 13 April spacecraft commissioning, the three summer, the SVM successfully supported the progressing well. The main system activity 2006 by the CNES Steering Committee. The scientific instruments will be turned on by first System Validation Test (SVT), when the during the reporting period was the approval to proceed with Phase-C/D was not the end of October. First observations are spacecraft was controlled by the mission consolidation of the spacecraft design and given owing to delays in the development of planned for November. control centre, at ESOC. the redefinition of the LISA Technology critical technologies: the field-emission Package (LTP) Central Assembly electric propulsion (FEEP) and T-SAGE Like its predecessor Yohkoh, Hinode started The Planck spacecraft FM was returned to accommodation inside the spacecraft. This inertial sensor. Since the Microscope FEEP out as a Japan/US/UK mission. In order to Alcatel (Cannes, F) for final electrical testing activity was required in order to guarantee development at ESA is closely linked to that

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Programmes In Progress

The Herschel cryostat in the ESTEC cleanroom during preparation Professional and amateur observers from violent mass ejection took place from the for its straylight test South Africa, the Canary Islands, South star about 10 000 years ago. This image was America, the continental USA, Hawaii and taken with the far-IR surveyor instrument at many other locations participated in the 90 µm. Akari is due to complete its first scan campaign. The most impressive observation of the entire sky in October. was the IR impact flash seen by the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope. The Joint ESA’s contributions to the mission are Institute for Very-long Baseline working well: regular and efficient ground For the LTP, all the subsystem PDRs have Interferometry (JIVE) in Europe coordinated station coverage from Kiruna (S) and been held and some CDRs have taken place. a successful joint campaign covering five pointing reconstruction software, developed Hinode is operating successfully (JAXA) Good progress is being made despite the radio telescopes. at ESAC, which is already in routine use. The many technical challenges. The most critical ESAC team is in close contact with the Open subsystems are still the inertial sensor In addition to its mission proper, SMART-1 Time users in Europe, to maximise the enhance the scientific outcome of the vacuum enclosure, the electrostatic tested and calibrated parts of the ground overall scientific return of the pointed mission, ESA joined the Hinode team in 2005 suspension front-end electronics and the segment for the Chinese and Indian space observations programme, despite increasing in the form of a coordinated endeavour with caging mechanism. Progress has been made agencies in preparation for their Chang’e-1 operational constraints. Norway. In partnership with the Norwegian on all of these. Breadboard tests confirmed and Chandrayaan lunar missions. Space Centre in Oslo, ESA is providing the difficulty in meeting the extremely ground station coverage through the demanding performance requirements of Svalbard Satellite Station. This is the only these subsystems. Hinode (Solar-B) station in the world that can receive data for Akari (Astro-F) each of Hinode’s 15 daily orbits. As a result, and integration of the instruments and the LTP structural integrity during launch, In the meantime, tests continue on the LTP Solar-B was launched on 22 September at the data rate of Hinode and hence the telescope. The electrical and functional while ensuring the delicate thermoelastic various Engineering Models, both to confirm Akari, Japan’s IR astronomical satellite with 21:36 UT from JAXA’s Uchinoura Space scientific return of the mission will be verification testing is now concentrating on performance during the orbital measurement the basic concept of the electrostatic ESA participation, continues its sky survey Centre and renamed Hinode (‘sunrise’). It is a significantly increased, and scientists from the Planck SVM, and is overall progressing phases. suspension of the inertial sensor in the and its mapping of our cosmos. New exciting Japan-led mission with US and UK ESA’s member states will have access to the nominally. The telescope FM completed its pendulum facility at the University of Trento images recently recorded by Akari depict instrument participation and ESA and data. These will be accessible via the cryogenic testing with the videogrammetry All the subsystem and equipment has now and to measure the magnetic susceptibility of scenes from the birth and death of stars. In Norwegian ground support. It is studying the European Hinode Data Centre, which is being measurement of the displacements. been selected and the contracts kicked off the test mass. The test mass is made from a the IR camera image of the reflection nebula mechanisms that power the solar atmosphere built at the Institute of Theoretical with one only exception: the thermal special alloy (73% gold, 27% platinum by IC1396 at 9 µm and 18 µm (see photo), it is and looking for the causes of violent solar Astrophysics at the University of Oslo. On the Herschel telescope, a Tiger Team hardware is due to be procured in 2007. An mass) designed to minimise this possible to discern new generations of stars eruptions. The Sun-pointing platform carries reviewed the results of the cryo-optical important contract, awarded before the fundamental property, to make the test mass being born in the outer shells of gas and three major instrument packages: testing and confirmed readiness for summer, was the parallel development of the insensitive to the spacecraft magnetic field dust ejected by violent massive star integration with the spacecraft. two European micropropulsion technologies and its gradient. formation at the centre of the nebula. Akari’s – Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), a high- Herschel/Planck (needle indium thrusters and slit caesium superior quality and high-resolution imaging resolution (0.2 arcsec) visual imaging All Herschel and Planck instruments are in thrusters). This additional technology The Ground Segment, consisting of the allowed the clear detection of a shell-like system with a vector magnetograph and The satellite development in industry is the final stages of their acceptance testing development phase was deemed necessary Mission Operation Centre and the Science dust cloud surrounding the old star U Hydrae spectrograph; progressing well, with the completion of the and instrument FM calibration. Planck’s after a previous competitive Invitation to and Technology Operation Centre, has been at a distance of about 0.3 light years from – X-ray Telescope (XRT), for coronal flight hardware. The improvements to the instrument testing was completed and the Tender revealed that no technologies were defined and will undergo its PDR in October. the central star, implying that a short and imaging in a wide temperature range from insulation system of Herschel’s cryostat to instruments are being deliveried for ready for use in LISA Pathfinder. The suitable 1 million K to over 30 million K; recover the full lifetime performance have integration. Herschel’s instruments are close technology will be selected in the second half The launch is expected to take place at the – EUV Imaging Spectrograph (EIS), to been completed, and the cryostat is back in to the start of their final calibration phase. of 2007. end of 2009. Akari reveals stars being born in nebula IC1396 (JAXA) measure temperatures and flows in the ESTEC for another round of cryogenic solar corona. testing. These tests include cryostat lifetime The LISA Pathfinder Engineering Model proof-mass undergoing verification and verification of the cryostat magnetic susceptibility testing at the International Bureau of The satellite is in good health. It was injected internal straylight. The Flight Model (FM) of LISA Pathfinder Weights and Measures (BIPM) in Paris Microscope into an orbit well within the nominal range the Herschel Service Module (SVM) is now and then adjusted into its final Sun- fully assembled and in the final stages of its The SMART-2/LISA Pathfinder The system- and satellite-level PDR was held synchronous polar orbit. Following electrical and functional testing. During the Implementation Phase contract is on 13 February 2006 and closed on 13 April spacecraft commissioning, the three summer, the SVM successfully supported the progressing well. The main system activity 2006 by the CNES Steering Committee. The scientific instruments will be turned on by first System Validation Test (SVT), when the during the reporting period was the approval to proceed with Phase-C/D was not the end of October. First observations are spacecraft was controlled by the mission consolidation of the spacecraft design and given owing to delays in the development of planned for November. control centre, at ESOC. the redefinition of the LISA Technology critical technologies: the field-emission Package (LTP) Central Assembly electric propulsion (FEEP) and T-SAGE Like its predecessor Yohkoh, Hinode started The Planck spacecraft FM was returned to accommodation inside the spacecraft. This inertial sensor. Since the Microscope FEEP out as a Japan/US/UK mission. In order to Alcatel (Cannes, F) for final electrical testing activity was required in order to guarantee development at ESA is closely linked to that

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Programmes In Progress

on LISA Pathfinder, CNES decided to been implemented to deal respectively with last two procurements being finalised. The NASA is currently initiating an NRC review to postpone the Phase-C/D until the end of the the specifics of the overall science data flow NIRSpec subsystems CDR campaign is BepiColombo decide on the prioritisation of the Beyond development/qualification phase of the LISA and the radiation characterisation of the starting. Einstein programme elements (LISA, Con-X Pathfinder FEEP, planned for September 2007. CCDs. The BepiColombo mission scenario foresees and the JDEM probes). The target date for Problems were encountered during the a Soyuz-Fregat launch in August 2013 and the final decision is October 2007. The LISA In the period March–June 2006, CNES studied The Gaia Science Team met at regular environmental and operational lifetime arrival at Mercury in August 2019 for a project is well under way in updating the alternative propulsion solutions to the slit intervals to be briefed about the progress of testing of the NASA-provided Micro Shutter nominal 1-year scientific mission. documents that are expected to be required. FEEP. Two backup solutions were analysed: the project, to provide advice as required and Array flight-like devices. During the In parallel, NASA is supporting the mission the needle FEEP being studied within the LISA to discuss scientific matters. random vibration test, shutters remained Proposals from Alcatel Alenia Space and formulation activity. Regular Quarterly Pathfinder parallel FEEP Phase-1 and the stuck in the closed position and wire Astrium were received on 17 May 2006 in Progress Meetings and Technical Interchange micronewton proportional cold-gas thruster bonds and flex mounts broke. However, response to the Invitation to Tender for the Meetings are held to exchange information (based on the technology development for stiction problems remain the biggest Implementation Phase. The Tender and results and jointly to consolidate the Gaia). CNES presented the results of the JWST concern. Evaluation Board, supported by a large team mission design. analysis to their Board on 28 June, which of specialists, performed a detailed The BepiColombo composite: the Mercury Transfer Module recommended focusing on the nominal slit NASA has reached a Technology Readiness The MIRI subsystem CDR campaign was evaluation of the proposals and attached to the MPO and MMO spacecraft FEEP solution and monitoring with ESA Level (TRL) 6 for five out of ten JWST critical concluded before the summer break. The recommended selection of the Astrium support the development of the backup technologies: the Sunshield membrane; the action plan to close all open issues is proposal. Both contenders were informed of GOCE solutions. Primary Mirror Segment Assembly; the consistent with the preparation of the MIRI this result on 6 July. Subsequent Orbiter is awaiting JAXA approval, after which Sidecar ASIC; and the Near-IR and Mid-IR optical system CDR, scheduled to kick-off in negotiations took place to integrate Alcatel it will be submitted to the SPC. Substantial progress has been made with the Phase-B for the T-SAGE accelerometer Focal Plane Assemblies. The last three December. Alenia Space within the core team. The gradiometer instrument over the past few development at ONERA was closed in May, elements are part of the NIRSpec and MIRI contract proposal will be submitted to the The technology demonstration work for months. Three Accelerometer Sensor Head though a delta-Phase-B is required in order to instruments. Following recent problems in Parts and subassemblies for the instrument Industrial Policy Committee at the end of gridded ion thrusters is continuing on the (ASH) Flight Models (FMs) have been implement the recommendations of the PDR vibro-acoustic tests, the NASA-provided Verification Model are being manufactured January 2007. The cost-at-completion will Astrium RIT thruster and the QinetiQ T6 assembled and tested at ONERA. Five ASHs to solve the outstanding issues before NIRSpec Micro Shutter Array will be the last and tested. The MIRI Contamination Control be submitted to the Scientific Programme engine; almost 5000 h of thrust time has been have therefore been completed to date; a starting Phase-C. item to reach TRL-6, in December 2006. Cover was delivered after successful Committee (SPC) for approval in February achieved. sixth is being assembled and is expected to vibration and cryogenic testing. 2007. enter acceptance testing before the end of NASA-provided software platforms and EGSE October. Alcatel Alenia Space has integrated were delivered to the MIRI and NIRSpec Finalisation of the ‘Definition Phase of the The third Science Working Team meeting the three Front-End Electronic Unit FMs, the Gaia instrument developers. European personnel JWST Launch Services’ contract is under was held in Padova (I) 26–28 September. LISA Thermal Control Electronic Unit Proto-Flight also received the training to operate this way. This definition phase will cover activities The instrument design and prototyping is Model (PFM) and the Gradiometer In early July, Gaia passed the System equipment. from now until 3 years before launch, and is proceeding according to plan, but the The Mission Formulation activity with Astrium Accelerometer Interface Electronic Unit PFM Requirements Review, the first major meant to assist NASA and the JWST Prime immediate allocation of funds is of concern GmbH is in its Phase-2 and is proceeding and nearly completed the final functional milestone in the life cycle of a project. The The build-up of the NIRSpec industrial Contractor during the development of the to some Principal Investigators. The project well. Following consolidation of the mission testing. Moreover, the upgrade of the board members declared that it had met all consortium is reaching completion, with the mission. places particular emphasis on model baseline architecture design, some trade-offs Structural Thermal Model of the Gradiometer the objectives; this was very important philosophy, verification and procurement of alternative configurations were performed. Core, which will be used during the satellite because it forms the basis for the start of the schedule for the present work with the These deal with alternative payload concepts, FM test campaign, has also been completed. detailed design activities. JWST: the spacecraft's 6.5 m- Experimenter teams until detailed interface including off-axis telescope, in-field-of-view diameter primary mirror and accommodation work can be started pointing and single proof-mass configuration. On the platform side, there was a severe The competitive selection of subcontractors consists of 18 semi-rigid with the Prime Contractor. The financial setback on 19 July when an anomaly in the hexagonal segments continues according to the rules of the commitment from the Lead Funding The possibility of stable maintenance of the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) Agency. At the time of writing, more than a Agencies to support the payload on the triangular constellation, thus removing the triggered a chain of events that ultimately led third of the nearly 80 procurements have been Mercury Planetary Orbiter is being obtained breathing angle, was analysed. The conclusion to an over-voltage on the platform PFM, successfully completed. The progress of this in accordance with the Science Management is that this option cannot be considered any causing the failure of one power converter of activity is critical for the overall schedule Plan. The proposed text of the Multi-Lateral further for two main reasons: the required the Command and Data Monitoring Unit stability of Gaia. The major risks, such as Agreement between ESA and the Lead thrust authority would be far above the FEEP (CDMU) PFM and stress on many electronic flight CCD production, mirror polishing and Funding Agencies has been informally capabilities, and the noise induced by this components of the Power Conditioning and the detailed design work on the payload discussed between all parties and is now active/permanent thrust would severely Distribution Unit (PCDU) PFM. Both units module, are all well in hand and progressing being distributed for final approval. Likewise, degrade the measurement sensitivity of the were demounted and returned to their satisfactorily. No impact on the overall a bilateral agreement between ESA and LISA system. manufacturers for further investigation and schedule for a launch at the end of 2011 has Roskosmos was drafted for the Mercury recovery. The EGSE unit was also returned been identified. Gamma-ray and Neutron Spectrometer. Technology Development Activities Invitations for correction. As a consequence, the to Tender will be released shortly to cover functional testing of the platform PFM had to In agreement with the Gaia Science Team, a The joint Memorandum of Understanding optical mechanisms, optical bench and be stopped, while the closed-loop functional number of dedicated working groups have with JAXA for the Mercury Magnetospheric telescope characterisation. testing of the Drag Free Attitude Control

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Programmes In Progress

on LISA Pathfinder, CNES decided to been implemented to deal respectively with last two procurements being finalised. The NASA is currently initiating an NRC review to postpone the Phase-C/D until the end of the the specifics of the overall science data flow NIRSpec subsystems CDR campaign is BepiColombo decide on the prioritisation of the Beyond development/qualification phase of the LISA and the radiation characterisation of the starting. Einstein programme elements (LISA, Con-X Pathfinder FEEP, planned for September 2007. CCDs. The BepiColombo mission scenario foresees and the JDEM probes). The target date for Problems were encountered during the a Soyuz-Fregat launch in August 2013 and the final decision is October 2007. The LISA In the period March–June 2006, CNES studied The Gaia Science Team met at regular environmental and operational lifetime arrival at Mercury in August 2019 for a project is well under way in updating the alternative propulsion solutions to the slit intervals to be briefed about the progress of testing of the NASA-provided Micro Shutter nominal 1-year scientific mission. documents that are expected to be required. FEEP. Two backup solutions were analysed: the project, to provide advice as required and Array flight-like devices. During the In parallel, NASA is supporting the mission the needle FEEP being studied within the LISA to discuss scientific matters. random vibration test, shutters remained Proposals from Alcatel Alenia Space and formulation activity. Regular Quarterly Pathfinder parallel FEEP Phase-1 and the stuck in the closed position and wire Astrium were received on 17 May 2006 in Progress Meetings and Technical Interchange micronewton proportional cold-gas thruster bonds and flex mounts broke. However, response to the Invitation to Tender for the Meetings are held to exchange information (based on the technology development for stiction problems remain the biggest Implementation Phase. The Tender and results and jointly to consolidate the Gaia). CNES presented the results of the JWST concern. Evaluation Board, supported by a large team mission design. analysis to their Board on 28 June, which of specialists, performed a detailed The BepiColombo composite: the Mercury Transfer Module recommended focusing on the nominal slit NASA has reached a Technology Readiness The MIRI subsystem CDR campaign was evaluation of the proposals and attached to the MPO and MMO spacecraft FEEP solution and monitoring with ESA Level (TRL) 6 for five out of ten JWST critical concluded before the summer break. The recommended selection of the Astrium support the development of the backup technologies: the Sunshield membrane; the action plan to close all open issues is proposal. Both contenders were informed of GOCE solutions. Primary Mirror Segment Assembly; the consistent with the preparation of the MIRI this result on 6 July. Subsequent Orbiter is awaiting JAXA approval, after which Sidecar ASIC; and the Near-IR and Mid-IR optical system CDR, scheduled to kick-off in negotiations took place to integrate Alcatel it will be submitted to the SPC. Substantial progress has been made with the Phase-B for the T-SAGE accelerometer Focal Plane Assemblies. The last three December. Alenia Space within the core team. The gradiometer instrument over the past few development at ONERA was closed in May, elements are part of the NIRSpec and MIRI contract proposal will be submitted to the The technology demonstration work for months. Three Accelerometer Sensor Head though a delta-Phase-B is required in order to instruments. Following recent problems in Parts and subassemblies for the instrument Industrial Policy Committee at the end of gridded ion thrusters is continuing on the (ASH) Flight Models (FMs) have been implement the recommendations of the PDR vibro-acoustic tests, the NASA-provided Verification Model are being manufactured January 2007. The cost-at-completion will Astrium RIT thruster and the QinetiQ T6 assembled and tested at ONERA. Five ASHs to solve the outstanding issues before NIRSpec Micro Shutter Array will be the last and tested. The MIRI Contamination Control be submitted to the Scientific Programme engine; almost 5000 h of thrust time has been have therefore been completed to date; a starting Phase-C. item to reach TRL-6, in December 2006. Cover was delivered after successful Committee (SPC) for approval in February achieved. sixth is being assembled and is expected to vibration and cryogenic testing. 2007. enter acceptance testing before the end of NASA-provided software platforms and EGSE October. Alcatel Alenia Space has integrated were delivered to the MIRI and NIRSpec Finalisation of the ‘Definition Phase of the The third Science Working Team meeting the three Front-End Electronic Unit FMs, the Gaia instrument developers. European personnel JWST Launch Services’ contract is under was held in Padova (I) 26–28 September. LISA Thermal Control Electronic Unit Proto-Flight also received the training to operate this way. This definition phase will cover activities The instrument design and prototyping is Model (PFM) and the Gradiometer In early July, Gaia passed the System equipment. from now until 3 years before launch, and is proceeding according to plan, but the The Mission Formulation activity with Astrium Accelerometer Interface Electronic Unit PFM Requirements Review, the first major meant to assist NASA and the JWST Prime immediate allocation of funds is of concern GmbH is in its Phase-2 and is proceeding and nearly completed the final functional milestone in the life cycle of a project. The The build-up of the NIRSpec industrial Contractor during the development of the to some Principal Investigators. The project well. Following consolidation of the mission testing. Moreover, the upgrade of the board members declared that it had met all consortium is reaching completion, with the mission. places particular emphasis on model baseline architecture design, some trade-offs Structural Thermal Model of the Gradiometer the objectives; this was very important philosophy, verification and procurement of alternative configurations were performed. Core, which will be used during the satellite because it forms the basis for the start of the schedule for the present work with the These deal with alternative payload concepts, FM test campaign, has also been completed. detailed design activities. JWST: the spacecraft's 6.5 m- Experimenter teams until detailed interface including off-axis telescope, in-field-of-view diameter primary mirror and accommodation work can be started pointing and single proof-mass configuration. On the platform side, there was a severe The competitive selection of subcontractors consists of 18 semi-rigid with the Prime Contractor. The financial setback on 19 July when an anomaly in the hexagonal segments continues according to the rules of the commitment from the Lead Funding The possibility of stable maintenance of the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) Agency. At the time of writing, more than a Agencies to support the payload on the triangular constellation, thus removing the triggered a chain of events that ultimately led third of the nearly 80 procurements have been Mercury Planetary Orbiter is being obtained breathing angle, was analysed. The conclusion to an over-voltage on the platform PFM, successfully completed. The progress of this in accordance with the Science Management is that this option cannot be considered any causing the failure of one power converter of activity is critical for the overall schedule Plan. The proposed text of the Multi-Lateral further for two main reasons: the required the Command and Data Monitoring Unit stability of Gaia. The major risks, such as Agreement between ESA and the Lead thrust authority would be far above the FEEP (CDMU) PFM and stress on many electronic flight CCD production, mirror polishing and Funding Agencies has been informally capabilities, and the noise induced by this components of the Power Conditioning and the detailed design work on the payload discussed between all parties and is now active/permanent thrust would severely Distribution Unit (PCDU) PFM. Both units module, are all well in hand and progressing being distributed for final approval. Likewise, degrade the measurement sensitivity of the were demounted and returned to their satisfactorily. No impact on the overall a bilateral agreement between ESA and LISA system. manufacturers for further investigation and schedule for a launch at the end of 2011 has Roskosmos was drafted for the Mercury recovery. The EGSE unit was also returned been identified. Gamma-ray and Neutron Spectrometer. Technology Development Activities Invitations for correction. As a consequence, the to Tender will be released shortly to cover functional testing of the platform PFM had to In agreement with the Gaia Science Team, a The joint Memorandum of Understanding optical mechanisms, optical bench and be stopped, while the closed-loop functional number of dedicated working groups have with JAXA for the Mercury Magnetospheric telescope characterisation. testing of the Drag Free Attitude Control

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Programmes In Progress

System on the platform Engineering Model limited redesign has been necessary to further activities will be undertaken until interfaces were reviewed in the Preliminary Launch of the satellite remains scheduled for Test Bench continue. In order to minimise absorb the impact of the redundant SIRAL 2007. The launch is scheduled for March Mission Analysis Meeting involving ESA, September 2008. impact on the overall schedule, it was decided and to eliminate minor weaknesses found 2009. CNES, Alcatel, Eurockot and Khrunichev. to use the time to recover the CDMU and during the original CryoSat development. In PCDU PFMs to pack and ship the platform three cases the manufacturer is developing a For the overall SMOS ground segment, the PFM and associated EGSE to the satellite new equipment design to replace PDR has been completed. While the elements Swarm prime contractor. Platform PFM transportation obsolescent equipment used in the original SMOS of the flight operations ground segment, took place during the last week of September. CryoSat. Consequently a series of delta- both on the CNES and the ESA side, were Phase-B of the satellite activities with EADS It was agreed that industry will continue to CDRs at equipment level have been held, Delivery of subsystem units for the payload found to be in an adequate development Astrium GmbH is progressing. The Satellite work double shifts until completion of the leading up to the system-level delta-CDR protoflight model continues. All LICEF state, the payload data ground segment, System Requirement Review is completed. assembly, integration and test programme. starting in November 2006. The major lower- receivers have been delivered, and are being including the data processors for level-1 and Feasibility and preliminary mission analysis level delta-CDR for SIRAL was completed in used to populate the arm segments of the -2 data products, were judged to be studies have been initiated with Arianespace, Final acceptance testing of the first of two July. structural model to undergo the ‘on farm’ schedule-critical. Backup solutions were Kosmotras and Eurockot. Launch of MetOp-A from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 19 October identical Ion Thruster Assemblies (ITA FM1) antenna pattern characterisation at the suggested by the Board for investigation and aboard a Soyuz-2/Fregat was successfully completed in September. ITA A 3-month delay in the star tracker delivery Technical University of Denmark. All three eventual implementation by the project. Procurement activities for the satellite units FM2 testing then began and will be followed was announced, which appears to be a arm measurements have been completed; and instruments are well advanced, with Reactivation of the campaign meant that by the integration of ITA FM1 and FM2 on a knock-on effect from damage incurred during still to be measured is the central hub The building refurbishment and preparations subcontractor bids for critical elements of some essential and time-consuming activities panel where the xenon gas feed system and testing of a star tracker in another structure with one adjacent segment of each for the X-band receive antenna are the programme already in the negotiation had to be repeated. These were mainly solar the two Ion Propulsion Control Units have programme. Since the same design is used arm. Once all the antenna characterisation is progressing nominally for installing the ESA- phase and close to kick-off. Other offers are array preparation, instrument cleaning and, already been integrated. Functional tests are in several ESA programmes, the possibility of completed, the LICEF receivers will be part of the ground segment at ESAC (E). in preparation. finally, a satellite functional test. expected to take place throughout October optimising the production sequence and transferred to the FM arm segments that are and November, before final delivery of the full schedule to reduce the delay for CryoSat, under integration with electrical, radio- Phase-B of the Electrical Field Instrument is MetOp was remated with its Fregat upper Ion Propulsion Assembly PFM in December. without introducing delay to the other frequency and optical harness, thermal progressing. Breadboard activities of the stage and reencapsulated to form the ‘Upper programmes, is being investigated. control hardware, and other subsystems ADM-Aeolus critical elements are near completion. Composite’. Unfortunately, during the transfer The Factory Acceptance Test of Version 1 of such as the noise sources of the calibration of the Upper Composite from the integration the ground segment’s Calibration and The process of approving all electronic parts subsystem. The FM platform with tanks, pipework and The Absolute Scalar magnetometer Phase-B facilities to the transport train, a handling Monitoring Facility & Reference Planning has been almost completed during this harness installed was shipped to Astrium is underway with LETI, Grenoble (F), under error caused a mechanical shock. This Facility was completed in July. The pre- reporting period. Platform integration of the recurrent Proteus Friedrichshafen (D) for integration of the the leadership of CNES. The breadboard necessitated an investigation to check the acceptance review of Version 2 of the Level 1 platform has progressed significantly at the flight electronics units. Tests on the flight activities of the instrument are near integrity of the flight hardware, including to Level 2 High Level Processing Facility of Close-out work on the various components Alcatel Alenia Space facilities (Cannes, F). It software using the onboard computer and completion. The manufacturing of the mechanical analysis of the loads induced on the European GOCE Gravity Consortium was of the Payload Data Ground Segment has is interrupted owing to the resumption of the the first platform electronics units are Engineering Model has started. The PDR is the spacecraft and a detailed visual inspection held in July. Development of the Flight finished and the facilities hibernated. No Calypso launch campaign. Rockot launcher showing satisfactory results. The silicon planned for mid-December. that required MetOp’s return to the cleanroom Operations Segment and the Payload Data carbide FM telescope integration is complete and removal from the fairing. The inspection Segment continue according to plan, and and its performance is excellent. All revealed no damage to the satellite, and entry into the Ground Segment Overall Flight Model of the electronic units of the flight instrument complementary analyses from the launcher Validation phase is expected soon. ADM-Aeolus telescope except the laser have been bench-tested MetOp authorities (TsKB, NPO-L and EADS-Casa)) together; their performance is excellent. and the spacecraft industry (Astrium) The planned launch date for MetOp-A of demonstrated that the allowable specifications There have been further thermo-mechanical 17 July could not be kept. After three for MetOp loads were not exceeded. CryoSat-2 problems with the laser. As a result, the consecutive launch attempts, all halted by the thermal-vacuum test of the Qualification Soyuz ground control system through a These additional activities meant that the The Contract for the Phase-C/D/E1 Model will now start in November. variety of relatively minor operational launch date had to be delayed, to 17 October. development of the CryoSat-2 satellite was problems, the launcher’s maximum period Final preparations, formal rehearsals and signed with Astrium GmbH on 26 July 2006. A workshop for potential users was held at allowable in a fuelled condition was exceeded simulations for both the launch and early orbit Almost all of the subcontractor contracts have ESTEC at the end of September. All users and it had to be returned to the manufacturer phase, satellite in-orbit verification and also been negotiated and kicked off. expected a significant impact from the (TskB in Samara) for refurbishment. The routine operations phases of the MetOp Manufacturing is in progress and many items satellite on Numerical Weather Prediction. satellite was returned to the integration mission were completed. Both ESOC and of the flight structure, including composite There will be many other benefits in facilities for storage. Eumetsat Ground Systems are ready for the panels and machined elements, are ready for climatology. There was widespread support satellite launch. The 17 October launch integration. for follow-on missions to avoid a data gap Starsem and its industrial partners analysed attempt was halted by another Soyuz ground before the first post-MetOp satellite. This the causes of the launch interrupts and control system problem and the 18 October Most equipment has seen some design included some suggestions for cooperation identified technical solutions that allowed the attempt was thwarted by high-altitude winds, evolution (owing to obsolescence of electronic with the US, where there is at present no launch campaign to restart on 30 August but MetOp successfully reached orbit on parts, for example) while in a few cases comparable mission. consistent with a launch on 7 October. 19 October.

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Programmes In Progress

System on the platform Engineering Model limited redesign has been necessary to further activities will be undertaken until interfaces were reviewed in the Preliminary Launch of the satellite remains scheduled for Test Bench continue. In order to minimise absorb the impact of the redundant SIRAL 2007. The launch is scheduled for March Mission Analysis Meeting involving ESA, September 2008. impact on the overall schedule, it was decided and to eliminate minor weaknesses found 2009. CNES, Alcatel, Eurockot and Khrunichev. to use the time to recover the CDMU and during the original CryoSat development. In PCDU PFMs to pack and ship the platform three cases the manufacturer is developing a For the overall SMOS ground segment, the PFM and associated EGSE to the satellite new equipment design to replace PDR has been completed. While the elements Swarm prime contractor. Platform PFM transportation obsolescent equipment used in the original SMOS of the flight operations ground segment, took place during the last week of September. CryoSat. Consequently a series of delta- both on the CNES and the ESA side, were Phase-B of the satellite activities with EADS It was agreed that industry will continue to CDRs at equipment level have been held, Delivery of subsystem units for the payload found to be in an adequate development Astrium GmbH is progressing. The Satellite work double shifts until completion of the leading up to the system-level delta-CDR protoflight model continues. All LICEF state, the payload data ground segment, System Requirement Review is completed. assembly, integration and test programme. starting in November 2006. The major lower- receivers have been delivered, and are being including the data processors for level-1 and Feasibility and preliminary mission analysis level delta-CDR for SIRAL was completed in used to populate the arm segments of the -2 data products, were judged to be studies have been initiated with Arianespace, Final acceptance testing of the first of two July. structural model to undergo the ‘on farm’ schedule-critical. Backup solutions were Kosmotras and Eurockot. Launch of MetOp-A from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 19 October identical Ion Thruster Assemblies (ITA FM1) antenna pattern characterisation at the suggested by the Board for investigation and aboard a Soyuz-2/Fregat was successfully completed in September. ITA A 3-month delay in the star tracker delivery Technical University of Denmark. All three eventual implementation by the project. Procurement activities for the satellite units FM2 testing then began and will be followed was announced, which appears to be a arm measurements have been completed; and instruments are well advanced, with Reactivation of the campaign meant that by the integration of ITA FM1 and FM2 on a knock-on effect from damage incurred during still to be measured is the central hub The building refurbishment and preparations subcontractor bids for critical elements of some essential and time-consuming activities panel where the xenon gas feed system and testing of a star tracker in another structure with one adjacent segment of each for the X-band receive antenna are the programme already in the negotiation had to be repeated. These were mainly solar the two Ion Propulsion Control Units have programme. Since the same design is used arm. Once all the antenna characterisation is progressing nominally for installing the ESA- phase and close to kick-off. Other offers are array preparation, instrument cleaning and, already been integrated. Functional tests are in several ESA programmes, the possibility of completed, the LICEF receivers will be part of the ground segment at ESAC (E). in preparation. finally, a satellite functional test. expected to take place throughout October optimising the production sequence and transferred to the FM arm segments that are and November, before final delivery of the full schedule to reduce the delay for CryoSat, under integration with electrical, radio- Phase-B of the Electrical Field Instrument is MetOp was remated with its Fregat upper Ion Propulsion Assembly PFM in December. without introducing delay to the other frequency and optical harness, thermal progressing. Breadboard activities of the stage and reencapsulated to form the ‘Upper programmes, is being investigated. control hardware, and other subsystems ADM-Aeolus critical elements are near completion. Composite’. Unfortunately, during the transfer The Factory Acceptance Test of Version 1 of such as the noise sources of the calibration of the Upper Composite from the integration the ground segment’s Calibration and The process of approving all electronic parts subsystem. The FM platform with tanks, pipework and The Absolute Scalar magnetometer Phase-B facilities to the transport train, a handling Monitoring Facility & Reference Planning has been almost completed during this harness installed was shipped to Astrium is underway with LETI, Grenoble (F), under error caused a mechanical shock. This Facility was completed in July. The pre- reporting period. Platform integration of the recurrent Proteus Friedrichshafen (D) for integration of the the leadership of CNES. The breadboard necessitated an investigation to check the acceptance review of Version 2 of the Level 1 platform has progressed significantly at the flight electronics units. Tests on the flight activities of the instrument are near integrity of the flight hardware, including to Level 2 High Level Processing Facility of Close-out work on the various components Alcatel Alenia Space facilities (Cannes, F). It software using the onboard computer and completion. The manufacturing of the mechanical analysis of the loads induced on the European GOCE Gravity Consortium was of the Payload Data Ground Segment has is interrupted owing to the resumption of the the first platform electronics units are Engineering Model has started. The PDR is the spacecraft and a detailed visual inspection held in July. Development of the Flight finished and the facilities hibernated. No Calypso launch campaign. Rockot launcher showing satisfactory results. The silicon planned for mid-December. that required MetOp’s return to the cleanroom Operations Segment and the Payload Data carbide FM telescope integration is complete and removal from the fairing. The inspection Segment continue according to plan, and and its performance is excellent. All revealed no damage to the satellite, and entry into the Ground Segment Overall Flight Model of the electronic units of the flight instrument complementary analyses from the launcher Validation phase is expected soon. ADM-Aeolus telescope except the laser have been bench-tested MetOp authorities (TsKB, NPO-L and EADS-Casa)) together; their performance is excellent. and the spacecraft industry (Astrium) The planned launch date for MetOp-A of demonstrated that the allowable specifications There have been further thermo-mechanical 17 July could not be kept. After three for MetOp loads were not exceeded. CryoSat-2 problems with the laser. As a result, the consecutive launch attempts, all halted by the thermal-vacuum test of the Qualification Soyuz ground control system through a These additional activities meant that the The Contract for the Phase-C/D/E1 Model will now start in November. variety of relatively minor operational launch date had to be delayed, to 17 October. development of the CryoSat-2 satellite was problems, the launcher’s maximum period Final preparations, formal rehearsals and signed with Astrium GmbH on 26 July 2006. A workshop for potential users was held at allowable in a fuelled condition was exceeded simulations for both the launch and early orbit Almost all of the subcontractor contracts have ESTEC at the end of September. All users and it had to be returned to the manufacturer phase, satellite in-orbit verification and also been negotiated and kicked off. expected a significant impact from the (TskB in Samara) for refurbishment. The routine operations phases of the MetOp Manufacturing is in progress and many items satellite on Numerical Weather Prediction. satellite was returned to the integration mission were completed. Both ESOC and of the flight structure, including composite There will be many other benefits in facilities for storage. Eumetsat Ground Systems are ready for the panels and machined elements, are ready for climatology. There was widespread support satellite launch. The 17 October launch integration. for follow-on missions to avoid a data gap Starsem and its industrial partners analysed attempt was halted by another Soyuz ground before the first post-MetOp satellite. This the causes of the launch interrupts and control system problem and the 18 October Most equipment has seen some design included some suggestions for cooperation identified technical solutions that allowed the attempt was thwarted by high-altitude winds, evolution (owing to obsolescence of electronic with the US, where there is at present no launch campaign to restart on 30 August but MetOp successfully reached orbit on parts, for example) while in a few cases comparable mission. consistent with a launch on 7 October. 19 October.

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MSG

Meteosat-8/MSG-1 A reset of the Central Data Management Unit (CDMU) resulted in the satellite entering safe mode on 23 September 2006. Although the exact cause is not yet known, it is likely to be a single event upset, as similar situations have been observed on the Spacebus 3000 CDMUs. After nominal reconfiguration, the satellite became the operational satellite again on 10 October 2006. Satellite condition is nominal and the instrument performance remains of excellent quality.

Meteosat-9/MSG-2 After successful commissioning, MSG-2 became the hot standby for Meteosat-8. With Thomas Reiter working in the Destiny laboratory, 10 September Meteosat-8 entering safe mode on 23 September, MSG-2 automatically became the operational satellite for the data delivery the third member of the Expedition-13 ISS the Columbus launch, saving several until the switch back to Meteosat-8 on crew and is carrying out the long-duration hundred kg of structural mass compared to 10 October. The satellite (now renamed Astrolab mission. Also launched, and its US counterpart. Meteosat-9) shows flawless nominal commissioned in the US Lab Destiny, were operations. ESA’s European Modular Cultivation System, Qualification and acceptance of the the –80ºC Freezer (MELFI) and the Columbus Control Centre is now almost MSG-3 Percutaneous Electrical Muscle Stimulator. complete, following the completion of the MSG-3’s flight PROM has been integrated review (Q&AR) with the Board on 21 July. and tested. It is planned to put MSG-3 in On 9 September Space Shuttle Atlantis long-term storage by the end of the year, (STS-115) was launched to the ISS, marking The ATV Jules Verne spacecraft hardware awaiting launch in early 2011. the return to major assembly work on the and software is stable; acoustic and leak Station with the installation of the P3/P4 tests were completed and preparation is MSG-4 truss – the first configuration change for the under way for the final major environmental Preparation activities for MSG-4’s thermal- ISS since November 2002. test, the thermal-vacuum test. The second of vacuum test and optical-vacuum tests have three functional qualification test campaigns been completed. MSG-4 is now waiting for The Space Station Control Board has made has started on the Flight Simulation Facility its test slot at Alcatel Alenia Space in Cannes progress on the scheduling of the remaining (FSF) at Les Mureaux (F), and a number of (F); the thermal-vacuum test is expected to Shuttle flights to the ISS, with the Columbus functional qualification tests were performed, start by mid-November. launch on flight 1E on 17 October 2007. and some major bilateral interface tests were also completed. However, some problems Space Infrastructure Development during functional qualification testing, which The Columbus ground processing Phase-1 at is on the critical path for the programme, are Human Spaceflight, the Kennedy Space Center was completed, still being encountered on test platforms, including the integrated leak test which usually caused by equipment front ends, and Microgravity & demonstrated that the ESA module is the qualification testing will now continue least susceptible Station module in this through into early 2007, resulting in a launch Exploration respect. Columbus is now in storage at the date not earlier than mid-June 2007. KSC until April 2007. Qualification and acceptance of the ATV Highlights A European commercial carrier, the Astrium- Control Centre is almost complete and the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-121) was built ICC-Lite, has been baselined as the corresponding Q&AR review has started. launched to the ISS on 4 July with ESA payload bay structure to support the SOLAR Operations qualification for the Jules Verne astronaut Thomas Reiter aboard. He became observatory and EuTEF facility payloads on mission is well under way, with many parts

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Programmes In Progress

of the pre-qualification programme MSG completed. The operations product verification review has taken place and the Meteosat-8/MSG-1 Board meeting in October gave the go-ahead A reset of the Central Data Management Unit for the start of the simulations and training (CDMU) resulted in the satellite entering safe programme. mode on 23 September 2006. Although the exact cause is not yet known, it is likely to be The implementation review of the ISS a single event upset, as similar situations operations services contract was completed have been observed on the Spacebus 3000 and plans were agreed with industry for the CDMUs. After nominal reconfiguration, the work up to end-2007. This includes the satellite became the operational satellite Columbus and Jules Verne launches as well again on 10 October 2006. Satellite condition as the final transition from development to is nominal and the instrument performance operations programme. remains of excellent quality. Node-3 functional testing was completed and Meteosat-9/MSG-2 mechanical activities, in preparation for After successful commissioning, MSG-2 acceptance and shipment early next year, are became the hot standby for Meteosat-8. With Thomas Reiter working in the Destiny laboratory, 10 September under way. However, NASA has indicated that Meteosat-8 entering safe mode on it would like to transfer more activities from 23 September, MSG-2 automatically became KSC to Europe; negotiations on these the operational satellite for the data delivery the third member of the Expedition-13 ISS the Columbus launch, saving several activities are under way, for which NASA will until the switch back to Meteosat-8 on crew and is carrying out the long-duration hundred kg of structural mass compared to fund the European prime contractor of 10 October. The satellite (now renamed Astrolab mission. Also launched, and its US counterpart. Alcatel Alenia Space in Turin (I). Meteosat-9) shows flawless nominal commissioned in the US Lab Destiny, were operations. ESA’s European Modular Cultivation System Qualification and acceptance of the Roskosmos has announced to the SSCB that (EMCS), the –80ºC Freezer (MELFI) and the Columbus Control Centre is now almost it is planning on a long delay, to end-2009, MSG-3 Percutaneous Electrical Muscle Stimulator complete, following the completion of the for the launch of its Multipurpose Laboratory MSG-3’s flight PROM has been integrated (PEMS). review (Q&AR) with the Board on 21 July. Module (MLM). This will entail a Christer Fuglesang preparing for his EVA during Shuttle mission STS-116 in December 2006 and tested. It is planned to put MSG-3 in On 9 September Space Shuttle Atlantis corresponding delay for the European long-term storage by the end of the year, (STS-115) was launched to the ISS, marking The ATV Jules Verne spacecraft hardware Robotic Arm (ERA). Plans are already in awaiting launch in early 2011. the return to major assembly work on the and software is stable; acoustic and leak place to store the flight unit, freeze all Facility (PCDF) integration has been Portable Glovebox has been used for the Station with the installation of the P3/P4 tests were completed and preparation is activities in Russia and go into team-keeping concluded and Phase-C/D experiment BIO-2 experiments that were performed MSG-4 truss – the first configuration change for the under way for the final major environmental mode with Dutch Space. development for Increment-16 is under way. during the Soyuz-13S visiting flight. During Preparation activities for MSG-4’s thermal- ISS since November 2002. test, the thermal-vacuum test. The second of The deployment of the first experiments for that flight, A. Ansari, acting as a short-term vacuum test and optical-vacuum tests have three functional qualification test campaigns Utilisation Planning, Payload the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) and medical test subject, performed several been completed. MSG-4 is now waiting for The Space Station Control Board has made has started on the Flight Simulation Facility Developments and Preparatory Missions Biolab, as well as the Flywheel Exercise human physiology experiments. The its test slot at Alcatel Alenia Space in Cannes progress on the scheduling of the remaining (FSF) at Les Mureaux (F), and a number of The SURE proposals review (32 proposals, Device, is envisaged for flight 1E, together experiment programme executed by Russian (F); the thermal-vacuum test is expected to Shuttle flights to the ISS, with the Columbus functional qualification tests were performed, four of which are industrial projects) is under with the upload on 1E of various cosmonaut P. Vinogradov (Increment-13) start by mid-November. launch on flight 1E on 17 October 2007. and some major bilateral interface tests were way and the peer review of the 49 bedrest consumables for human physiology was successfully concluded. also completed. However, some problems study proposals (15 science disciplines) is in experiments. Space Infrastructure Development during functional qualification testing, which preparation. ISS Education The Columbus ground processing Phase-1 at is on the critical path for the programme, are Destiny payloads: on-orbit recertification of Preparation of the education programme the Human Spaceflight, the Kennedy Space Center was completed, still being encountered on test platforms, Precursor missions: Maser-11 Phase-A/B the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is Christer Fuglesang STS-116 mission including the integrated leak test which usually caused by equipment front ends, and studies are almost completed and Phase-C/D almost complete, the Material Science (December 2006) is under way, and filming Microgravity & demonstrated that the ESA module is the qualification testing will now continue will follow directly. The Phase-C/D Laboratory (MSL) flight model pre-ship of the experiment has been approved by least susceptible Station module in this through into early 2007, resulting in a launch Texus-44/45 Request for Quotation is review has started, and development of Principal Investigator. Exploration respect. Columbus is now in storage at the date not earlier than mid-June 2007. starting in 2006, with a launch planned for ANITA, which will be deployed on ATV-1 and KSC until April 2007. end-2007, and Foton-M3 payload accommodated in an Express rack on The ARISS (Amateur Radio on the ISS) radio Qualification and acceptance of the ATV development activities are progressing well Destiny, is approaching completion. contact with the ISS and Thomas Reiter was Highlights A European commercial carrier, the Astrium- Control Centre is almost complete and the for a launch in September 2007. organised in Patras, Greece on 29 July, with Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-121) was built ICC-Lite, has been baselined as the corresponding Q&AR review has started. Following launch on STS-121 (ULF-1.1) and the participation of the Greek Minister of launched to the ISS on 4 July with ESA payload bay structure to support the SOLAR Operations qualification for the Jules Verne Columbus payloads: European Drawer Rack commissioning, MELFI and EMCS are Education. The UTBI experiment (University astronaut Thomas Reiter aboard. He became observatory and EuTEF facility payloads on mission is well under way, with many parts (EDR)/Protein Crystallisation Diagnostics supporting the scientific programme. The of Valencia) was launched on Soyuz-13S.

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Programmes In Progress

Development and testing of the CASPER the Descent Module Entry, Descent and (RHUs) of the type developed for the Russian ESA and Roskosmos are discussing an The earthworks at the Soyuz experiment (University of Dublin) is Landing System (EDLS), Descent Module Mars-96 mission. A follow-up technical exchange of letters that will establish the Launch Site proceeding, with the launch targeted for Support Structure and Rover Egress System meeting with BIAPOS, the company that formal basis for conducting the preparatory Progress-23P. (SES) and the Carrier/Orbiter. The Request developed and manufactured these devices, programme as a cooperative undertaking. A for Quotation for the Rover Vehicle was took place in early September with fully-fledged agreement in accordance with Astronaut Activities released. All proposals have been received encouraging results. A meeting is foreseen in the requirements of both agencies will be As part of his mission aboard the ISS, and are being evaluated. the near future to address the possibility of worked out and signed at a later stage. In Thomas Reiter performed an EVA of more broader ESA/Roskosmos cooperation on the parallel, the two parties will discuss and put The qualification test of than 6 hours with NASA astronaut Jeff Industrial activities began in early September rover, airbags, parachute design and in place the necessary measures to launch the Zefiro-23 forward Williams. They completed all the preparation with Galileo Avionica for the Drill and the development. programme activities at both Agency and skirt was successful on activities for the next ISS truss assembly Sample Preparation and Distribution system industrial level. 22 September. The test (installing the motor controller on the (SPDS) design and breadboard, and with Under the Exploration Core programme, the plan at the component radiator joint), deploying the new camera to Aerosekur for the airbag design and overall objectives and strategy for The ESA procurement process for industrial level to characterise the monitor the condition of the Shuttle’s breadboard. The Planetary Protection 2006–2009 were drawn up in line with the activities is being launched so that a contract skirt mechanical carbon-carbon structures, installing two support contract kicked-off at end-August programme proposal resulting from the can be awarded to industry as soon as characteristics is under materials experiments (MISSE-3 and -4) and with SEA/Open University. Berlin Ministerial Council in December 2005. possible. way. performing additional tasks. is not uniform. Instead, the construction Work has progressed on both the baseline For the general exploration technologies and The Zefiro-9 performance recovery plan was company is building a concrete pillar, 8 m in Most Astrolab experiments have been already mission, based on a Soyuz launcher and preparation for lunar exploration, several concluded. A slight modification of the diameter and 8 m deep, to reach the rock initiated by Thomas Reiter and will be relying on a NASA telecommunications activities are under preparation. Habitation Vega propellant formulation and an increase in the ceiling. The impact on the planning is being performed repeatedly. More experiments and orbiter, and an enhanced option requiring an and life-support activities are being proposed expansion ratio were proposed. The analysed and measures will be taken to consumables were uploaded on Soyuz-13S Ariane-5 launch. The latter option would for approval, dealing with further The qualification test campaign for the modifications were reviewed in the Zefiro-9 regain the time needed for this unforeseen and more will follow on Progress-23P. allow an independent European mission with development of Melissa, development of the launcher’s upper composite started at the CDR that began in September. activity. its own telecommunications orbiter and ALISSE advanced life-support system beginning of August in the ESTEC Test Although the plans have not yet been would provide the opportunity for continuing evaluator, further development of the ARES Centre. In September, it passed its vibration The composite structure for the P80 The CDR for the Launch System is scheduled formalised, ESA astronauts Leopold Eyharts Mars Express-type science. A close air-revitalisation system and further definition tests mounted on a shaker while some 400 Demonstration Model firing test arrived in for late October. The next industrial CDR for and Frank De Winne have started to train as examination was made of the overall project of exploration habitation requirements, for accelerometers and 40 strain gauges French Guiana during July, and the propellant the Russian deliveries will be held in three prime and backup for a mini-increment of schedule, which resulted in a critical near-term implementation. measured the movements and deformation casting was successful in August. Integration steps, one for each major industrialist 2–3 months after the launch of Columbus. assessment of the 2011 launch target, which of the structure. Acoustic tests are scheduled of the nozzle, igniters and sensors is involved. The first began in late September, They will be followed by a Canadian during was considered to be very tight. The 2013 System-level studies are being proposed for for mid-October. proceeding according to schedule. The first with the other two before the end of the year. stage 1J/A (with André Kuipers as backup) launch would provide a robust schedule with in situ resource utilisation, better definition of firing test is planned for end-November. and then a JAXA astronaut during stage 1J. several months’ contingency. ISS use for exploration and lunar mission The Vega upper composite is prepared for testing in the Large analysis specifically addressing Lagrange European Acoustic Facility at ESTEC Hans Schlegel was selected as a On the payload side, a series of instrument orbits. FLPP crewmember aboard Columbus/Shuttle flight interface meetings between ESA, the prime Soyuz at CSG 1E, in addition to Christer Fuglesang (12A.1, contractor and each Pasteur instrument The Mars Sample Return Phase-A2 contract An Authorisation To Proceed (ATP) was December 2006) and Paolo Nespoli (10A, teams allowed good progress in the design kicked off at end-August. Two precursor The construction site has changed awarded to industry in July for the Vinci Node-2 flight in August 2007). and definition of the instrument interfaces. mission definition studies (autonomous considerably in the past few months. Expander Demonstrator first contract, funded An assessment of the Pasteur payload mass rendezvous and soft/precision landing) will Temporary facilities such as offices, changing by FLPP-2. The NGL ELV and Building Blocks The first ESA ATV training was provided to allocation began in early July and continued be performed after a first system design rooms and catering facilities, were erected system concept studies began after national the Expedition-15 crew in September when into August to check whether some of the refinement loop. around the site. The stone crusher was agencies agreed on the Launcher System the Russian prime and backup crewmembers payload instrument requests could be Four tenders for approved planetary erected and put to work, allowing the rock Workshop conclusions. The first set of received ‘ATV Part 1 Training’ at the accommodated. protection/RHU units/radiation-related debris from the flame chute excavation to be industrial activities for the Intermediate European Astronaut Centre (EAC). Some 20 activities of the Core programme were used elsewhere. The foundations of the eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) was completed. weeks of ISS crew training will be The Geophysics and Environment Package issued; proposals were received and are Launch Operation Centre and for the air- The second set began, while IXV activities to implemented at EAC for Columbus, ATV and (GEP) status review activities began with a under evaluation. conditioning facility were laid. Hoisting be funded by FLPP-2 are upcoming, with the payloads during the next 12 months. first meeting in early July and continued equipment is being installed around the Statement of Work being finalised. through August and September. Further Crew Space Transportation System building construction sites. Exploration investigations are ongoing. The Programme Declaration for the CSTS For the consolidated FLPP contract with For ExoMars, now in Phase-B1 under Alcatel preparatory programme and a side document The excavation of the flame chute is NGL, all technical and contractual Alenia Space-Italy as prime contractor, the A preliminary meeting took place with recording statements by participating States proceeding at a good pace, although clarifications were received and contract selection process of the second-level Roskosmos to discuss potential cooperation and ESA’s Director General in connection problems have been encountered. It was signature is planned in October. Pending contractors has progressed with the issue in in ExoMars. Of particular interest is the with subscriptions were finalised on discovered that the rock layer where the finalisation of negotiations, industrial early August of the Invitations to Tender for procurement of Radioisotope Heater Units 29 September. pillars of the launch table would have rested activities were launched by ATP. e

90 esa bulletin 128 - november 2006 www.esa.int www.esa.int esa bulletin 128 - november 2006 91 BP128 11/9/06 4:39 PM Page 90

Programmes In Progress

Development and testing of the CASPER the Descent Module Entry, Descent and (RHUs) of the type developed for the Russian ESA and Roskosmos are discussing an The earthworks at the Soyuz experiment (University of Dublin) is Landing System (EDLS), Descent Module Mars-96 mission. A follow-up technical exchange of letters that will establish the Launch Site proceeding, with the launch targeted for Support Structure and Rover Egress System meeting with BIAPOS, the company that formal basis for conducting the preparatory Progress-23P. (SES) and the Carrier/Orbiter. The Request developed and manufactured these devices, programme as a cooperative undertaking. A for Quotation for the Rover Vehicle was took place in early September with fully-fledged agreement in accordance with Astronaut Activities released. All proposals have been received encouraging results. A meeting is foreseen in the requirements of both agencies will be As part of his mission aboard the ISS, and are being evaluated. the near future to address the possibility of worked out and signed at a later stage. In Thomas Reiter performed an EVA of more broader ESA/Roskosmos cooperation on the parallel, the two parties will discuss and put The qualification test of than 6 hours with NASA astronaut Jeff Industrial activities began in early September rover, airbags, parachute design and in place the necessary measures to launch the Zefiro-23 forward Williams. They completed all the preparation with Galileo Avionica for the Drill and the development. programme activities at both Agency and skirt was successful on activities for the next ISS truss assembly Sample Preparation and Distribution system industrial level. 22 September. The test (installing the motor controller on the (SPDS) design and breadboard, and with Under the Exploration Core programme, the plan at the component radiator joint), deploying the new camera to Aerosekur for the airbag design and overall objectives and strategy for The ESA procurement process for industrial level to characterise the monitor the condition of the Shuttle’s breadboard. The Planetary Protection 2006–2009 were drawn up in line with the activities is being launched so that a contract skirt mechanical carbon-carbon structures, installing two support contract kicked-off at end-August programme proposal resulting from the can be awarded to industry as soon as characteristics is under materials experiments (MISSE-3 and -4) and with SEA/Open University. Berlin Ministerial Council in December 2005. possible. way. performing additional tasks. is not uniform. Instead, the construction Work has progressed on both the baseline For the general exploration technologies and The Zefiro-9 performance recovery plan was company is building a concrete pillar, 8 m in Most Astrolab experiments have been already mission, based on a Soyuz launcher and preparation for lunar exploration, several concluded. A slight modification of the diameter and 8 m deep, to reach the rock initiated by Thomas Reiter and will be relying on a NASA telecommunications activities are under preparation. Habitation Vega propellant formulation and an increase in the ceiling. The impact on the planning is being performed repeatedly. More experiments and orbiter, and an enhanced option requiring an and life-support activities are being proposed expansion ratio were proposed. The analysed and measures will be taken to consumables were uploaded on Soyuz-13S Ariane-5 launch. The latter option would for approval, dealing with further The qualification test campaign for the modifications were reviewed in the Zefiro-9 regain the time needed for this unforeseen and more will follow on Progress-23P. allow an independent European mission with development of Melissa, development of the launcher’s upper composite started at the CDR that began in September. activity. its own telecommunications orbiter and ALISSE advanced life-support system beginning of August in the ESTEC Test Although the plans have not yet been would provide the opportunity for continuing evaluator, further development of the ARES Centre. In September, it passed its vibration The composite structure for the P80 The CDR for the Launch System is scheduled formalised, ESA astronauts Leopold Eyharts Mars Express-type science. A close air-revitalisation system and further definition tests mounted on a shaker while some 400 Demonstration Model firing test arrived in for late October. The next industrial CDR for and Frank De Winne have started to train as examination was made of the overall project of exploration habitation requirements, for accelerometers and 40 strain gauges French Guiana during July, and the propellant the Russian deliveries will be held in three prime and backup for a mini-increment of schedule, which resulted in a critical near-term implementation. measured the movements and deformation casting was successful in August. Integration steps, one for each major industrialist 2–3 months after the launch of Columbus. assessment of the 2011 launch target, which of the structure. Acoustic tests are scheduled of the nozzle, igniters and sensors is involved. The first began in late September, They will be followed by a Canadian during was considered to be very tight. The 2013 System-level studies are being proposed for for mid-October. proceeding according to schedule. The first with the other two before the end of the year. stage 1J/A (with André Kuipers as backup) launch would provide a robust schedule with in situ resource utilisation, better definition of firing test is planned for end-November. and then a JAXA astronaut during stage 1J. several months’ contingency. ISS use for exploration and lunar mission The Vega upper composite is prepared for testing in the Large analysis specifically addressing Lagrange European Acoustic Facility at ESTEC Hans Schlegel was selected as a On the payload side, a series of instrument orbits. FLPP crewmember aboard Columbus/Shuttle flight interface meetings between ESA, the prime Soyuz at CSG 1E, in addition to Christer Fuglesang (12A.1, contractor and each Pasteur instrument The Mars Sample Return Phase-A2 contract An Authorisation To Proceed (ATP) was December 2006) and Paolo Nespoli (10A, teams allowed good progress in the design kicked off at end-August. Two precursor The construction site has changed awarded to industry in July for the Vinci Node-2 flight in August 2007). and definition of the instrument interfaces. mission definition studies (autonomous considerably in the past few months. Expander Demonstrator first contract, funded An assessment of the Pasteur payload mass rendezvous and soft/precision landing) will Temporary facilities such as offices, changing by FLPP-2. The NGL ELV and Building Blocks The first ESA ATV training was provided to allocation began in early July and continued be performed after a first system design rooms and catering facilities, were erected system concept studies began after national the Expedition-15 crew in September when into August to check whether some of the refinement loop. around the site. The stone crusher was agencies agreed on the Launcher System the Russian prime and backup crewmembers payload instrument requests could be Four tenders for approved planetary erected and put to work, allowing the rock Workshop conclusions. The first set of received ‘ATV Part 1 Training’ at the accommodated. protection/RHU units/radiation-related debris from the flame chute excavation to be industrial activities for the Intermediate European Astronaut Centre (EAC). Some 20 activities of the Core programme were used elsewhere. The foundations of the eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) was completed. weeks of ISS crew training will be The Geophysics and Environment Package issued; proposals were received and are Launch Operation Centre and for the air- The second set began, while IXV activities to implemented at EAC for Columbus, ATV and (GEP) status review activities began with a under evaluation. conditioning facility were laid. Hoisting be funded by FLPP-2 are upcoming, with the payloads during the next 12 months. first meeting in early July and continued equipment is being installed around the Statement of Work being finalised. through August and September. Further Crew Space Transportation System building construction sites. Exploration investigations are ongoing. The Programme Declaration for the CSTS For the consolidated FLPP contract with For ExoMars, now in Phase-B1 under Alcatel preparatory programme and a side document The excavation of the flame chute is NGL, all technical and contractual Alenia Space-Italy as prime contractor, the A preliminary meeting took place with recording statements by participating States proceeding at a good pace, although clarifications were received and contract selection process of the second-level Roskosmos to discuss potential cooperation and ESA’s Director General in connection problems have been encountered. It was signature is planned in October. Pending contractors has progressed with the issue in in ExoMars. Of particular interest is the with subscriptions were finalised on discovered that the rock layer where the finalisation of negotiations, industrial early August of the Invitations to Tender for procurement of Radioisotope Heater Units 29 September. pillars of the launch table would have rested activities were launched by ATP. e

90 esa bulletin 128 - november 2006 www.esa.int www.esa.int esa bulletin 128 - november 2006 91