Launching things into space is hard. Aside from the engines and software, orbital calculations and the launch pad, the tanks that hold the fuel are a masterful example of engineering in their own right – and ESA will soon be testing the next generation of rocket tanks: Phoebus.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Today, the European Commission and the European Space Agency are calling on established and aspiring European launch service providers to apply to join the European Flight Ticket Initiative. The objective of the Flight Ticket initiative is to stimulate new European launch systems through open competition starting with In-orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) needs.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
The Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force consists of top management of ESA, as the overall Ariane 6 procuring entity and launch system architect, of the French space agency CNES, as the launch base prime contractor, of ArianeGroup as the launcher system prime contractor and of Arianespace as the launch service provider. This group reports regularly on progress being made towards inaugural flight of the new Ariane 6 launcher.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Video: 00:04:00
On 8 October at 22:36 local time (9 October at 02:36 BST, 03:36 CEST) the 23rd Vega flight saw 12 satellites launched into Earth orbit. The rocket’s main passengers were the Earth observing THEOS-2 satellite and the meteorological satellite Triton.
THEOS-2 (THailand Earth Observation System-2) is an observation satellite manufactured by Airbus in for the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand. THEOS-2 is the largest of the two satellites in the series and will provide the Ministry of Agriculture of Thailand with information on water resources, weather and land use for planning and management.
Triton (formerly known as FORMOSAT-7R) is a Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) satellite that will collect signals that bounce off the sea surface to help scientists calculate wind field over our oceans. This data will be shared with Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, contributing to the forecast of typhoon intensity and their trajectory.
Vega is ESA’s small launcher – first launched in 2012 – specialising in placing medium-sized satellites into low Earth polar orbits that are ideal for scientific and Earth observation missions as well as ride sharing – putting multiple satellites into orbit on a single flight. It is a separate launch vehicle from the newer Vega-C and the two launchers share only one stage-type between them. On this commercial flight, ESA was involved in developing five of the eight secondary missions.
Large vegetation scanning, in a miniature format
The Proba-V Companion CubeSat will fly at 564 km altitude to perform co-observations of global vegetation with Europe’s two Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, which are similarly optimised for land cover and vegetation. Comparable to the Proba-V satellite that was launched in 2013, its younger sibling is much smaller and will fly at a slightly different orbit.
Pretty cool
The PRETTY (Passive REflecTomeTry and dosimetry) CubeSat will demonstrate using global navigation system signals that bounce of Earth allowing the satellite to measure sea ice amongst other things. The single cubesat is made of just three 10 cm cubes.
Small platforms, big ideas
Managed on behalf of the European Commission by ESA’s small satellite platform unit, three missions on this Vega launch are allowing for the early orbital testing of new technologies to make Europe’s space sector more competitive.
∑yndeo
Among the smallest passengers are also the most ambitious in nature: twin miniaturised laboratories, or CubeSats, for the in-orbit demonstration of disruptive, state-of-the-art space technologies. The seven test payloads aboard the European Commission-supported CubeSat Carrier (CSC) satellites, ∑yndeo-1, and ∑yndeo-2, include an innovative plasma jet pack and an ultra-sensitive magnetic instrument. The latter is planned for ESA’s future LISA constellation, which will need to maintain a precise position in deep space in order to detect the nearly imperceivable passage of gravitational waves.
Estonia’s electric space sail
The shoebox-sized ESTCube-2 will survey Estonian vegetation and be the first in-orbit test of an ‘e-sail’ tether. This will be deployed to brake the CubeSat’s orbit and accelerate its end of life, helping to keep space clear of dangerous debris.
The electric sail is a 30-m long interweaved aluminium tether line that measures just half a millimetre in thickness – around the diameter of the average human hair. Running a charge along it will generate momentum, causing it to act as a ‘plasma brake’ as opposition from Earth’s magnetic field makes it slow down in its orbit and lose altitude.
Three formation flyers
Advanced Nanosatellite Systems for Earth-observation Research (ANSER) – is a cluster of three CubeSats which will work together in close vicinity as if they are a single satellite. The satellites are in orbit around 500 km altitude, maintaining a formation at around 10 km from each other. Instead of controlling formation with fuel and engines they will deploy a set of flaps and use the trace amounts of air at the top of the atmosphere to either drag themselves downward or lift themselves upward and sideways.
Together they will image Earth in visible and near infrared offering insight into the suspended contents of water bodies, including pollution levels or the presence of toxic microorganisms such as harmful phytoplankton blooms.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
A briefcase-sized CubeSat being flown on Europe’s next Vega launcher this week will gather 340 km wide views of Earth’s vegetation growth, employing a spectral imager originally designed for ESA’s decade-in-flight Proba-V.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Spain’s trio of ANSER CubeSats, due to fly on Europe’s next Vega launcher, will fly like a flock of birds in orbit – in more ways than one. Keeping in formation by following their leader, the three shoebox-sized satellite will image Iberian waters as if they are a single standard-sized mission. And they will unfurl wing-like flaps to maintain their relative positions, surfing on the scanty airflow at the top of Earth’s atmosphere.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
On Earth, raw materials and finished goods move from source to destination with the help of a highly developed logistics network. ESA believes the same will be true in space in the future – made possible by a new generation of reusable launchers, in-space delivery vehicles and orbiting fuel depots.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
With great sadness, we announce the passing of Daniel de Chambure on 16 September 2023 at the age of 61, after a short period of severe illness. His loss will be deeply felt by his many colleagues and friends at ESA and by the wider space community.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Video: 00:01:07
On 5 September 2023, teams from France’s space agency CNES and Arianegroup under the lead of ESA carried out a complete Ariane 6 launch sequence on its launch pad at Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. The test ended with a hot-fire of the launcher’s core stage and startup of the Vulcain 2.1 engine.
This is a key step in the test campaign. It follows from initial integration of the Ariane 6 launcher on its launch pad, electrical and fluid system tests and the first launch sequence test run on 18 July 2023.
This test involved a launch sequence and final countdown representative of a launch, including removal of the Ariane 6 mobile gantry and filling the launcher’s upper and core stage tanks with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The test ended with the ignition and the startup of the core stage’s Vulcain 2.1 engine, followed by four seconds of firing.
The next milestone is to complete a core stage long hot-fire test, where the Vulcain 2.1 engine will operate for about 8 minutes.
Ariane 6 is an all-new design, created to succeed Ariane 5 as Europe's heavy-lift launch system. With Ariane 6's upper stage and its reignitable Vinci engine, Europe's launch capability will be tailored to the needs of multiple payloads, for example to orbit satellite constellations. This autonomous capability to reach Earth orbit and deep space supports Europe's navigation, Earth observation, scientific and security programmes. Ongoing development of Europe's space transportation capabilities is made possible by the sustained dedication of thousands of talented people working in ESA's 22 Member States.
Access the related broadcast quality video material.
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posted by pod_feeder_v2
The Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force consists of top management at ESA, the overall Ariane 6 procuring entity and launch system architect, launch base prime contractor and French space agency CNES, launcher system prime contractor ArianeGroup and launch service provider Arianespace. This group reports regularly on progress being made towards inaugural flight of the new Ariane 6 launcher.
The next update is expected in October.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Validation testing continues for ESA’s all-new Ariane 6 launch vehicle, with firing of its two upper stage engines to simulate the way they will have to operate together during a flight.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Here is the latest regular report on progress made and upcoming steps towards inaugural flight of the new Ariane 6 launcher.
The next update will be detailed at a media briefing to be held in September.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Video: 00:04:59
The 117th and final launch of Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket capped a series which began in 1996. Commercial, institutional and scientific payloads included such iconic missions as Rosetta, the James Webb Space Telescope and Juice. Seen here is the launch campaign for VA261 on 5 July 2023, to close the Ariane 5 book; onboard were German aerospace agency DLR’s Heinrich Hertz experimental communications satellite and French communications satellite Syracuse 4b.
Access the related broadcast quality footage.
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posted by pod_feeder_v2
At the Paris air show today, ESA Director of Space Transportation Daniel Neuenschwander and CNES's Guiana Space Centre Director Marie-Anne Clair signed a contract, maintaining ESA’s role and focusing on objectives including improving flexibility to handle new payloads, reducing carbon footprint and furthering the digital transformation at Europe’s Spaceport to 2027. Looking on were ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and CNES Deputy Chief Executive Lionel Suchet.
CNES has overall responsibility for maintaining the operational condition of the spaceport and modernizing facilities.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
As anticipated in May, here is an update of the progress being made towards inaugural flight of the new Ariane 6 launcher.
The next update is expected end July.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
Video: 00:04:00
Timelapse of the integration and launch of Juice.
ESA’s latest interplanetary mission, Juice, lifted off on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French 09:14 local time/14:14CEST on 14 April 2023 to begin its eight-year journey to Jupiter, where it will study in detail the gas giant planet’s three large ocean-bearing moons: Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.
Juice – Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer – is humankind’s next bold mission to the outer Solar System. This ambitious mission will characterise Ganymede, Callisto and Europa with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life. Juice will monitor Jupiter’s complex magnetic, radiation and plasma environment in depth and its interplay with the moons, studying the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giant systems across the Universe.
Following launch, Juice will embark on an eight-year journey to Jupiter, arriving in July 2031 with the aid of momentum and direction gained from four gravity-assist fly-bys of the Earth-Moon system, Venus and, twice, Earth.
Flight VA260 is the final Ariane 5 flight to carry an ESA mission to space.
Access the related broadcast quality footage.
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posted by pod_feeder_v2
Image:
Ariane 5 VA 260 with Juice ready for launch on the ELA-3 launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on 12 April 2023.
Juice – JUpiter ICy moons Explorer – is humankind’s next bold mission to the outer Solar System. This ambitious mission will characterise Ganymede, Callisto and Europa with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life. Juice will monitor Jupiter’s complex magnetic, radiation and plasma environment in depth and its interplay with the moons, studying the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giant systems across the Universe.
Following launch, Juice will embark on an eight-year journey to Jupiter, arriving in July 2031 with the aid of momentum and direction gained from four gravity-assist fly-bys of the Earth-Moon system, Venus and, twice, Earth.
Flight VA 260 will be the final Ariane 5 flight to carry an ESA mission to space.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
The European Commission and the European Space Agency are jointly offering flight ticket opportunities for European companies or organisations to co-fund the launch services to test your new satellite technologies in space.
#launchers #space #science #esa #europeanspaceagency
posted by pod_feeder_v2
