Sea Launch Successfully Launches EUTELSAT 3B

Sea Launch logo.

May 27, 2014

Zenit-3SL rocket carrying the EUTELSAT 3B spacecraft lifted off

Sea Launch SA has successfully launched the EUTELSAT 3B satellite today from at its ocean-based Launch Platform Odyssey. This marks the completion of Sea Launch’s first mission in 2014, its third for Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading satellite operators,  and its 36th mission overall.

Launch of Eutelsat 3B on Zenit from Sea Launch Platform. Video: Sea Launch TV

The Zenit-3SL rocket carrying the spacecraft lifted off at 14:09:59 Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on Monday, May 26th (21:09:59 UTC, 23:09:55 CEST) from the launch platform, positioned at 154 degrees West longitude in the Pacific Ocean. One hour later, the Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the satellite, weighing 5,967 kilograms (13,155 lbs.) into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position at 3 degrees East longitude.  Eutelsat acquired the spacecraft’s first signals from orbit shortly after spacecraft separation. All systems performed nominally throughout the launch mission.

Following acquisition of the spacecraft's signal, Sergey Gugkaev, CEO of Sea Launch, congratulated Eutelsat and the satellite’s prime contractor, Airbus Defence and Space.  "I am very pleased to once again announce the successful launch for our valued Eutelsat customer, our third in a row for them.”  Gugkaev continued, “I wish to express my gratitude to all of our colleagues at the launch site, Home Port and production and maintenance facilities for their hard work and dedication to Sea Launch program.”

Spacecraft separation

Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO, added “We are delighted to see EUTELSAT 3B on its way to 3 degrees East and thank Sea Launch and Energia for this flawless launch. EUTELSAT 3B will be a powerful asset to our in-orbit resources, enabling us to increase the operational flexibility and reach we provide customers in a vast service area spanning Brazil, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. ”

EUTELSAT 3B spacecraft. Image Credit: EUTELSAT

Based on the Eurostar E3000 platform of Airbus Defence and Space, the EUTELSAT 3B satellite has been designed to operate three commercial payloads in the C, Ku and Ka bands. This tri-band configuration will deliver exceptional levels of in-orbit flexibility and coverage from Eutelsat’s expanding 3° East neighourhood. The satellite will enable Eutelsat to diversify its commercial response to Internet Service Providers, telcos, government agencies and broadcasters operating in Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. EUTELSAT 3B has a designed in-orbit lifetime exceeding 15 years.

For more information about Sea Launch, visit: http://www.sea-launch.com/

Images (mentioned), Video (mentioned), Text, Credit: Sea Launch, Headquarter Nyon, Switzerland / Screen captures: Orbiter.ch Aerospace, Headquarter Meyrin, Switzerland.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Looking ahead to Sentinel-2

ESA - Sentinel 2 Mission logo.

May 26, 2014

With the first Sentinel satellite already in orbit, scientists and users gathered in Italy last week to discuss the progress of the upcoming Sentinel-2 mission and its many applications.

Over 400 attendees from 44 different countries convened at ESA’s ESRIN centre for Earth observation in Frascati, Italy, for the Sentinel-2 for Science workshop.

Sentinel-2 is the second satellite mission being developed for Europe’s Copernicus environment monitoring programme.

Through Copernicus, decision-makers will have access to reliable, timely and accurate information services to manage the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security.

The two-satellite mission will deliver frequent and high-resolution optical images that will be used for land cover and change detection mapping, agricultural monitoring, disaster control and many other applications.

Monitoring land and coastal zones

Owing to its high resolution of 10 m per pixel and wide swath of 290 km, global products from Sentinel-2 will be able to be applied locally.

“Timely, high-resolution data are needed for the assessment and monitoring of agricultural productivity. Sentinel-2 data at 10 m resolution will transform our ability to effectively monitor the status and trends of agriculture on a global basis, and will significantly assist those countries most at risk,” said John Latham from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“FAO is an active partner and champion user of Earth observation data, and an avid supporter of an integrated Earth observation strategy for resource monitoring built on Copernicus and Sentinel data.”

He also stressed the importance of coordination to continue the provision of consistent products as the user community transitions from using data from the US Landsat missions to Sentinel-2. Landsat provided optical imagery for over 40 years, but this role will be taken over by Sentinel-2, which also provides higher resolution and better coverage.

Sentinel-2

Last year, ESA and NASA entered into a collaborative agreement to provide compatible data products between Sentinel-2 and Landsat, bringing greater benefits to the users of the images.

In addition to data continuity, Sentinel-2 will provide a more frequent revisit time compared to Landsat. This is particularly important for tracking land degradation and logging, especially in tropical regions that often experience cloud cover.

“Logging practices and forest degradation processes move fast in tropical regions, and frequent satellite acquisitions are needed in order to track their progress, in particular to identify logging roads and canopy gaps before they are covered by regrowing vegetation,” said Frédéric Achard from the Forest Recourses and Climate Unit at the Joint Research Centre.

“With Sentinel-2, we will have an unprecedented acquisition frequency which will enable us to better assess forest conditions and the extent of forest degradation in the tropics and worldwide.”

Sentinel-2 for Science workshop

Once both satellites are in orbit, Sentinel-2 will provide global coverage every two days.

One of the major victories for the mission’s scientific community was last year’s approval of the European Delegated Act on Copernicus data and information policy. This Act provides free, full and open access to users of environmental data from the Copernicus programme – including data from the Sentinel satellites.

“In addition to the planned longevity of the Sentinel-2 mission, the free and open access to the data will be highly beneficial to scientific activities and promote the development of long-term monitoring programmes,” said Mike Wulder from the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada.

“Having a consistent, calibrated and accessible data stream allows for the development of time-series. These time-series allow us to better characterise forest dynamics and ecosystem processes, as well as to improve the outcomes of predictive models.”

Related links:

Sentinel-2 for Science workshop: http://seom.esa.int/S2forScience2014/

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): http://www.fao.org/

Canadian Forest Service: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests

Joint Research Centre: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/index.cfm

Related missions:
Sentinels: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Sentinels_overview_-_obsolete

Sentinel-2: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-2

Images, Video, Text, Credits: ESA  / P. Carril / RapidEye.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

A peppering of craters at the Moon’s south pole

ESA - SMART 1 Mission patch.

May 26, 2014

The dark and shadowed regions of the Moon fascinate astronomers and Pink Floyd fans alike. Our Moon’s rotation axis has a tilt of 1.5º, meaning that some parts of its polar regions never see sunlight – the bottoms of certain craters, for example, are always in shadow.

Imaged during summertime in the Moon’s southern hemisphere by the Advanced Moon Imaging Experiment on ESA’s SMART-1 spacecraft, this mosaic shows a crater-riddled region spanning the lunar south pole. It is made up of around 40 individual images taken between December 2005 and March 2006, and covers an area of about 500 x 150 km.

The craters visible here include (from right to left, starting with the largest round shape visible in the frame) the Amundsen, Faustini, Shoemaker, Shackleton and de Gerlache craters. Click here for an annotated map.

Amundsen is the largest of the bunch at 105 km across, followed by Shoemaker (50 km), Faustini (39 km), de Gerlache (32 km) and Shackleton (19 km). This group of craters all look different, see varying levels of sunlight and display a range of interesting properties.

Shackleton crater, the small circle visible to the left of centre, contains the south pole within its rim. By using SMART-1 images to explore the number of small impact craters scattered on the smooth, dark surface surrounding Shackleton, scientists have found this crater to be older than the Apollo 15 landing site (3.3 billion years), but younger than the Apollo 14 site (3.85 billion years).

ESA’s SMART-1 spacecraft

Shoemaker crater, visible to the upper left of centre, is notable because of the 1999 Lunar Prospector mission, which deliberately crashed into the crater in an attempt to create a detectable plume of water vapour by heating any water ice that may have been present. No vapour was spotted. However, all is not lost; some permanently shadowed regions have been in the dark for millions of years, and it is still possible that they may contain water ice deposited by comets and water-rich asteroids. 

Studying the dark depths of these craters could tell us not just about the history of the Moon, but also about Earth, helping us to understand better how, and how much, water and organic material may have been transferred from the Moon to Earth over its history.

Related link:

ESA’s SMART-1 spacecraft mission: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/SMART-1

Images, Text, Credits: ESA/SMART-1/AMIE camera team; image mosaic: M. Ellouzi/B. Foing.

Cheers, Orbiter.ch

Successful launch of H-IIA F 24 with DAICHI-2 (ALOS-2)

JAXA - ALOS-2 Mission logo.

May 24, 2014 (JST)

Launch Result of H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 24 with “DAICHI-2” (ALOS-2) onboard 

Launch of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle

The launch of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 24 with The Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 "DAICHI-2" (ALOS-2) aboard was successfully performed at 12:05:14 p.m. on May 24 (Sat.) 2014 (Japan Standard Time). The launch vehicle flew normally and separated the DAICHI-2 at about 15 minutes and 47 seconds after liftoff. The DAICHI-2 will conduct critical phase operations including deploying the PALSER-2 antenna.

Launch of Japanese H-IIA with ALOS-2

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 24 (H-IIA F24) with the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 “DAICHI-2” (ALOS-2) onboard from the Tanegashima Space Center.

The launch vehicle flew smoothly, and, at about 15 minutes and 47 seconds after liftoff, the separation of the DAICHI-2 was confirmed.

We would like to express our profound appreciation for the cooperation and support of all related personnel and organizations that helped contribute to the successful launch of the H-IIA F24.

At the time of the launch, the weather was fine, a wind speed was 3.4 meters/second from the east and the temperature was 24.4 degrees Celsius.

About Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 "DAICHI-2" (ALOS-2)

The Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2)

The Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) is follow-on mission from the "DAICHI", which contributed to cartography, regional observation, disaster monitoring, and resource surveys. ALOS-2 will succeed this mission with enhanced capabilities.
Specifically, JAXA is conducting research and development activities to improve wide and high-resolution observation technologies developed for DAICHI in order to further fulfill social needs.

Related links:

H-IIA Launch Vehicle No.24 Flight Sequence (Quick Estimation):
http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2014/05/20140524_h2af24.html#at

Mission website:

Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 "DAICHI-2" (ALOS-2):
http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/alos2/

H-IIA Launch Vehicle:
http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/h2a/

Images, Video, Text, Credits: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) / Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Crew Wraps Up Week With Science, New Trio Awaits Launch

ISS - Expedition 40 Mission patch.

May 23, 2014

The three-member Expedition 40 crew is wrapping up its work week with more life science and an investigation into particle impacts on the International Space Station’s external surface. Commander Steve Swanson and Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev are also gearing up to receive a new trio of flight engineers May 28.

Swanson participated in the Skin-B investigation Friday which observes the skin’s adaptation and regeneration in space and compares it to other human organs adapting to weightlessness. The European Space Agency (ESA) is the lead investigator for the experiment that is studying the accelerated aging observed in a crew member’s skin while living in space.

Image above: Commander Steve Swanson, pictured on a television screen, talked live to students at Johnson Space Center on Wednesday during a space station science briefing. Image Credit: NASA.

Read more about Skin-B: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1166.html

The commander also took part in the long-running Sprint VO2 exercise experiment. That study investigates high-intensity, low duration exercise techniques using a resistance device, an exercise bike and a treadmill. Instead of exercising six days a week, crew members are exploring a three day a week, more intense regimen. Scientists have seen cardiovascular benefits from the aerobic training while also trying to minimize muscle and bone loss.

Space Station Live: Short, High-Intensity Exercise to Stay in Space Shape

Video above: Lori L. Ploutz-Snyder, lead investigator of the Sprint VO2 exercise experiment, talks about the study investigating high-intensity, low duration exercise techniques on the space station using a resistance device, an exercise bike and a treadmill. Image Credit: NASA TV.

Read more about Sprint: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/972.html

Swanson checked water and light levels for a new experiment taking place onboard the orbital laboratory that explores harvesting salad-type plants for consumption by future crews. The Veggie crop harvesting study seeks to provide the crew with a palatable, nutritious, and safe source of fresh food and a tool to support relaxation and recreation. However, to determine its suitability for future crews the harvested crop will be stored in a freezer for later analysis by scientists on the ground.

Read more about Veggie: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/383.html

He also checked samples for another botany experiment that investigates plant systems responsible for gravity resistance under microgravity conditions in space.  The Resist Tubule experiment may provide more efficient plant production capabilities on Earth and in space.

Read more about Resist Tubule: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/966.html

The two cosmonauts, Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev, are working their segment of the space station conducting Russian science and maintenance activities. Skvortsov is on his second mission to the orbital lab, his first was as an Expedition 23/24 crew member in 2010, while Artemyev is on his first.

The duo is exploring tools and techniques to detect particle impacts and other hazards on the outside of the station. The Otklik study may provide scientists ways to detect the location of external impacts and risks to station systems.

On Wednesday next week a new trio of Expedition 40/41 crew members will lift off to join the three orbiting residents of the International Space Station. Soyuz Commander and cosmonaut Maxim Suraev, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and European astronaut Alexander Gerst will launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft at 3:57 p.m. EDT (1:57 a.m. May 29 Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Read more about Expedition 40: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition40/index.html

For more information about the International Space Station (ISS), visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images (mentioned), Text, Credit: NASA.

Cheers, Orbiter.ch

European Orion millestone leads to detailed design

NASA - Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle patch / ESA - European Space Agency patch.

23 May 2014

Orion orbiting the Moon

ESA is a step closer to building the future of human spaceflight and exploration in Europe by completing the preliminary design review of Europe’s Service Module for NASA’s Orion vehicle to send astronauts beyond low orbit.

Europe is contributing the Service Module and expertise to the Orion multipurpose crew vehicle with flight-proven technology used on ESA’s series of Automated Transfer Vehicle supply spacecraft.

Orion consists of a crew capsule with the European module providing power, thermal control, consumables and propulsion to the vehicle.

The cooperation highlights the major involvement of ESA, NASA and European industry on this important project, based on a long-standing partnership of the agencies across many areas of human and robotic spaceflight.

 Model service module (EFT-1 Service Module)

A Preliminary Design Review is one of a series of checkpoints in complex engineering projects. Having passed this review, the next step is to start the detailed design and procuring the subsystems.

As the review process continues, the spacecraft design will be assessed again to ensure the safety and reliability of the overall system and its compliance with Orion requirements.

The teams developing the Service Module reviewed the documentation in April and May before meeting for a week in Bremen, Germany. Reviewers from ESA, NASA and the US prime contractor Lockheed Martin evaluated documents delivered by Airbus Defence & Space and European contractors.

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

The Preliminary Design Review concluded with a formal board on 15 May that provided the go-ahead for the next phase.

The next major review milestone is the Critical Design Review at the end of 2015, aiming for Orion’s uncrewed first flight with Europe’s Service Module in 2017.

Related link:

Automated Transfer Vehicle: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/ATV

Images, Text, Credits: NASA / ESA.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

The scientific program of the spacecraft Foton-M

ROSCOSMOS logo.

05/23/2014

Foton-M spacecraft

July 18, 2014 is scheduled to launch spacecraft Foton-M № 4. Flying Foton-M are important complement to Russian Applied Research on board the Russian segment of the International Space Station. The scientific program of Foton-M  № 4 includes dozens of experiments. Earlier we talked about a series of biomedical research, which will be held on Foton-M (see the publication "Biological studies on the spacecraft Foton-M" of 22.05.2014), but the scientific program of two-orbital flight of the spacecraft is not limited solely to biological experiments. On the Foton-M also placed scientific instruments for research on space materials science.

The "Polizon-2"

One of the most important elements of the scientific equipment of the spacecraft Foton-M is set to "Polizon-2." It is an automatic ELECTROVACUUM electric furnace equipped shop in which 12 capsules loaded with the feedstock. Heaters create a predetermined temperature profile, and the capsule is pulled from the furnace at a certain rate , the crystal grows in a capsule. With this installation is planned to conduct the following experiments:

- "Microstructure" - growing protein crystals of highly directional crystallization method . In the foreseeable future it is planned industrial production of such crystals in space missions to create a new generation of drugs to treat cancer and nanobiosenserov.

- "Intermetal" - directional solidification of intermetallic compounds in microgravity in order to obtain new metal alloys.

- "Fuller ISSP" - the impact of reduced gravity and vibration on the growth of crystals of fullerene to produce new materials with desired properties.

- "Uniformity" - study of the effect of microgravity on the processes of growing single crystals of semiconductors (Ge, GaSb) with high uniformity of properties. The experiment was carried out to optimize the existing earth growing technologies such single crystals for high efficiency thermophotovoltaic converters.

In addition, the spacecraft Foton-M will be scientific equipment "Squirrel" is intended for cultivation in spaceflight protein crystals by liquid diffusion and diffusion of the gaseous medium. Protein crystals used in molecular medicine. In terrestrial conditions, many proteins do not crystallize, forcing the process to carry out in space in zero gravity.

Scientific equipment "Squirrel"

Equipment "Movement" will be posted on "Foton-M" to study the effects of microgravity on the thermal characteristics of phase transitions, the experimental results will be used in the generated currently Global Earth Observation System (GEOSS).

On the spacecraft Foton-M № 4 will also be conducted experiments using scientific equipment "Vibroeon-FM", "CBC-FM", "vibration protection", "Geleon", etc. All of the studies applied nature and are aimed at improving the number of technology. After 60 days of space flight Foton-M № 4, all scientific instruments and experimental samples in the descent capsule will return to Earth for further study.

ROSCOSMOS Press Release: http://www.federalspace.ru/20614/

Related link:

Biological studies on the spacecraft Foton-M: http://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.ch/2014/05/biological-studies-on-spacecraft-foton-m.html

Biological studies on the spacecraft Foton-M (ROSCOSMOS Press Release): http://www.federalspace.ru/20609/

Images, Text, Credits: Roscosmos press service / ROSCOSMOS / Translation: Orbiter.ch Aerospace.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch