ESA : Fantastic four: November’s Galileos reach Europe’s Spaceport.- Cuatro fantásticos satélites GALILEOS, ya se encuentran en el Puerto Europeo de Lanzamientos Espaciales para lanzarlos en noviembre....

 http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Navigation/Galileo/Launching_Galileo/Fantastic_four_November_s_Galileos_reach_Europe_s_Spaceport                                                                                           

Un vuelo trasatlántico entregó cuatro satélites Galileo a la Guayana francesa el martes, en preparación para el lanzamiento compartido  de este mes de noviembre  por Ariane 5 - la primera constelación de navegación por satélite europeo..................

 

Galileo quartet landing

Fantastic four: November’s Galileos reach Europe’s Spaceport

9 September 2016 A transatlantic flight delivered four Galileo satellites to French Guiana on Tuesday, in preparation for a shared launch this November by Ariane 5 – the first for Europe’s satnav constellation.

The satellites’ odyssey began the previous day, when they left ESA’s technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, where every Galileo satellite is tested.

Each satellite was placed into protective containers before leaving the cleanroom environment of the test facility. These containers incorporate sophisticated environmental control, satellite monitoring systems and shock absorbers.

 

Galileo container unloaded

 

They were then driven by separate lorries to Luxembourg Findel Airport. On Tuesday morning they were flown by 747 aircraft to Cayenne–Félix Eboué Airport in French Guiana, touching down around 10:30 local time.

They were taken to the S1A payload preparation building of the Guiana Space Centre, to be unboxed the following day.

The building will remain their home as their launch campaign begins. The first activity is a ‘fit check’ with the dispenser that will release them into orbit from the rocket’s upper stage.

The modified Ariane 5 that will carry the four Galileos into orbit arrived in French Guiana a fortnight ago.

In development since 2012, this new variant has evolved from the Ariane 5 used to place ESA’s 20 tonne supply ferry for the International Space Station into low orbit.

This new version will carry a lighter payload – four fully fuelled 738 kg Galileo satellites plus their dispenser – but must take it up to the much higher altitude of 23 222 km.

 

Satellites leaving ESTEC

 

November’s launch is a major step up for Galileo. The 14 Galileo satellites already in orbit have been launched two at a time, by Soyuz from French Guiana.

Having 18 satellites in orbit should enable initial Galileo operational services to begin, a decision that will be taken by the European Commission, the system’s owner.

Two more Galileo launches by Ariane 5 are due in the next two years.

About Galileo
 

Galileos on the road

Galileo is Europe’s civil global satellite navigation system. It will allow users worldwide to know their exact position in time and space with great precision and reliability. Once complete, the system will consist of 24 operational satellites and the ground infrastructure for the provision of positioning, navigation and timing services.

The Galileo programme is funded and owned by the EU. The European Commission has the overall responsibility for the programme, managing and overseeing the implementation of all programme activities.

 

Galileo

 

Galileo’s deployment, the design and development of the new generation of systems and the technical development of infrastructure are entrusted to ESA. The definition, development and in-orbit validation phases were carried out by ESA, and co-funded by ESA and the European Commission.

The European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency (GSA) is ensuring the uptake and security of Galileo. Galileo operations and provision of services will be entrusted to the GSA from 2017.

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL :
Spain
http://www.esa.int/esl/ESA_in_your_country/Spain/Los_cuatro_fantasticos_el_Puerto_Espacial_Europeo_recibe_a_los_nuevos_satelites_Galileo

Los cuatro Galileo a punto de aterrizar

Los cuatro fantásticos: el Puerto Espacial Europeo recibe a los nuevos satélites Galileo

9 septiembre 2016 El martes pasado, cuatro satélites Galileo llegaron a la Guayana Francesa en un vuelo trasatlántico, dentro de los preparativos para su lanzamiento conjunto el próximo noviembre a bordo de un Ariane 5. Será la primera vez que se ponen en órbita cuatro satélites de esta constelación al mismo tiempo.
Su odisea comenzó el día antes, cuando salieron del centro tecnológico de la ESA en Noordwijk, Países Bajos, donde se prueban todos los satélites.
Cada satélite se introdujo en un contenedor de protección antes de abandonar el entorno de sala limpia de las instalaciones de ensayo. Estos contenedores incorporan un sofisticado sistema de control ambiental, así como sistemas de monitorización y amortiguadores. 
 

Un contenedor antes de su descarga

A continuación, se dirigieron en camiones independientes hasta el aeropuerto luxemburgués de Findel, desde donde volaron el martes por la mañana a bordo de un 747 con destino al aeropuerto Félix Eboué de Cayenne, en la Guayana Francesa, aterrizando sobre las 10:30 hora local.
Desde allí se trasladaron al edificio de preparación de carga útil S1A del Centro Espacial de la Guayana, donde fueron desembalados al día siguiente.
El edificio acogerá los cuatro satélites hasta que se inicie su campaña de lanzamiento. Lo primero será comprobar su estado con el dispensador que los pondrá en órbita desde la etapa superior del cohete. 

Este cohete, un Ariane 5 modificado, llegó a la Guayana Francesa dos semanas antes. En desarrollo desde 2012, se trata de una versión modificada del Ariane 5 utilizado para situar en órbita baja las 20 toneladas de la nave de suministro de la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Esta nueva versión transportará una carga útil menor —cuatro satélites Galileo de 738 kg llenos de combustible, además del dispensador correspondiente— pero tendrá que alcanzar una altitud mucho mayor, de 23.222 km. 
 

Los satélites salen de ESTEC

El lanzamiento de noviembre será un hito clave para el programa Galileo. Los 14 satélites ya en órbita fueron lanzados de dos en dos a bordo de cohetes Soyuz desde la Guayana Francesa.
La presencia de 18 satélites en órbita permitiría dar comienzo a los servicios iniciales de Galileo, pero la decisión depende de la Comisión Europea, propietaria del sistema.
En los próximos dos años se llevarán a cabo otros dos lanzamientos mediante cohetes Ariane 5 dentro del programa Galileo. 

Los satélites en camino

Galileo es el sistema global de navegación por satélite de carácter civil de la Unión Europea. Permite a usuarios de todo el mundo conocer su posición en el tiempo y en el espacio con gran precisión y fiabilidad. Una vez completado, el sistema estará formado por 24 satélites operativos y una infraestructura de tierra para la provisión de servicios de posicionamiento, navegación y determinación de la hora.
Galileo es financiado por la UE, que es la propietaria del programa. Su responsable es la Comisión Europea, que gestiona y supervisa la implementación de todas sus actividades.
 

Galileo

La Comisión ha encargado a la ESA el diseño, el desarrollo y la implantación de la nueva generación de sistemas, así como el desarrollo técnico de las infraestructuras. La ESA ha llevado a cabo las fases de definición, desarrollo y validación en órbita, financiadas conjuntamente por la ESA y la Comisión Europea.
La Autoridad Europea de Supervisión del sistema global de navegación por satélite (GSA) garantiza el uso y la seguridad de Galileo. A partir de 2017, la GSA se encargará de todas las operaciones de Galileo y de la provisión de servicios.

ESA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
ayabaca@gmail.com
ayabaca@hotmail.com
ayabaca@yahoo.com
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Astronomy: MSG-3 set to ensure quality of Europe’s weather service from geostationary orbit

Hi My Friends: A VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., The latest weather satellite in Europe’s highly successful Meteosat second-generation series is on its way after lifting off on an Ariane 5 at 21:36 GMT (23:36 CEST) on Thursday, 5 July from Europe’s Spaceport at the Guiana Space Centre in  Kourou,   French Guiana.

 Carried on an Ariane 5, the latest weather satellite in Europe’s highly successful Meteosat Second Generation series, MSG-3, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 5 July 2012. The launch of MSG-3 ensures the continuity of meteorological observations to improve weather forecasts from geostationary orbit 36 000 km above Earth. ESA has developed the series of weather satellites in close cooperation with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Eumetsat.

Credits: ESA

 The satellite’s sensors will ensure that Europe and Africa continue to receive up-to-date weather coverage.

Some 34 minutes into flight, the third Meteosat Second Generation satellite was released into its targeted elliptical transfer orbit. It is now being controlled from ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, in Darmstadt, Germany.

In ten days, once the initial operations are completed, MSG-3 will be handed over to the satellite’s owner, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites – EUMETSAT – to commission the payload.

After commissioning, when MSG-3 has become Meteosat-10, it will be stationed at 0° longitude, over the Gulf of Guinea on the Equator, in geostationary orbit, where its speed precisely matches Earth’s rotation.

“Tonight’s launch allows EUMETSAT and ESA to continue providing Europeans with high quality observations of weather from space, with MSG-3 being especially valuable in rapid detection and warning of extreme weather situations,” said ESA’s Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain.

“For more than three decades now, the exemplary cooperation between ESA and EUMETSAT has been the basis of the success of the Meteosat and EPS/Metop programmes.

“These programmes have ensured high-quality weather forecasts, the successive generations have improved these forecasts and they have brought tangible economic benefits for and improving the daily life of every European. Two generations have now been developed by ESA and EUMETSAT.”

“MSG-3 ensures the continuity of the present service. Together with EUMETSAT, ESA is working on the development of the next series of weather satellites, Meteosat Third Generation”, said ESA’s Director of Earth Observation, Volker Liebig.

“Once operational at the end of this decade, this next generation will provide a quantum leap in terms of technology and performance, providing among others faster imaging, more spectral channels and an atmospheric sounding capability allowing for the measurements of trace gas profiles.”

ESA’s role in weather and climate watch is not limited to the Meteosat series of satellites. It has also developed the MetOp series of polar-orbiting weather satellites - also operated by EUMETSAT - planned to be followed by the MetOp Second Generation series– to be submitted to the ESA Ministerial Council in November for approval.

The second MetOp is at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, ready for launch on 19 September.

About Meteosat Second Generation

MSG is a joint programme undertaken by ESA and EUMETSAT. ESA is responsible for the development of satellites fulfilling user and system requirements defined by EUMETSAT and of the procurement of recurrent satellites on its behalf. ESA also performs the Launch and Early Orbit Phase operations required to place the spacecraft in geostationary orbit, before handing it over to EUMETSAT for exploitation.

EUMETSAT develops all ground systems required to deliver products and services to users and to respond to their evolving needs, procures launch services and operates the full system for the benefit of users.

MSG-3 is the third in a series of four satellites introduced in 2002. These spin-stabilised satellites carry the primary Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager, or SEVIRI.

SEVIRI focuses on Europe and Africa to deliver enhanced weather coverage, in order to improve local forecasts, in particular for rapidly developing storms. It scans Earth’s surface and atmosphere every 15 minutes in 12 different wavelengths, to track cloud development and measure temperatures.

SEVIRI can pick out features as small as a kilometre across in the visible bands, and three kilometres in the infrared.

In addition to its weather-watching mission and collection of climate records, MSG-3 has two secondary payloads.

The Global Earth Radiation Budget sensor will measure the amount of solar energy that is radiated back into space to determine how much energy is introduced into the climate system and to provide insights into the atmospheric circulation between the day and night sides. A Search & Rescue transponder will turn the satellite into a relay for distress signals from emergency beacons.

The MSG satellites were built in Cannes, France, by a European industrial team led by Thales Alenia Space, France. More than 50 subcontractors from 13 European countries are involved.

The last of the series, MSG-4, is planned for launch in 2015.

 

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 19 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxem-bourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of whom 17 are Member States of the EU. ESA has Cooperation Agreements with nine other Member States of the EU and is negotiating an Agreement with the one remaining (Bulgaria). Poland is in the process of becoming ESA’s 20th Member State. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities. Today it launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.

For further information, please contact:

ESA Media Relations Office

 ESA
 Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
 ayabaca@gmail.com
 ayabaca@hotmail.com
 ayabaca@yahoo.com
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