Today on the ESA TV Service Schedule 22 Feb 2001

Today’s transmission of the ESA TV Service includes:

22-Feb-01 14:00 – 14:30 GMT

XEUS Presentation

An ambitious X-ray observatory for the ISS

Background information on the transmission:

XEUS is an imaginative science mission now under study by ESA. If it is built, it becomes the follow up to ESA’s XMM/Newton observatory, the world’s most powerful telescope for X-rays launched in December 1999.

XEUS is imagined to be built in two stages: First XEUS-1 would be launched like a satellite, or better, two satellites; however, the X-ray mirror block and the detector module are separated by several dozen metres, and a kept aligned to extreme accuracy in orbit. The second stage of XEUS involves the International Space Station. Its logistcal capabilities, and its robot arm, will be used to assemble in orbit a telescope with 30 sqm X-ray mirror size.

Today’s transmission includes a 4-minute presentation of XEUS, entirely in 3-D graphics images, plus a few sound birtes by XEUS scientist Arvind Parmar. The presentation carries split audio tracks (English/international sound), and the sound bites are in English.

More background information can be found on

http://sci.esa.int/content/doc/de/2526_.htm.

Transmission details:Eutelsat W1 at 10 degrees East

Transponder B5, horizontal, dig ch 1 (SCPC)

F=11.13475 MHz, SR=5.632 MS/sec, FEC=3/4

For further information, visit our website at http://television.esa.int. For other enquires, contact Claus Habfast, Tel +31 71 565 3838, Fax +31 71 565 6340, e-mail chabfast@estec.esa.nl.