France in Space #261
* 1: CNES WORM EXPERIMENT BOND TO THE ISS
The next Soyuz flight to the ISS is scheduled to launch on April 19th. The
crew will be comprised of the ISS Expedition 9 crew, the ESA astronaut André
Kuipers and a very unique passenger. Caenorhabditis Elegans will take part
in an international biological experiment named ICE FIRST (International
Caenorhabditis Elegans) and proposed by CNES. This worm measuring less than
1 mm should help scientists to better understand human physiology in
microgravity along with solving some biology mysteries. Previous experiments
have shown that this worm can multiply itself and develop in microgravity.
ICE FIRST will analyze the impact of cosmic radiations and the role of
gravity on muscles, the development and the aging of organs. This study will
serve as a stepping stone for the use of Caenorhabditis Elegans as a model
in space biology and fundamental radiobiology. It will also provide vital
information for future manned exploration missions of the solar system.
[CNES 05/04/2004]
** 2: NASA AND FRANCE PICK UP RHYTHM FOR CALIPSO LAUNCH
NASA’s CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite
Observations) instruments completed a successful series of ground tests at
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. These instruments will
improve worldwide climate predictions and provide a better understanding of
how airborne particles and clouds affect our atmosphere. CALIPSO was then
shipped to the Alcatel Space facility in Cannes, France, where the U.S. and
French payload will be integrated into a Proteus spacecraft platform.
CALIPSO is expected to give the international science community a better
understanding of clouds and atmospheric aerosols that influence Earth’s
climate. Data from CALIPSO will help create climate predictions for national
and international leaders to make policy decisions about global climate
change. CALIPSO is a collaborative effort with the French space agency
Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Ball Aerospace, Hampton
University and France’s Institut Pierre Simon Laplace. Ball Aerospace is
responsible for CALIPSO’s scientific instrument and communications suite,
including the lidar and wide field camera. CNES provided a three-channel
imaging infrared radiometer, will monitor and command CALIPSO on its
36-month mission. Final testing and launch of CALIPSO is at Vandenberg Air
Force Base, Calf. CALIPSO will share the Delta II rocket in a dual
configuration with NASA’s CloudSat, a satellite that will use millimeter
wave radar to measure cloud properties from space. Launch is planned for
early 2005. CALIPSO and CloudSat will fly in orbital formation as part of a
constellation of Earth-observing satellites including Aqua, PARASOL, and
Aura, collectively known as the “A-train.” [NASA 04/29/2004]
** 3: EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY HOPES TO SEND TWO ASTRONAUTS TO THE ISS IN 2005
Jorg Festel-Buecht, director of the ESA Human Spaceflight Programs, said
that ESA firmly intends to carry out two flights of European astronauts to
the ISS next year. According to him, one of these flights will be rather
short and would take place in April, while the second one in October – may
last up to 6 months. ESA is currently conducting negotiations about it with
the Russian Federal Space Agency and seems to be very much interested in a
long flight of a European astronaut. At the same time, the director of the
ESA Human Spaceflight Programs specified that the third space tourist,
American Gregory Olsen, whose commercial short-term flight on the ISS has
been scheduled for April 2005, may become a rival to the European
spationaut. For this reason, ESA positively rated the proposal of the
Russian Federal Space Agency to NASA about prolonging the stay of ISS
expedition 10 to one year. In this case a space tourist could be included in
the crew of the Russian spaceship Soyuz. “If the American crew astronaut can
remain on the station for a year, this will solve the problem”, said Jorg
Festel-Buecht. It will not be apparently easy for the Americans to take such
a decision, he added. The next flight to the ISS is scheduled for April 19th
and will be composed of Russian cosmonaut Guennady Padalka, American
astronaut Michael Fincke and ESA Dutch spationaut André Kuipers. [ESA, AFP
04/02/2004, Air & Cosmos 04/09/2004]
** 4: EURONEWS LAUNCHES TV SPACE MAGAZINE WITH ESA
Today sees the launch of a special TV magazine dedicated to Space, produced
by EuroNews in collaboration with ESA. The topic of the first show is on
preparations for Galileo. This Space Magazine will be broadcast on EuroNews
every fortnight, in 7 languages, and is also available on the web. Although
space issues are already covered in its bulletins for breaking news,
EuroNews is now dedicating a special programme to Space issues,
complementing its more technically focused Hi-Tech magazine. The Space
Magazine, produced in close collaboration with ESA, takes the form of a
report on a special topic, providing deeper analysis than the regular
newscasts. The stories will cover all space activities: science,
applications, Earth observation, launchers and human spaceflight. The aim is
to help Europeans understand the benefits of the missions and activities of
their space agency. EuroNews is a key media to deliver international
information with a European point of view. Broadcast in 79 countries,
EuroNews reaches 144 million households in Europe, the Middle East, Africa,
Central Asia, North and Latin America via cable, digital satellite and
through terrestrial channels. The Space Magazine will be produced and
broadcast every two weeks, with a new programme starting every second
Friday. Each magazine is four minutes long and broadcast 21 times in one
week, including evening prime time on Fridays and Saturdays, in order to
reach a maximum audience. [ESA 04/02/2004]
** 5: EADS SPACE TRANSPORTATION SIGNS VEGA SOFTWARE CONTRACT WITH EADS SpA
EADS SPACE Transportation has just signed a contract with ELV SpA for
development of guidance and attitude control algorithms for the OBC software
of the European Vega small launcher. This contract, worth €15.8M, follows
cooperation between AEROSPATIALE and FIAT-AVIO through the joint VEGASPAZIO
company, which led to acquisition of preliminary launcher design. The
European Space Agency Vega programme concerns the development of a launcher
for injecting satellites with unit mass up to 1500 kg into polar orbit at an
altitude of 700 km. The prime contractor for the development phase is the
Italian company ELV SpA (70% AVIO and 30% Italian Space Agency). Vega’s
maiden flight is scheduled for end 2006. The work, which EADS SPACE
Transportation has undertaken for ELV SpA principally concerns development
and validation of launcher flight control algorithms and software, for
real-time calculation of launcher trajectory and monitoring. EADS SPACE
Transportation will also be responsible for developing launcher ground test
software for the various development and integration phases. [EADS Space
04/13/2004]
** 6: IN BRIEF
The president of Snecma, Jean-Paul Béchat, hopes for the privatization to be
completed by June 30th 2004. [La Tribune 04/13/2004]
Eutelsat’s Board of Trustees would have decided not to bid on the PanAmSat
buy out. Only SES Global and News Skies Satellites would still be in the
run. [Le Figaro 04/14/2004]
ONERA (French Aerospace Research Center) will develop a new radar system
network aimed at space surveillance and that will be able to detect objects
25 cm in size from a distance of 1000 km. [La Lettre de l’Expansion
05/04/2004]
Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio could sign an agreement to bring together
their activities by the end of April. Some say it could be as soon as April
20th. The main issues have been about Alcatel not wanting to take all of
Alenia Spazio’s industrial sites in the satellite division where Alcatel
Space will have the majority that is to day the 2/3. [Cercle Finance
04/07/2004]
[From AFP, Air & Cosmos, Cercle Finance, CNES, EADS Astrium, EADS Space,
ESA, Le Figaro, La Lettre de l’Expansion, NASA, Reuters, Spacetoday.net, La
Tribune]
France In Space is a weekly synthesis of French space activities based on
French press. Its content does not reflect an official position of the
French Government or CNES. It is provided by the CNES office and the Office
of Science and Technology of the French Embassy in Washington D.C
Editors: Vincent Sabathier, Thibaut Girard, Valery Tessier-Leon
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