France in Space #191 – 18 Jan 2002
1: BUSY YEAR EXPECTED FOR THE FRENCH SPACE AGENCY
2: EADS AND BAE SYSTEMS REORGANIZING THEIR SPACE ACTIVITIES
3: JASON-1 ON ITS FINAL ORBIT
4: IN BRIEF
** 1: BUSY YEAR EXPECTED FOR THE FRENCH SPACE AGENCY
After a successful year 2001, CNES (French Space Agency) enters the new
year, which promises to be very busy : several satellites launches and
important decisions for the next missions are on the agenda. During the
traditional press conference of the CNES Toulouse, France, on January 9,
CNES Chairman, Alain Bensoussan, and CNES Director General, Gerard Brachet,
together with the main directors of the Toulouse Space Center, presented
the 2002 CNES space agenda. Some important programs will be completed in
2002 such as the French-USA satellite Jason following its predecessor
Topex-Poseidon. The Earth observation satellite Spot-5 will be launched
next April from Kourou, French Guyana and STENTOR, the technology
demonstrator spacecraft, during summer. In the field of human space
flights, CNES astronaut Philippe Perrin participates in the NASA STS-111
mission to ISS due to be launched in May. Other important missions for
space exploration such as Rosetta, or Demeter for Earth observation (both
to be launched in 2003) are to be achieved or confirmed.
[CNES Press Release, 01/14 /2002]
** 2: EADS AND BAE SYSTEMS TO REORGANIZE THEIR SPACE ACTIVITIES
The European Group EADS (European Aeronautics Defense and Space Company)
and the British company BAE SYSTEMS announced that they are to propose
reorganization of their satellite activities. As shareholders of Astrium,
Europe’s largest space company, they have decided to implement an
improvement plan for Astrium satellite activities. They will also set up a
cooperation between the launcher and orbital infrastructure activities of
EADS Launch Vehicles and Astrium. Antoine Bouvier, recently appointed as
Astrium Executive President, will prepare and propose the reorganization
plan. The reorganization will allow to better use and coordinate the human
and technical resources available in Germany, Spain, United-Kingdom and
France answering the customer’s needs; to reduce costs thanks to a deeper
industrial integration and to rationalize the functions for improving
management efficiency.
[EADS Press Release, 01/16/2002]
** 3: JASON-1 ON ITS FINAL ORBIT
The ocean observation satellite Jason-1 has reached its final orbit. On
January 12, NASA officials announced that the American-French spacecraft
will be ready to replace Topex-Poseidon, six months after the beginning of
its calibration process. The mission controllers from CNES (Centre National
d’Etudes Spatiales) in Toulouse, France and from the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, fired the satellite boosters on
January 10, to position Jason on its operational orbit. Launched by NASA on
December 7, the French built spacecraft is now on the same 1337 km orbit as
Topex-Poseidon.
[AFP 01/12/2002]
** 4: IN BRIEF
On January 16, the Dutch Minister of Finance, A. Jorritsma-Lebbink, gave
more space to space activities, inaugurating three new buildings at ESA’s
ESTEC (European Space Technology and Research Center) in Noordwijk,
Netherlands [ESA Press Release, 01/14/2002].
[From Agence France Presse (AFP), CNES Press Release, EADS Press Release,
ESA Press Release]
