France in Space #215

** 1: DOUBLE SUCCESS FOR ARIANE 5

On August 28th, 2002, Ariane 5 scored a double success when it orbited a
dual payload of telecommunication and weather satellites for European
customers. Lifting off from Guyana Space Center (CSG), European Spaceport
in French Guyana, the Ariane 5 carried Atlantic BirdTM 1 for telecom
operator Eutelsat, along with the MSG-1 meteorological spacecraft for
Eumetsat weather organization. The Ariane launch took place at 6:45 p.m.
EDT (22:45 GMT) and both spacecrafts were safely delivered into proper
orbit during the next 38 minutes. Flight 155 had been delayed one day
following a launch hold due to an indication of a computer dialog problem
between the ground network and Ariane 5’s on-board computers. Claudie
Haigneré, French astronaut and French Minister for Research and New
Technologies, congratulated engineers from CNES (French Space Agency), ESA
(European Space Agency), Arianespace and the industry. “The new success of
Ariane 5 proves one more time the ability of the European industry and the
excellence of Ariane”, she also added.
[Arianespace Press Release, 08/28/2002, ESA Press Release, 08/29/2002 and
Press Release of Minister of Youth, National Education and Research,
08/29/2002]

** 2: SEVIRI, MSG-1’S EYE

The Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI), the true “eye”
of the geostationary Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite will
provide European meteorologists with data of an unprecedented accuracy.
SEVIRI, which is a joint ESA (European Space Agency) program, has been
built by Astrium, a leading space company in Europe. SEVIRI will transmit
an image of the Earth every 15 minutes, that is to say two times faster
than the former model aboard the Meteosat First Generation satellites.
SEVIRI images will be more detailed, offering a geometric resolution of 1
km and will provide data in 12 instead of 3 wavelengths. This will enable
all the necessary parameters to be seen such as the temperature of clouds,
grounds, oceans as well as the content of atmospheric air masses. Two other
instruments built by Astrium have been put into orbit in the course of the
year: AMSU-B (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit) was launched on June 24
aboard the NOAA-M satellite and on May 4, HSB (Humidity Sounder for Brazil)
was put into orbit aboard the AQUA satellite of NASA.
[Astrium Information]

** 3: AT THE END OF 2002, ARIANE 5 WILL HAVE A NEW UPPER STAGE

“The delivery of the first new Ariane 5 upper stage will be an important
milestone in the continued development program of the European launch
vehicle”, said Astrium project manager Dr. Jens Lassmann on the occasion of
ESC-A shipping in Bremen. “Early in September, after the upper stage has
arrived at the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guyana, the integration
of the complete launch system and thus count down will begin. We assume
that this more powerful Ariane version will lift off in the last quarter of
the year 2002”, Lassmann continued. In addition to improving performance of
the main stage and boosters, the continued development program specifically
deals with the development of a new cryogenic upper stage. These measures
aim to increase payloads capacity from currently six to ten. Within the
framework of the Ariane 5 plus program carried out by the European Space
Agency (ESA), Astrium is in charge of the development and construction of
the new upper stage. This stage is based on cryogenic propulsion technology
and uses super cooled high-energy propellants (liquid hydrogen / liquid
oxygen). Using proven components, development time of the new ESC-A was
reduced to just over 3 years.
[EADS Press Release, 08/21/202]