France in Space #274
** 1: CNES GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO MANY EXPLORATION MISSIONS
CNES announced on December 3 that it will be strongly involved in four major space exploration missions, whose development will begin this year and which will be launched between 2008 and 2012. First, the Bepi Colombo mission to Mercury and the LISA Pathfinder mission, aimed to demonstrate several innovative technologies for gravitational waves observation, will be developed in cooperation with ESA. Second, CNES confirmed its participation to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL-09), a mission led by NASA, whose goal is to send a 600-kilograms rover to Mars, with a long life duration and coverage capability. The Mars samples analysed in situ by the rover are considered as a high priority by French planetology specialists. Finally, CNES has restored to life the Picard project, selected in 1998 but which had been temporally frozen. Picard mission will study solar activity, especially solar diameter and irradiance evolutions in order to achieve a twofold goal: better understanding of solar physics, and of its influence on Earth climate. Development costs worth about: 30 millions euros for both Bepi-Colombo and MSL-09 missions (2005-2010 period), 17 millions euros for Picard (2004-2008 period), and 1.8 million euros for LISA Pathfinder (2005-2007 period). [CNES 12/3/2004]
** 2: BUSY CHRISTMAS WEEK FOR CASSINI-HUYGENS
At 1.25 billion kilometres from Earth, after a 7-year journey through the Solar system, ESA’s Huygens probe is about to separate from the Cassini orbiter to enter a ballistic trajectory toward Titan, the largest and most mysterious moon of Saturn, in order to dive into its atmosphere on 14 January. Before this first ever spacecraft descent in Titan atmosphere, the next weeks are going to be particularly rich in manoeuvres and discoveries. A second close flyby of Titan at an altitude of 1200 kilometres is scheduled on 13 December and will provide additional data to further validate the entry conditions of the Huygens probe. On 17 December the orbiter will be placed on a controlled collision course with Titan in order to release Huygens on the proper trajectory, and on 21 December all systems will be set up for separation, planned on Christmas Day. Huygens will not communicate with Cassini for the whole period until after deployment of the main parachute following entry into Titan’s atmosphere, on 28 December. Huygens will remain dormant until a few hours before its arrival at Titan on 14 January. Although it is designed as an atmospheric probe rather than a lander, Huyghens could deliver up to 2 hours of bonus data before the link with Cassini is lost, if it survives to the descent. The Cassini-Huygens pair is a joint mission conducted by NASA, ESA and the Italian space agency, and CNES has been especially involved in Huygens payload. [ESA 12/7/2004]
** 3: EUROPEAN BEPI COLOMBO MISSION WILL EXPLORE MERCURY
Bepi Colombo mission, which will explore Mercury, is one of the ESA’s long-term science program cornerstones and will be ESA’s first attempt to send a spacecraft to a ‘hot’ region. Only one probe has visited Mercury so far, NASA’s Mariner 10. It flew past three times in 1974-5 and returned the only close-up images of this planet. Bepi Colombo has five main objectives: mapping Mercury’s mineralogy and elemental composition, carrying out a test to confirm Einstein relativity theory, studying both volcanic and tectonic activity on the planet and magnetosphere dynamics, and finally further understanding history and formation of Sun-close planets. The spacecraft will be divided into two parts: one Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and one Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO). To achieve its goals, Bepi Colombo will make a smart use of Moon and Mercury gravity of the in conjunction with solar-electric propulsion. CNES is strongly involved in this mission whose launch is scheduled in 2012. [CNES 12/3/2004]
** 4: GENERIC ARIANE 5 LAUNCH RE-SCHEDULED DECEMBER 18
Arianespace announced that the next Ariane 5 generic launch, initially scheduled December 10, has been delayed till December 18. This rescheduling allows for completion of a subassembly replacement on the launcher, which was decided after an anomaly appeared during ground tests involving equipment similar to that used for the flight. The French military reconnaissance satellite Helios IIA will be accompanied by six small auxiliary payloads: four Essaim electronic intelligence (ELINT) system demonstrators for the French defence procurement agency (DGA), the CNES Parasol payload for studies of the Earth climate, and the Spanish Nanosat micro-satellite technology demonstrator. [Arianespace 12/7/2004]
** 5: CNES ADOPTS PROCEDURES FOR SCRAPPING SATELLITES
CNES has formally agreed December 1 to adopt procedures to limit the accumulation of orbital debris. These procedures will consist in deorbiting satellites in low Earth orbit to ensure disintegration on atmospheric re-entry within 25 years after end of life, and in moving geostationary satellites to a graveyard orbit above the geostationary arc. These solutions, designed by ESA and the French, German, Italian and British space agencies, will be used on all future CNES orbital missions, as well as on the two CNES operated satellites: Spot 1 and Helios 1B which was deactivated in October. [Space News 12/6/2004]
** 6: IN BRIEF
The first European “Space Council”, which was held in Brussels November 25, has offered ministers representing the 27 European Union and/or ESA Member states the opportunity to jointly discuss the development of a coherent overall European space program. Among other agreements, the participants agreed that an ambitions European space program requires an appropriate industrial policy and public authorities close attention. These issues will be studied on the second “Space Council” planned for spring 2005. [ESA 11/25/2004]
Jason-1, the French-US ocean-observing satellite in orbit since December 7, 2001 has provided for three years fundamental information about oceans and their impact on climate. For this period, Jason-1 contractor Alcatel Space confirms a very high availability rate and the exceptional accuracy of the data provided by the Poseidon-2 altimeter. The OSTM/Jason-2 follow-on satellite will be developed jointly by CNES, NASA, Eumetsat and NOAA and will be launched by NASA in 2007. [Alcatel 12/7/2004]
The French company EADS Space Transportation, located in Les Mureaux, will receive a 2 millions euros subvention from local political authorities in order to sustain its composite development activity. The public funds will enable the firm to start two major innovative programs: developing a big and sophisticated satellite antenna reflector, and producing new multiple launch structures for Ariane 5 called SYLDA. [La Tribune 12/8/2004]
[From AFP, Air & Cosmos, Alcatel, Arianespace, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Cercle Finance, CNES, EADS Astrium, EADS Space, ESA, Le Figaro, Launch Services Alliance, La Lettre de l’Expansion, NASA, Reuters, Space News, 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: Jean-Jacques Tortora, Clémence Le Fèvre
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“CNES develops and leads national space programmes. The main thrust of its action is to serve France’s ambition to sustain a strong space capability and contribute to scientific discovery at the highest levels. CNES is committed to fostering innovative space technologies that meet the current and future needs of society. Most programmes are pursued in cooperation with international partners. CNES also plays a central role in programmes initiated by ESA, the European Space Agency, to which it is a major contributor. It is thus a driving force behind ESA programmes and activities”.
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