France in Space #278
1: CNES MOBILIZES ITS IMAGERY CAPACITIES ABOVE ASIA
2: CNES PROVIDES TELEMEDECINE SERVICES TO HELP TSUNAMI VICTIMS
3: ARIANESPACE TO LAUNCH 5 MORE SATELLITES
4: ARIANESPACE TURNS SMALL PROFIT IN 2004
5: FRENCH INVOLVMENT IN HUYGENS SCIENTIFIC PAYLOAD
6: IN BRIEF
** 1: CNES MOBILIZES ITS IMAGERY CAPACITIES ABOVE ASIA
Following a coordinated request from the Indian Space Research Organization,
French relief groups in Asia and the United Nations, the satellite-based
disaster-assistance program called the International Space and Major
Disasters Charter has been activated December 26, to help victims of the
earthquake and resulting tsunami in Asia. The charter, created in November
2000 by the French, Canadian and European space agencies, now includes the
space and meteorological agencies of the United States, India and Argentina,
as well as Japan and the United Nations. CNES effort is to coordinate
operations which provide updated imagery from the following satellites: Spot
4 and 5 (France), IRS (India), Radarsat (Canada) and Envisat (ESA). The
tsunami-hit area has been divided into three action zones: India, Indonesia
and Sri Lanka, which CNES is in particular in charge of. Since December 26,
Radarsat images from Sri Lanka have been mainly got, analyzed by Canadian
space agency, processed by the French specialized society SERTIT and
transferred by CNES to the Civil Security, which can then deploy adequate
in-situ resources. [CNES 12/31/2004, AFP 01/04/2005, Space News 12/31/2004]
** 2: CNES PROVIDES TELEMEDECINE SERVICES TO HELP TSUNAMI VICTIMS
As part of existing telemedicine cooperation between CNES, MEDES, the Indian
telemedicine company Indocomputech, and many Indian hospitals, France has
made available three Inmarsat satellite communications ground stations and
five “guard-stations” to help tsunami victims in Asia. The three Inmarsat
ground stations, located in Madras, Nacobar and Galle (Sri Lanka), will
enable Indian hospitals doctors to give medical assistance to on-site rescue
teams through live satellite video links. The “guard-stations” will collect
data related to epidemiology, drinking water and food aid management, as
well as population movements, and will transfer them from isolated and
damaged areas to decision centres. [CNES 12/31/2004, AFP 01/04/2005]
** 3: ARIANESPACE TO LAUNCH 5 MORE SATELLITES
January 4, 2005, Arianespace announced the signature of 3 contracts, one
with EADS Astrium and two with CNES. EADS Astrium has chosen Arianespace to
launch the British Ministry of Defense Skynet 5A et 5B military
communication satellites. They will be injected into geostationary orbit by
two Ariane 5 launchers in 2006 and 2007. CNES has awarded the company a
launch contract for the Corot astronomical satellite, which will be placed
into a polar orbit in mid-2006 from Baikonour Cosmodrome on a Soyuz
launcher. Arianespace will draw on the expertise of Starsem for the mission
launch operations. Finally, two Pleiades Earth Observation satellites are to
be launched by Soyuz launchers from the French Guiana Space Centre under
terms of another contract awarded by CNES. The Pleiades spacecrafts will be
placed into heliosynchronous orbit in 2008 and 2009 and will provide
continuity to the Spot Earth observation system. [Arianespace 01/04/2004]
** 4: ARIANESPACE TURNS SMALL PROFIT IN 2004
Arianespace Chief Executive Officer Jean-Yves Le Gall announced the launch
consortium expects to report a small profit on revenues of about $948
million (700 million euros) in 2004 and to remain marginally profitable in
2005 on higher sales. In 2005, six Ariane 5-rocket launches are planned,
including two or three upgraded Ariane 5 ECA version launches. Arianespace
has a backlog of 40 satellites to be launched and has received advance
launch payments for more than 360 million euros. The -capital increase of 60
million euros approved by shareholders in December could be strengthened by
further shareholder investment of about 70 million euros in mid-2005. [Space
News 01/04/2004, La Tribune 01/05/2004]
** 5: FRENCH INVOLVMENT IN HUYGENS SCIENTIFIC PAYLOAD
The European Huygens probe, which will begin its descent into Titan
atmosphere January 14, is fit out with six scientific instruments. French
company SNECMA and many laboratories are involved in five of these
instruments. Four are dedicated to Titan atmosphere analysis: ACP (Aerosol
Collector and Pyrolyser) to study aerosols chemical composition, GCMS (Gas
Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer) to study gaseous phase, HASI (Huygens
Atmospheric Structure Instrument) to measure wind and turbulence, physical
and electrical properties and detect any lightning from possible storms, and
DISR (Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer) to take pictures in wide spectrum
and many directions. Finally, the SSP instrument (Surface-Science Package)
is a series of sensors which will study the surface composition in case of
successful landing on Titan. Concerning the ACP pyrolyser, SNECMA and the
Aeronomy Laboratory (SA: Service d’Aéronomie) are responsible for the
scientific payload and the mechanical subsystem. Among others, the French
aerodynamics research centre ONERA and the Astrophysics laboratory LESIA
(Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique) are
widely involved in the onboard instruments. [ESA 01/03/2005, Espace Magazine
January-February 2004]
** 6: IN BRIEF
Arianespace has planned January 12 a wet dress rehearsal of the upgraded
Ariane 5 ECA launcher version. During this operation, the vehicle is brought
to its launch pad and the fuel tanks are filled for a trial countdown.
[Space News 01/04/2004]
French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin plans to enlarge GPS (Global
Positioning System) utilization in police cars to 27 French departments, all
of them fit out with the numerical and encoded communication network
Acropol, including Paris, its suburbs and Marseille. Global Positionning
System could be available in every French police cars by the end of 2006.
[Le Figaro 01/05/2005]
Libya has ordered a 13-million-dollar telescope from France, a facility that
will give this country the finest astronomical views in North Africa. The
telescope will be provided by the French electronic group Sagem and will be
two meters (6.5 feet) diameter and remote-controlled. [Ciel et Espace
January 2005]
The Millau viaduct, newly inaugurated by President Jacques Chirac, is now
the world’s tallest road bridge. It stands high above the Tarn valley in
France’s Massif Central mountains, as seen in satellite image from ESA’s
Proba micro satellite on this website : [ESA 01/04/2004]
http://www.esa.int/export/esaEO/SEMQDE3AR2E_index_0.html
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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