ESA, as coordinator of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Space Component and related data access, received in response to a call 12 proposals offering to provide data from more than 40 European and non-European Earth Observation satellites to GMES Services over the next years.
ESA PR 38-2008. On 16 and 17 September, in the context of France’s presidency of the EU, Lille will play host to ‘Forum GMES 2008′ at the Grand Palais.
The preparatory activities for the launch of ESA’s GOCE satellite from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia had to be stopped yesterday afternoon (Sunday 7 September) by Eurockot due to an anomaly identified in one of the units of the guidance and navigation subsystem of the launcher’s upper stage (Breeze KM ).
ESA PR 37-2008 ESA’s comet chaser, Rosetta, last night flew by a small body in the main asteroid belt, asteroid Steins, collecting a wealth of information about this rare type of minor Solar System body.
The first images from Rosetta’s OSIRIS imaging system and VIRTIS infrared spectrometer were derived from raw data this morning and have delivered spectacular results.
ESA PR 36-2008. At the end of a flawless six-month mission, Jules Verne, Europe’s first Automated Transfer Vehicle, undocked from the International Space Station today at 23:29 hours CEST. The ATV has now embarked on the last leg of its journey in space, which will end with a controlled destructive re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere on 29 September.
Rosetta’s control room at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre, ESOC, received the first radio signal after closest approach to asteroid (2867) Steins at 22:14 CEST, confirming a smooth fly-by.
The animation is composed of images that were used for the optical navigation campaign, as Rosetta followed (2867) Steins, refining its trajectory to close in on the asteroid. They were taken once a day by Navigation camera A, between 25 August and 3 September.
Follow the progress of Rosetta’s encounter with asteroid Steins online via the Rosetta Blog and the Rosetta website. Closest approach is due at 20:58 CEST today.
Rosetta Blog: http://www.esa.int/blog
Rosetta website: http://www.esa.int/rosetta
The Rosetta Steins fly-by will be followed by a press conference held at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, on 6 September, which will be streamed live on this page. Scientists and spacecraft operators will share their first impressions of the fly-by with information and pictures transmitted back to Earth the night before.
The Rosetta Steins fly-by will be followed by a press conference held at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, on 6 September, which will be streamed live on this page. Scientists and spacecraft operators will share their first impressions of the fly-by with information and pictures transmitted back to Earth the night before.
Steins, a rare E-type asteroid, holds clues on how the planets formed.
As preparations for the launch of GOCE on 10 September continue on schedule, an important milestone has just been achieved as engineers at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia say farewell to the satellite as it is encapsulated in the two half-shells of the launcher’s fairing.
In just a few days time, the historical Jules Verne mission will draw to an end. After the ATV Control Centre commands the opening of the Automated Transfer Vehicle hooks, ESA’s first resupply and reboost vehicle will perform a fully automated undocking with the International Space Station on 5 September at 23:30 CEST (21:30 UT).
The Rosetta Blog is now online, and will be updated throughout the fly-by of Steins with news and information direct from ESA’s European Space Operations Centre.
The Rosetta spacecraft control room is buzzing with anticipation as Rosetta closes in on asteroid 2867 Steins. The fly-by timeline includes a series of critical events, culminating with closest approach - expected at 20:58 CEST, 5 September 2008.
Thanks to data from ESA’s Integral gamma-ray observatory, scientists have been able to locate where particles in the vicinity of the rotating neutron-star in the Crab Nebula are accelerated to immense energies.
