GPS World

Tag: ESA

  • SpaceDataHighway starts full Copernicus service

    The Airbus-operated SpaceDataHighway has begun regularly relaying data from the Sentinel-2A satellite, after the successful end of the commissioning period.

    SpaceDataHighway-WThis marks the start of the SpaceDataHighway service using all four Copernicus Sentinel satellites and the beginning of a new era for space-based imagery users.

    The first two sets of Earth-observing Copernicus Sentinels-1A and -1B and -2A and -2B are signed up to this service as SpaceDataHighway’s anchor customers under an agreement between the European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA) as owners of the Copernicus programme, and Airbus as the owner and commercial operator of SpaceDataHighway.

    Since using the SpaceDataHighway, the Sentinel-1 constellation has increased the amount of data it produces by about 50%. The service is also able to bring operational added-value to Sentinel-1 users by greatly improving the data timeliness for observations outside Europe. This is an important asset for users, especially when it comes to the routine monitoring of remote areas in the domain of maritime applications or assessment of natural disasters and first line response for emergency.

    The SpaceDataHighway is the world’s first “optical fibre in the sky” based on cutting-edge laser technology. It will be a unique system of satellites permanently fixed over a network of ground stations, with the first — EDRS-A — already in space.

    Each day, it can relay up to 40 terabytes of data acquired by observation satellites, UAVs and manned aircraft, at a rate of 1.8 gigabits per second.

    The relay satellites are designed to lock on to low-orbiting satellites via laser and collect their data as they travel thousands of kilometres below, scanning Earth. SpaceDataHighway then immediately sends the collected data down to Europe from its higher position hovering in geostationary orbit, acting as a go-between.

    This process allows the lower satellites to continuously downlink the information they are gathering, instead of having to store it until they travel over their own ground station. That way, they can send down more data, more quickly.

    The SpaceDataHighway is a public-private partnership between ESA and Airbus, with the laser terminals developed by Tesat-Spacecom and the DLR German Space Administration. EDRS-A, the first SpaceDataHighway relay satellite launched in January 2016, offers coverage from the American East Coast to India. A second satellite will be launched in 2018.

    It will double the system’s capacity and extend the coverage and redundancy of the system. Airbus is willing to expand the SpaceDataHighway with a third node, EDRS-D, to be positioned over the Asia-Pacific region.

  • Helix Technologies wins ESA contract to develop Galileo antenna

    Helix Technologies Ltd. has been awarded a significant contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop its next-generation GNSS antenna — a multi-frequency antenna optimized for the advanced Galileo E1 Alt-BOC and wide-band E5 Alt-BOC waveforms for use in driverless cars.

    The antenna, to be developed under the ESA’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP), will provide enhanced performance due to its dielectric, multi-filar construction. It will also be optimized to take maximum advantage of the Galileo E5 Alt-BOC waveform, which enables significantly improved measurement accuracy, precision and multipath suppression over conventional GNSS signals.

    Learn more about the Helix Technologies antenna in our February issue article here.

    “In order to achieve the 10-centimeter accuracy that is required for autonomous vehicle lane-level positioning within challenging urban multi-path propagation conditions, there is a need both for a significant improvement in current GNSS antenna performance and to fully exploit the advanced Alt-BOC waveforms transmitted by Galileo,” said John Yates, managing director of Helix Technologies.

    The GNSS antenna, which will also be capable of optimized operation with the GPS L1 and L5 M BOC signals, is aimed at the automotive and consumer markets, and the company is targeting the third quarter of this year for the manufacture of prototypes.

    Independent testing and evaluation of the vehicle-mounted antenna performance will be conducted in the challenging multipath environments of the high-rise financial districts of the cities of London and Shanghai.

  • Next-generation EGNOS to combine Galileo, GPS for aviation

    Next-generation EGNOS to combine Galileo, GPS for aviation

    Satellite-based augmentation systems worldwide. (Image: ESA)

    News from the European Space Agency

    The next generation of Europe’s satellite navigation overlay service, EGNOS, will combine use of GPS and Galileo signals to improve accuracy and robustness of navigation for air traffic and other uses where lives are at stake.

    A contract was signed Jan. 26 at ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands for the second  generation  of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, EGNOS V3, planned to enter service in 2025.

    ESA Director of Navigation Paul Verhoef signs the EGNOS V3 contract Jan. 26 with Senior Vice President of Airbus Defence and Space, Mathilde Royer Germain. (Photo: ESA)

    ESA Director of Navigation Paul Verhoef signed the contract with the senior vice president of Airbus Defence and Space, Mathilde Royer Germain,  in the presence of senior managers of the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency (GSA) and of the European Commission.

    This improved version of the service will take advantage of in-operation Galileo signals as well as new frequencies from an improved class of GPS satellites. Use of the L5 second frequency will improve service robustness against errors and propagation delays caused by the ionosphere, an electrically active outer layer of Earth’s atmosphere.

    “This will be the first such regional satellite augmentation systems worldwide to employ dual frequency, GPS and Galileo signals,” comments Didier Flament, overseeing EGNOS development for ESA.

    For aircraft with the latest avionics, EGNOS V3 will be able to guide them accurately and safely down to Category 1, a 10 m Vertical Alert Limit (also called Cat1 Autoland capability), while also providing legacy users equipped with current avionics a more robust version of the current LPV200, or 35 m vertical limit vertical guidance service.

    As well as improving services for civil aviation, the plan is to introduce new services for other sectors such as maritime navigation and rail, and extend service coverage from the European continent to link up seamlessly with other interoperable augmentation systems worldwide.

    EGNOS is Europe’s other satellite navigation system, next to the global Galileo system.  Comparable to the US WAAS, the Wide Area Augmentation System, and other regional augmentation systems in the rest of the world, EGNOS is an overlay system based on a network of ground stations and transponders on geostationary satellites. These stations gather data on the current accuracy of US GPS signals and embed correction data in the EGNOS signal, which is uplinked via geostationary satellites to EGNOS users.

    The current EGNOS augments the accuracy of GPS signals across Europe and informs users of their current reliability level within six seconds. EGNOS belongs to a family of systems called Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS); the EGNOS V3 second generation will augment both GPS and Galileo.

    Designed against global standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, EGNOS began offering its Open Service for non-safety-of-life uses in October 2009. In March 2011 its Safety-of-Life Service became available for aircraft navigation.

    Dozens of European airports are today employing EGNOS for vertical guidance approaches, as an economic alternative to ground-based infrastructure, like Instrument Landing Systems. It is estimated that that around 110 000 aircrafts worldwide are today equipped and using SBAS systems.

    The development of satellite-based augmentation systems around the world is being coordinated in particular by the international SBAS Interoperability Working Group, which last week held its 33rd meeting at ESA’s centre in Madrid, chaired by ESA and the US Federal Avigation Authority, joined by current or planned service providers from Africa, Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

    Initiated by ESA in cooperation with the EU and Eurocontrol, the EGNOS Exploitation phase is managed by GSA and funded by the EU. ESA manages the EGNOS development under a working arrangement signed between GSA and ESA.

  • ESA selects Airbus for SBAS using both GPS and Galileo

    EGNOS V3 will offer improved and secure Civil Aviation Safety of Life services for the next decade over Europe. The program will ensure a full continuity of service and will be the first operational SBAS using both GPS and Galileo.

    Airbus has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the prime contractor to develop EGNOS V3, the next generation of the European Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) planned to provide the civil aviation community with advanced safety-of-life services and new services to maritime and land users.

    Developed by ESA on behalf of the European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA), EGNOS V3 (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) will provide augmented operational safety-of-life services over Europe that improve the accuracy and availability of user positioning services from existing GNSS (Galileo and GPS).

    EGNOS also provides crucial integrity messages to EGNOS users with alerts within a few seconds in case of system degradation, consolidating EGNOS’ position as one of the leading edge GNSS systems in the future.

    Besides improved safety-of-life services, EGNOS V3 will improve robustness against increasing security risk, in particular cyber-security risks.

    EGNOS V3 will ensure a full continuity of service for the next decade and will be the first operational SBAS implementing the dual-frequency and multi-constellation world standard, with both GPS and Galileo, replacing EGNOS V2 which has been in operation since 2011.

    “This programme is strategic for Airbus to strengthen our position in the Navigation field. The signature of this contract is the result of more than 5 years of intense team work and investment,” said Nicolas Chamussy, head of Space Systems at Airbus. “With our consortium, we bring a large pool of resources and experience in Europe covering the successful development of critical and secure ground segment. I am confident that we will make EGNOS V3 a success story.”

    As prime contractor, Airbus will be leading a consortium with partners from France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. Airbus will be responsible for the development, integration, deployment and preparation of EGNOS V3 operations, the overall performance of the system and the Central Processing Facility, which is the heart of the real-time navigation algorithms.

    During the 6.5-year contract, around 100 people and 20 subcontractors will work on delivering the EGNOS V3 system. In 2023, the single-frequency version will be available to replace the current operational version and, 18 months later, the final version in dual frequency will be delivered.

    EGNOS is composed of a large network of about 50 ground stations deployed over Europe, Africa and North America, two master control centers near Rome and Madrid, and a System Operation Support Centre in Toulouse. EGNOS will also use geostationary satellite navigation payloads.

  • European industry learns Galileo status, considers post-2020 future

    The European Space Agency (ESA) held its annual Navigation Days on Jan. 26. ESA navigation specialists met with guests from the European Commission, European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency and European space companies at ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands.

    News from the European Space Agency

    With Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system only one launch away from full global coverage, representatives of the European space industry gathered at ESA’s centre in the Netherlands to discuss the transition towards the future Galileo Second Generation.

    Galileo Initial Services began on Dec. 15, 2016, while the constellation in orbit has grown to 22 satellites. An Ariane 5 launch later this year of another quartet will bring the constellation to the point of completion with 24 satellites, plus two orbital spares.

    A steady stream of orbital spares, ready to replace satellites reaching the end of their operational lives, is necessary to ensure Galileo continues operating seamlessly. A further 12 satellites were therefore ordered from industry in June 2017.

    Paul Verhoef, director of the Galileo Programme addresses the audience at ESA’s annual Navigation Days, held Jan. 26. (Photo: ESA)

    Looking further ahead, with the aim of keeping Galileo services as a permanent part of the European and global landscape, a replacement set of Galileo satellites will be required post-2020, serving as transition to a future generation.

    The Galileo Second Generation is foreseen to offer improved performance and added features. This is why the European Commission has decided on a Transition Programme, with the European Space Agency (ESA) in charge of its technical definition and implementation.

    Together with the European Commission and the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency, the agency invited leading European space companies to its technical centre in Noordwijk for Navigation Days, held Jan. 26, to discuss Galileo’s future and present short-term plans in relation to this transition programme.

    Having started with the ESA European Global Navigation Satellite System Evolutions Programme (EGEP), the system and technology development of Galileo Second Generation is being supported through the EU’s GNSS and Horizon 2020 HSNAV Programmes, with ESA being delegated its technical definition and management of its related implementation.

    Eleven Phase-B contracts were signed at the meeting for the Design Phase for both the Galileo Second Generation and the Transition Programme, complementing the more than 50 technology contracts signed in 2017 to prepare for Galileo’s future.

    In recent years, innovations have been analysed and predevelopments performed in various technology fields (system, ground, space, receiver technologies) in order to assess their suitability for future Galileo activities, while ensuring backward compatibility and continuity of Galileo Services.

    In the next eight months, all major public and private stakeholders will be involved in the detailed assessment of the different evolution scenarios and associated technologies, in order to come to decisions on the Transition Programme baseline for the evolution towards Galileo Second Generation.

  • Brexit fallout: Galileo center moves from UK to Spain

    Brexit fallout: Galileo center moves from UK to Spain

    A security center for the European Union’s Galileo satellite system will be moved from the United Kingdom to Spain as a result of Brexit, according to numerous press reports.

    A committee of representatives of member states voted by a large majority on Jan. 18 to approve the European Commission’s recommendation of Madrid as the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre’s (GSMC’s) new home.

    The center, which is not yet fully operational, has only one full-time member of staff in Swanwick, England, but when it is up and running in Madrid, staffing is expected to grow to as many as 30.

    The center controls access to the satellite system and provides around-the-clock monitoring when the main security center near Paris is offline.

    The European Commission’s decision to move the center to Spain will bring Spain “strategic advantages, industrial development of high technological value, and the consolidation of national knowledge and technology in the area of security,” the Spanish ministry of public works said.

    Spain was selected from six countries, according to Spanish media. It offers the facilities of the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), which belong to the defense ministry and are located in Madrid.

    The GSMC is operated by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in charge of supervising and acting on cases such as security threats and alerts.

    Spain has another of the fundamental centers of the program, the Loyola de Palacio GNSS Service Center, also located in Madrid.

    The center is one of a number of EU institutions leaving the UK as a result of the 2016 referendum vote, also including the European Banking Agency, which is relocating to Paris, and the European Medicines Agency, which is going to Amsterdam.

  • Rolls-Royce, ESA collaborate on autonomous shipping

    Rolls-Royce and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at pursuing space activities in support of autonomous, remote-controlled shipping and promoting innovation in European digital logistics.

    The collaboration with Rolls-Royce aims to study the applications of various space assets to autonomous shipping, such as satellite-based positioning, better situational awareness using Earth observation data, and satcom services for improved onboard connectivity. It aims to develop and validate new solutions for communication between vessel systems and shore-based systems in addition to ship-to-ship communication.

    This will pave the way for the operation of commercial remote and autonomous shipping, innovative cargo logistics, smart ports and future commercial marine vessels.

    The partnership will enable satellites to serve navigation, ship intelligence, marine operations, cargo logistics, maritime safety, healthcare, passenger and crew communications.

    The next generation of 5G communications will rely on seamless integration of telecom networks and services, and ESA’s Satellite for 5G Initiative supports the technical and supply chain progress required, and will support development of 5G commercial services.

    The Memorandum of Intent (MOI) forms part of ESA’s wider strategy. In its new navigation research and technology programme, called the Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP), ESA is studying and testing technologies for smart ships.

    NAVISP is investigating the integration of satellite navigation with non-space technologies and complementary positioning and communication techniques. NAVISP will apply ESA’s expertise from Galileo and EGNOS to new satellite navigation and, more widely, positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) challenges.

    ESA already serves the maritime community with many satellite capabilities. SAT-AIS (Satellite Automatic Identification System) permits identification and global tracking of ships using cutting-edge space and ground technology, using low Earth orbiting satellites to act as information relays to serve the whole globe. This results in more efficient use of existing infrastructures, a tangible reduction in cost and a decrease in the environmental impact.

    The ESA developed Sentinel-1 satellite, part of the European Union’s Copernicus programme, is establishing a pivotal role in the sector. Last August, Sentinel-1 Earth observation data helped the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Maple navigate through the legendary Northwest Passage, showcasing the enormous potential that satellite earth observation can have across the industry, particularly in ship-to-ship data transmission.

    Rolls-Royce and ESA also plan to cooperate in harnessing the power of big data. Data analytics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can improve operational efficiency, reliability and safety.

    Sensor data will inform augmented and virtual realities, or “digital twins.” A digital twin is an AI copy of a ship, including its systems, that synthesises the information available about the ship in a hologram.

    “It allows any aspect of an asset to be explored through a digital interface, creating a virtual test bench to assess the safety and performance of a vessel and its systems, both before its construction and through its lifecycle,”  said Karno Tenovuo, SVP ship intelligence at Rolls-Royce. “By creating ships and ship technology in a virtual environment, new ideas and technology can be realized and tested in a shorter time frame.”

  • Galileo satellites atop rocket for Dec. 12 flight

    News from the European Space Agency

    Europe’s next four Galileo navigation satellites are in place atop the Ariane 5, ready to be launched Dec. 12.

    Liftoff from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana is scheduled for 18:36 GMT (19:36 CET, 15:36 local time), carrying Galileo satellites 19–22.

    Four Galileo satellites seen before being encapsulated by the protective payload fairing on Dec. 7, completing the Ariane 5 for flight VA240, scheduled for Dec. 12.

    Completion of Galileo’s Ariane 5 rocket took place in the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building, following the arrival there of the quartet of satellites, already attached to the dispenser that will hold them in position during launch, then release them into their target 22 922 km-altitude orbit

    Next, the satellites plus dispenser were placed atop the Ariane 5’s upper stage, after which the 14 m-long protective fairing was lowered over the Galileos — the last time they will be seen by human eyes. This fairing will protect them from the onrushing atmosphere during ascent.

    The next step will be Monday’s rollout to the launch zone.

    This mission will bring the Galileo system to 22 satellites. Initial Services began almost a year ago, on Dec. 15, 2016.

    Next year’s launch of another quartet will bring the constellation of 24 satellites to completion, plus two orbital spares.

    Galileo is Europe’s civil global satellite navigation system. It will allow users worldwide to know their exact position in time and space with great precision and reliability.

  • ESA investigates high-altitude pseudo-satellites for Earth observation

    News from the European Space Agency

    High-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) are platforms that float or fly at high altitude like conventional aircraft but operate more like satellites. (Image: ESA Earth Observation Graphics Bureau)

    The European Space Agency (ESA) is considering extending its activities to a new region of the sky via a novel type of aerial vehicle, a missing link between drones and satellites.

    High-altitude pseudo-satellites, or HAPS, are platforms that float or fly at high altitude like conventional aircraft but operate more like satellites — except that rather than working from space, they can remain in position inside the atmosphere for weeks or even months, offering continuous coverage of the territory below.

    The best working altitude is about 20 kilometers, above the clouds and jet streams, and 10 kilometers above commercial airliners, where wind speeds are low enough for them to hold position for long periods.

    From such a height they can survey the ground to the horizon 500 km away, variously enabling precise monitoring and surveillance, high-bandwidth communications or back up to existing satellite navigation services.

    Several ESA directorates have teamed up to investigate their potential, explains future-systems specialist Antonio Ciccolella.

    “For Earth observation, they could provide prolonged high-resolution coverage for priority regions, while for navigation and telecoms they could shrink blind spots in coverage and combine wide bandwidth with negligible signal delay,” Ciccolella said.

    “ESA is looking into how these various domains can be best brought together.”

    “We’ve been looking into the concept for the last 20 years but now finally it’s becoming reality,” explained Earth observation specialist Thorsten Fehr.

    “That’s come about through the maturing of key technologies: miniaturised avionics, high-performance solar cells, lightweight batteries and harness, miniaturisation of Earth observation sensors and high-bandwidth communication links that can deliver competitively priced services.”

    Navigation engineer Roberto Prieto Cerdeira added, “There’s obvious potential for emergency response. They could also be employed semi-permanently, perhaps extending satnav coverage into high, narrow valleys and cities.”

    The QinetiQ-designed and Airbus-owned Zephyr-7 solar-powered unmanned aircraft holds the world flight endurance record at 14 days. (Photo: Airbus)

    European companies have already unveiled product lines. For instance, Airbus has developed the winged, solar-powered Zephyr, which in 2010 achieved a world record 14 days of continuous flight without refuelling.

    The Zephyr-S is designed to fly payloads of a few tens of kilograms for up to three months at a time, with secondary batteries employed to keep it powered and aloft overnight. A larger Zephyr-T version now in preparation will support larger payloads and power needs.

    The first flight is projected for 2021 for Thales Alenia Space’s Stratobus airship. (Artist’s rendering: Thales Alenia Space/Briot)

    Meanwhile, Thales Alenia Space is preparing the lighter-than-air Stratobus, with its first flight expected in 2021.

    The buoyant Stratobus airship can carry up to 250 kilograms, its electric engines flying against the breeze to hold itself in position, relying on fuel cells at night.

    Many other firms are also developing vehicles, payloads and services. Last month saw them gathered at ESA’s inaugural workshop, together with representatives of potential customers, including the European Defence Agency, Frontex — the EU agency tasked with Europe’s border management — and EU Copernicus environmental monitoring services.

    Airbus’s double-tailed Zephyr-T variant HAPS aircraft is designed to support larger payloads, keeping them aloft for months at a time. (Image: Airbus)

    “This was the first meeting of its kind in Europe, with more than 200 HAPS experts” explains Juan Lizarraga Cubillos, from ESA’s telecoms area.

    “We heard from them on the needs, opportunities and critical issues within the field, particularly as a complement for existing satellite services, to start preparing a future ESA programme.”

    ESA regards the vehicles as a valuable way of establishing applications that complement its satellites while also accelerating space technologies through early, high-altitude flight testing.

    The point was also made that market acceptance of HAPS would come down to their efficiency and cost-effectiveness — and the best way to show that would be through demonstration projects.

    “We have to fly them,” remarked Alvaro Rodriquez of the EU’s Satellite Centre. “The technology is there, all the ingredients are there, now it’s time to mix them into a nice recipe.”

    Thales Alenia Space’s Stratobus is topped with solar panels, powering its propellers to fly against the wind at 20 km for prolonged periods of service. (Image: Airbus)
  • ESA investigates high-altitude pseudo-satellites

    ESA investigates high-altitude pseudo-satellites

    News from the European Space Agency

    High-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) are platforms that float or fly at high altitude like conventional aircraft but operate more like satellites. (Image: ESA Earth Observation Graphics Bureau)

    The European Space Agency (ESA) is considering extending its activities to a new region of the sky via a novel type of aerial vehicle, a missing link between drones and satellites.

    High-altitude pseudo-satellites, or HAPS, are platforms that float or fly at high altitude like conventional aircraft but operate more like satellites — except that rather than working from space, they can remain in position inside the atmosphere for weeks or even months, offering continuous coverage of the territory below.

    The best working altitude is about 20 kilometers, above the clouds and jet streams, and 10 kilometers above commercial airliners, where wind speeds are low enough for them to hold position for long periods.

    From such a height they can survey the ground to the horizon 500 km away, variously enabling precise monitoring and surveillance, high-bandwidth communications or back up to existing satellite navigation services.

    Several ESA directorates have teamed up to investigate their potential, explains future-systems specialist Antonio Ciccolella.

    “For Earth observation, they could provide prolonged high-resolution coverage for priority regions, while for navigation and telecoms they could shrink blind spots in coverage and combine wide bandwidth with negligible signal delay,” Ciccolella said. “ESA is looking into how these various domains can be best brought together.”

    “We’ve been looking into the concept for the last 20 years but now finally it’s becoming reality,” explained Earth observation specialist Thorsten Fehr. “That’s come about through the maturing of key technologies: miniaturised avionics, high-performance solar cells, lightweight batteries and harness, miniaturisation of Earth observation sensors and high-bandwidth communication links that can deliver competitively priced services.”

    “There’s obvious potential for emergency response,” added Navigation engineer Roberto Prieto Cerdeira. “They could also be employed semi-permanently, perhaps extending satnav coverage into high, narrow valleys and cities.”

    The QinetiQ-designed and Airbus-owned Zephyr-7 solar-powered unmanned aircraft holds the world flight endurance record at 14 days. (Photo: Airbus)

    European companies have already unveiled product lines. For instance, Airbus has developed the winged, solar-powered Zephyr, which in 2010 achieved a world record 14 days of continuous flight without refuelling.

    The Zephyr-S is designed to fly payloads of a few tens of kilograms for up to three months at a time, with secondary batteries employed to keep it powered and aloft overnight. A larger Zephyr-T version now in preparation will support larger payloads and power needs.

    The first flight is projected for 2021 for Thales Alenia Space’s Stratobus airship. (Artist’s rendering: Thales Alenia Space/Briot)

    Meanwhile, Thales Alenia Space is preparing the lighter-than-air Stratobus, with its first flight expected in 2021.

    The buoyant Stratobus airship can carry up to 250 kilograms, its electric engines flying against the breeze to hold itself in position, relying on fuel cells at night.

    Many other firms are also developing vehicles, payloads and services. Last month saw them gathered at ESA’s inaugural workshop, together with representatives of potential customers, including the European Defence Agency, Frontex — the European Union (EU) agency tasked with Europe’s border management — and EU Copernicus environmental monitoring services.

    Airbus’s double-tailed Zephyr-T variant HAPS aircraft is designed to support larger payloads, keeping them aloft for months at a time. (Image: Airbus)

    “This was the first meeting of its kind in Europe, with more than 200 HAPS experts,” said Juan Lizarraga Cubillos, from ESA’s telecoms area. “We heard from them on the needs, opportunities and critical issues within the field, particularly as a complement for existing satellite services, to start preparing a future ESA programme.”

    ESA regards the vehicles as a valuable way of establishing applications that complement its satellites while also accelerating space technologies through early, high-altitude flight testing.

    The point was also made that market acceptance of HAPS would come down to their efficiency and cost-effectiveness — and the best way to show that would be through demonstration projects.

    “We have to fly them,” said Alvaro Rodriquez of EU’s Satellite Centre. “The technology is there, all the ingredients are there, now it’s time to mix them into a nice recipe.”

    Thales Alenia Space’s Stratobus is topped with solar panels, powering its propellers to fly against the wind at 20 km for prolonged periods of service. (Image: Airbus)
  • Galileo satellites readied for Dec. 12 launch

    Galileo satellites readied for Dec. 12 launch

    News from the European Space Agency

    Three of the four Galileo satellites 19-22 undergoing fit check with the dispenser that will support them during their Dec. 12 flight into orbit. (Photo: ESA)

    Europe’s next four Galileo navigation satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket due to lift them into orbit are being readied for their Dec. 12 launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

    On Nov. 21, Galileo satellites 19–22 were declared ready for flight, along with their Ariane. Combined activities are now under way, culminating in the satellites meeting their rocket in the Final Assembly Building.

    The satellites were flown in pairs to French Guiana last month. Once safely unboxed in the Spaceport’s cleanroom environment, they were tested to ensure they had suffered no damage during their transatlantic flights.

    The four Galileo satellites mounted on top of a customised Ariane 5 rocket inside the aerodynamic fairing. (Image: ESA)

    Next came their fit check, when they were mechanically and electrically linked one by one to the dispenser that will carry them during their ascent to the target 23,500 km-altitude orbit, before releasing them into space.

    Last Friday saw the satellites filled with enough fuel to fine-tune their orbits and orientation during their projected 12-year working lives. Next, they will be attached to their dispenser together for the final time.

    In parallel, their customised Ariane 5 is being assembled. Two solid-propellant boosters were mated with its main cryogenic stage before the addition of the interstage that carries the electronics to control the vehicle.

    Next came the addition of the storable propellant stage, powered by a reignitable engine, which will deliver the quartet to their target orbit.

    Once fully checked, the Ariane will be moved to the final building for the addition of the satellites atop their dispenser, sealed within their protective fairing.

    This launch will bring the total Galileo constellation to 22, boosting the global availability of navigation signals. Galileo began Initial Services just under a year ago, the first step before full operations, on Dec. 15.

    Galileo’s Ariane 5’s vehicle equipment bay is lowered for installation within the Final Assembly Building of Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Flight VA240 carrying Galileo satellites 19–22 into orbit is scheduled for Dec. 12. (Photo: ESA)
  • Second pair of Galileo satellites reach launch site

    Second pair of Galileo satellites reach launch site

    News from the European Space Agency

    Two more Galileo satellites have reached Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, joining the first pair of navigation satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket due to haul the quartet to orbit this December.

    Inside the 747. (Photo: ESA)

    Galileos 21 and 22 left Luxembourg Airport on a Boeing 747 cargo jet on the morning of Oct. 17, arriving at Cayenne-Félix Eboué Airport in French Guiana on the same day.

    Resting within distinctive white air-conditioned containers, the satellites were driven to the cleanroom environment of the preparation building within the space centre.

    Waiting for them there were Galileos 19 and 20, which arrived in September.

    The four satellites will be launched together in mid-December by a customised Ariane 5, the elements of which reached French Guiana last month by sea.

    Galileos 21 and 22 being unloaded from their 747 cargo aircraft at Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport in French Guiana on Oct. 17. (Photo: ESA)

    Galileo is Europe’s own satellite navigation system, providing an array of positioning, navigation and timing services to Europe and the world.

    A further eight Galileo Batch 3 satellites were ordered last June, to supplement the 26 built so far.

    With 18 satellites now in orbit, Galileo began initial services on Dec. 15, 2016, the first step towards full operations.

    Further launches will continue to build the constellation, which will gradually improve performance and availability worldwide.