ESA Operations, Engineering & Space Safety’s Post

Call me crazy, we probably need to put more emphasis on controlled deorbit. This year alone there were several incidents where “it’ll burn up in orbit” lead to less than spectacular results. Someone hit a house with space junk. Controlled deorbit is not only the safe option, it also helps keep space clean. Orbotic Systems Inc has a mechanical device to safely and reliably deorbit smallsats and ESPA class sats. If you’re a SmallSat operator, look up their D3. It’s the responsible thing to do. #spacejunk #smallsat #deorbit

[Europe's Vega Rocket Aces Its Final Mission] Europe's Vega rocket aced its final mission tonight (Sept. 4). The Vega, which is operated by France-based company Arianespace, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana tonight (Sept. 4) at 9:50 p.m. EDT (10:50 p.m. local time in Kourou; 0150 GMT on Sept. 5), carrying the Sentinel-2C Earth-observing satellite skyward. Launch had been scheduled for yesterday (Sept. 3), but electrical issues with ground links scuttled that try. Sentinel-2C was deployed into orbit 57.5 minutes after launch as planned, prompting applause and handshakes in mission control. Vega stands about 100 feet (30 meters) tall and can deliver 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilograms) of payload to a circular orbit 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth, according to Arianespace's spec sheet. The rocket debuted in February 2012 and has now flown a total of 22 missions, 20 of them successful. Tonight's mission was the last ride for the standard version of the Vega; Arianespace is transitioning its smallsat operations to the new, more powerful Vega C. The Vega C has launched twice to date — in July 2022, then again in December of that year. The first mission was successful but the second failed due to a flaw in the rocket's second-stage nozzle. The Vega C is scheduled to return to flight late this year. The final Vega launch services Sentinel-2, a mission run by Europe's Copernicus Earth-observation program. Sentinel-2 uses twin satellites — currently, Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B — to study our planet from 488 miles (786 km) up, collecting "high-resolution optical imagery for a wide range of applications including land, water and atmospheric monitoring," according to an ESA mission description. Sentinel-2C is designed to replace Sentinel-2A, which launched atop a Vega rocket in June 2015. Sentinel-2B will be replaced by Sentinel-2D, which does not yet have a firm launch date. Source: https://lnkd.in/eJSEVmZ7 #galaxyaerosgh #space #spaceexploration #SpaceNews

✅ 🚀After the #VV24 Launch Readiness Review (LRR), ARIANESPACE is happy to announce that final operations in the countdown sequence have been authorized. We are now fully set for Vega lift-off on September 3rd at 10:50 p.m. local time in French Guiana (01:50 a.m. UTC, 03.50 a.m. CEST). This #Arianespace mission will place the Sentinel-2C satellite into Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 775 km. Spacecraft separation will occur 57 minutes after lift-off. 🌍 Sentinel-2C satellite is part of the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth Observation program, the world’s most advanced #Earthobservation system. This ambitious program, co-funded by the European Union and European Space Agency - ESA, delivers continuous, independent, and reliable Earth observation data and services to public authorities, businesses, and citizens globally. ➡️ Mission VV24 highlights once again our ongoing commitment to using space for a better life on Earth and to guaranteeing Europe with an autonomous access to space. Join us #live tomorrow here:  • EN : https://lnkd.in/e8Xg8sb2 • FR : https://lnkd.in/ePC47_6k  #AccessToSpace #DestinationSpace, AVIO, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Simonetta Cheli, Toni Tolker-Nielsen #ChristophKautz

#space #leo #spacedebris #collisionrisk The spacefaring nations that are most dependent on satellites face the biggest risks of space debris.  Instead of cooperating to mitigate space debris they have failed to take decisive action. That’s despite the increasing probability of losing satellites, resulting in more resources that must be dedicated to debris surveillance tracking and collision-avoidance maneuvers that interrupt services and burn fuel.  That, in turn, reduces the operational life of satellites, adding to their costs as the threat burgeons. Nonetheless, spacefaring companies have no incentive to minimize debris generation except for protecting their own spacecraft. https://lnkd.in/dvAa77Ux?

In recent years, #rideshares have become evermore common. While it provides a unique opportunity for new players to enter the realm of #spaceoperations, it also comes with its challenges. 🚀 Shortly after launch, objects will travel closely together in dense clusters. Finding and identifying a specific spacecraft in such a group is...tricky, and there is a high risk of a satellite getting “lost”. For example, the video shows the spread of 53 satellites and the Falcon 9 upper stage of #SpaceX #Transporter-10 launch after orbital insertion. The objects are grouped into multiple clusters that get slowly dispersed. #spacetrack published orbits 9 days after the Transporter 10 launch. With the increased traffic in #LEO, one also needs to be ready to perform #collisionavoidance starting from day one. Getting support during the Launch and Early Operations Phase is crucial to ensure a smooth transition into regular #operations. Dedicated tracking based on #SST sensors can lead to earlier availability of orbits, decrease the risk of losing a satellite, and allow earlier collision avoidance service. Do you have a launch coming up? Let's talk https://lnkd.in/dpT6XV-y #OKAPIOrbits #FeatureFridays #LEOP #launches #satellitelaunch

🚀 Our next two WorldView Legion satellites have made it to Cape Canaveral! They’ll launch as soon as this month as part of the Maxar 2 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.   These satellites will be the first Maxar Technologies satellites in mid-inclination orbit (aka orbiting around the Earth’s center rather than over its poles).   MIO allows our customers to get insights in near-real-time via:    🌅 Dawn-to-dusk collection: We currently collect imagery from mid-morning to early afternoon, but MIO allows for collection from dawn to dusk.   ⌚ ️More frequent monitoring: These satellites can collect imagery of rapidly changing and high-interest areas up to every 20 to 30 minutes.   😎 Better visibility: MIO can provide better visibility in areas obscured by morning fog.   #satelliteimagery #viewfromspace #ittakesalegion

🚀 Last Friday marked the successful launch of the European Space Agency - ESA Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) on board a SpaceX Falcon 9! 🎉 MACCON is proud to be part of this mission, which will provide global coverage to enhance nowcasting and numerical weather models. Equipped with a cutting-edge lateral microwave radiometer, the AWS mission will deliver critical measurements of atmospheric humidity and temperature. Developed under ESA funding by OHB SE, the AWS is a microwave sounder featuring an advanced radiometer built by AAC Clyde Space (Omnisys Instruments AB) with 19 frequency channels. MACCON contributed by supplying the drive for the mechanism that rotates the main reflector of the microwave radiometer. This scanning mechanism, designed with oversized windings and redundant encoders, ensures a constant rotation speed of about 0.8 Hz, enabling scan angles between ±60° from NADIR. We are thrilled to have played a role in this mission and to see our technology in action, contributing to better weather forecasting across the globe. If you missed the launch, you can watch the mission here: https://lnkd.in/dGYAEmV2 #launch #Arctic #weather #satellite #AWS #ESA #SpaceX #MACCON #propulsion #technology #innovation #innoSat #OHB

This is in line with Resolution ITU-R 74 on deorbiting and disposal strategies for NGSOs… #satellite #connectivity

📊 Discover the state of the satellite market in figures and graphs! Did you know? • There are ~ 7500 satellites in orbit • 65% of satellites are dedicated to communication • 10% of operators are Governments Want to learn more? Discover our carousel! #Space #Satellites

Big, dead ESA satellite will crash back to Earth next week 🛰️ 🌍 💥 The European ERS-2 satellite will reenter Earth’s atmosphere on 19th of February 2024 ( prediction). The mission launched on 21 April 1995. In 2011, it was decided to end its operations and to deorbit the satellite. Its current mass is estimated to be around 2294 kg. ERS stands for European Remote Sensing 2 (ERS-2). The two ERS satellites were the most sophisticated EO spacecraft ever developed and launched in Europe, when they were launched. #spacedebris #spacejunk #spaceexploration #satelliteimagery #ERSReentery