ESA's SMART-1 ready to fly (Forwarded)

European Space Agency
Science News Release No. 7-2003
Paris, France 11 July 2003

ESA's SMART-1 ready to fly

After the completion of all mechanical and electrical verifications, ESA's
SMART-1 passed its flight readiness review successfully on Tuesday, 8 July 2003.

SMART-1, Europe's first mission to the moon, will be sent to the ESA launch site
at Kourou in French Guiana at the beginning of next week. The last electrical
checks and fuelling will take place here before the spacecraft is mated with its
Ariane 5 launcher. SMART-1 will be a co-passenger together with two other
satellites on board this launcher. The launch is currently scheduled for 28
August 2003 (Kourou time).

SMART-1 will be the first ESA mission to test solar-electric propulsion as a
main propulsion system. It will also test advanced miniaturisation technology
which will pave the way for future planetary missions.

Giuseppe Racca, ESA's SMART-1 Project Manager, said: "Everything has gone as
expected. We're proud of the work done and we are looking forward to sending
SMART-1 to the Moon."

For more information, please contact:

ESA Media Relations Service
Tel: + 33 15369 7155
Fax: + 33 15369 7690

ESA Science Programme Communication Service
Tel: + 31 71 565 3273
Fax: + 31 71 565 4101

More information

* SMART-1 mission
http://www.esa.int/science/smart1
* ESA Science website
http://www.esa.int/science

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEME...anding_1.html]
SMART-1 will travel to the Moon using a new technology, solar-electric
propulsion. Credits: ESA