Venus Express team in launch countdown (Forwarded)

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

7 November 2005

Venus Express team in launch countdown

At 07:00 CET [0600 UTC] Monday, the Venus Express mission
clock began ticking down to Wednesday's launch. The excitement
at ESOC and particularly in the Main Control Room is palpable
as launch preparations get under way.

Throughout Monday, the Mission Control Team (MCT) ran through
final checks and verifications. This is no simulation: the
communications loop is live; the tracking stations are on
net, real telemetry is flowing from the spacecraft and, at
ESOC, adrenalin is starting to pump.

"We are already receiving live telemetry from the spacecraft
in Baikonur on top of the Soyuz launcher via an umbilical
cable plugged into launch control and feeding back to ESOC,"
said Paolo Ferri, Flight Operations Director for Venus
Express, manning a work station in the Main Control Room
(MCR) at ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in
Darmstadt, Germany.

Paolo was 'on console' this morning at 10:30 CET [0930 UTC]
overseeing the 'B' section of the MCT conduct a series of
live pre-flight checks, which included confirming main and
alternative data communications with the initial ground
control stations for Venus Express, located in Australia,
California and Kourou, French Guiana.

The team additionally confirmed telemetry, telecommand and
tracking links, and that station configurations, ground
control systems and flight control databases were all
operating nominally.

The 'A' section of the MCT was due to take over at mid-day
to conduct a final simulation of the period after Venus
Express separates from the launcher and the start of the
Launch and Early Operation Phase (LEOP), one of the most
critical periods in any mission.

ESOC specialists provide critical support to mission control

In addition to the 'A' and 'B' sections of the MCT, other
ESOC specialists provided live support, including engineers
from the ESTRACK ground control centre, flight dynamics,
software support and project support. "Everyone is here
just like on the launch day," said Paolo.

The past two weeks saw the MCT going through see-saw emotions
as the launch, originally scheduled for 26 October, was
delayed with the new date initially uncertain. Pressure was
made worse by the fact that Venus Express only has a narrow
launch window, which closes 24 November; a suitable window
will not open again until late in 2006.

"We had to do a lot of work to replan the pre- and post-launch
activities, so there wasn't too much time to worry while
waiting for the new date," said Paolo. "But today, people
are extremely motivated." The MCT took advantage of the almost
two-week delay to schedule an additional complete simulation
as well as other training.

Dividing the MCT into 'A' and 'B' sections ensures that the
control room is staffed 24 hours per day during LEOP, an
example of ESOC's 'leave nothing to chance' approach. There
are also primary and back-up systems for all software, ground
stations and mission control systems; ESOC even has a back-up
power supply on site to ensure continuous functioning in the
event of a power failure.

New ESTRACK station on track

Once the Venus Express LEOP phase ends, primary ground station
duties will be taken over by ESA's newest deep space antenna,
the 35-metre dish at Cebreros, Spain. Cebreros is scheduled to
come online during Pass 4, which occurs two days after launch.
Cebreros was officially inaugurated in September 2005 and
supporting Venus Express is the station's first operational
mission.

For launch, ground station support will be provided by New
Norcia, Canberra and Perth, Australia; Goldstone, California;
and Kourou, French Guiana. Receipt of first telemetry, a
crucial step in LEOP, is expected from the satellite via New
Norcia at 06:30 CET [0530 UTC], at the earliest.

Until Wednesday's 04:33 CET [0333 UTC] launch, engineers,
flight controllers and scientists at ESOC will continue
intensive preparations.

Mission milestones

Date Time Event
(CET =
UTC+1hr)
9 Nov 05 04:33 Launch
9 Nov 05 06:30 Receipt of first telemetry via New Norcia
(earliest)
9 Nov 05 07:10 End of Automatic Separation Sequence
9 Nov 05 13:30 Spacecraft 3-axis stabilised (normal mode)
10 Nov 05 07:38 Trajectory Correction Calibration
10 Nov 05 17:04 Switch to High Gain Antenna 2
11 Nov 05 07:34 Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM 1)
11 Nov 05 16:00 End of LEOP
13 Dec 05 End of Near Earth Commissioning Phase (NECP)
11 Apr 06 Venus Orbit Insertion (VOI)
7 May 06 Venus Orbit achieved / start Commissioning
4 Jun 06 Start Routine Operations

More about...

* Looking at Venus
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/index.html
* Venus Express factsheet
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM2EE1A6BD_index_0.html
* Venus Express in-depth
http://sci.esa.int/venusexpress
* Status reports
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/obj...objectid=31574
&farchive_objecttypeid=31 &farchive_objectid=30928

Related articles

* Venus Express moved back to launch pad
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Ex...4K638FE_0.html
* Venus Express set for transport to launcher assembly building
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Ex...BB6Y3EE_0.html
* Venus Express mated with upper-stage
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMTYW5Y3EE_index_0.html
* Venus Express Flight Control Team preps for launch
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM9TY5Y3EE_index_0.html
* Venus Express ready for 'mating' with upper-stage
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Ex...XB5Y3EE_0.html
* Venus Express propellant loading completed
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Ex...1A5Y3EE_0.html
* Venus Express gets wings
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Ex...MW7X9DE_0.html

Related links

* Starsem -- the Soyuz
http://www.starsem.com/
* ESA Mission Operations

http://www.esa.int/spacecraftops/ESO...551445449.html

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMFLL638FE_index_1.html]
Bruno Sousa, left, and Christoph Steiger, right, reviewing
mission control sequences in ESOC's Main Control Room (MCR)
during pre-flight checks on 7 November 2005. Both are
Spacecraft Operations Engineers for Venus Express.

Credits: ESA

[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMFLL638FE...html#subhead5]
Brand new 35m deep space antenna at Cebreros

General view of Cebreros deep space ground station. Vista
general de la Estación de Seguimiento de Satélites de
Espacio Profundo de Cebreros.

Credits: ESA