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Celebrating 10 years of Artemis (Forwarded)



 
 
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Old July 22nd 11, 02:31 AM posted to sci.space.news
Andrew Yee[_1_]
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Default Celebrating 10 years of Artemis (Forwarded)

ESA News
www.esa.int

12 July 2011

Celebrating 10 years of Artemis

ESA's pioneering Artemis satellite today marks a decade in space. The
Advanced Relay and Technology Mission was a breakthrough in
telecommunications satellites for Europe, packed with new technologies such
as laser links and ion thrusters for proving in space.

A launch problem on 12 July 2001 almost ended the mission before it even
began, when the rocket's upper stage injected Artemis into a low transfer
orbit. For any conventional satellite, this would have resulted in the loss
of the mission.

But thanks to the combination of the satellite's advanced technologies and
the unique recovery procedures devised by the control team, the satellite
was slowly and carefully coaxed over 18 months into its intended operating
position.

Dubbed 'mission impossible' at the time, and despite damaged onboard
equipment, Artemis has demonstrated critical new technologies and continues
in operation today.

Artemis clocked up a number of unique firsts in space during its recovery.
It created the first laser data link between satellites in different orbits;
it was the first telecommunications satellite to be extensively reprogrammed
in orbit; it was the first to use ion propulsion to reach geostationary
orbit, 36000 km up, after surviving the longest-ever drift to its
destination.

Using an experimental radio-frequency payload, Earth images collected by
ESA's Envisat 35000 km below Artemis were delivered to customers almost in
real time at a high rate.

The same service was provided to France's SPOT-4 observation satellite
together with a second link via laser relay.

Artemis also provided communications between ground controllers and Europe's
Automated Transfer Vehicles as the cargo ferries flew to the International
Space Station.

In 2008, Artemis leapt into service at short notice during the ferry's first
mission when NASA's system was shut down as Hurricane Ike struck the
country.

The ATV team in Toulouse, France, and their Artemis counterparts in Redu,
Belgium, sprang into action. With only a few hours to prepare, they held
contact with the vessel throughout the night of 11 September.

While Artemis is controlled via Telespazio facilities in Fucino, Italy,
ESA's Redu centre houses its Mission Control Facility to schedule the
services for users and to maintain the different payloads.

"Artemis has delivered tremendous service availability over its entire
operational life at full satisfaction of final users," says Daniele
Galardini, Head of ESA Redu Centre and in charge of Artemis.

"The capability and professionalism of the teams in Fucino and Redu are the
basis of the Artemis achievements."

[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMO...G_index_1.html ]

 




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