Andrew Yee[_1_]
February 11th 08, 03:09 AM
European Space Agency
Press Release No. 06-2008
Paris, France 7 February 2008
ESA's new scientific heart inaugurated by Spanish royalty
Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias inaugurated this
afternoon ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), located on the
outskirts of Madrid, Spain.
The event was also attended by the Spanish Minister for Industry, Joan Clos;
the Head of the Spanish Delegation to ESA, Mauricio Lucena; and ESA's
Director of Science, David Southwood, as well as by representatives of
central, regional and local Governments and the aerospace sector.
ESAC is ESA's new base for astrophysical and Solar System missions, and is a
centre of excellence for space science, and meeting point for scientists and
researchers from all over the world.
ESAC hosts the Science Operations Centres of the following missions:
XMM-Newton, Integral, Akari (a Japanese-led mission), Herschel, Planck,
Gaia, LISA Pathfinder, Mars Express, Venus Express and Rosetta. ESAC also
houses the scientific archives of IUE, ISO, XMM-Newton and Integral,
together with precious scientific data from Mars, Venus and Titan obtained
by ESA's Mars Express, Venus Express and Huygens spacecraft.
In the near future, ESAC will also be the scientific centre of ESA's mission
to Mercury, BepiColombo. Other future programmes at ESAC will include the
NASA-led James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble.
Beyond its fundamental scientific role, ESAC will also take part in ESA's
space application programmes. SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), an
ESA Earth Observation mission to measure soil and sea characteristics, will
be launched this year, and ESAC will host the data centre for this
satellite, thus embarking on a new role in the field of Earth Observation.
Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia arrived at ESAC at noon. In front of over
120 distinguished guests and after a few words by the Minister and ESA's
Director of Science, Prince Felipe unveiled a plaque, engraved with the
words 'Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias
inaugurated the European Space Astronomy Centre of the European Space
Agency. 7 February 2008'. ESAC Director Vicente Gomez, as host of the
celebration, graciously thanked the Prince and the Princess for their visit.
The Prince and Princess were given a brief tour of the facilities, escorted
by the dignitaries and ESA experts. Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia
visited the ESAC Planning Room and the Control Room of ESA's X-ray space
telescope XMM-Newton. XMM-Newton's observations of black holes (stars that
have died as supernovae), and energetic astrophysical phenomena in general,
are opening entirely new fields in astronomy.
The Prince and Princess then signed ESAC's Honoured Guest Book before ending
their visit meeting with guests and ESAC staff during a cocktail party.
For further information:
Mrs Monica Oerke
Public Relations
ESA/ESAC
Tel.: +34 91 813 1327
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMT2KPR4CF_index_1.html ]
Press Release No. 06-2008
Paris, France 7 February 2008
ESA's new scientific heart inaugurated by Spanish royalty
Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias inaugurated this
afternoon ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), located on the
outskirts of Madrid, Spain.
The event was also attended by the Spanish Minister for Industry, Joan Clos;
the Head of the Spanish Delegation to ESA, Mauricio Lucena; and ESA's
Director of Science, David Southwood, as well as by representatives of
central, regional and local Governments and the aerospace sector.
ESAC is ESA's new base for astrophysical and Solar System missions, and is a
centre of excellence for space science, and meeting point for scientists and
researchers from all over the world.
ESAC hosts the Science Operations Centres of the following missions:
XMM-Newton, Integral, Akari (a Japanese-led mission), Herschel, Planck,
Gaia, LISA Pathfinder, Mars Express, Venus Express and Rosetta. ESAC also
houses the scientific archives of IUE, ISO, XMM-Newton and Integral,
together with precious scientific data from Mars, Venus and Titan obtained
by ESA's Mars Express, Venus Express and Huygens spacecraft.
In the near future, ESAC will also be the scientific centre of ESA's mission
to Mercury, BepiColombo. Other future programmes at ESAC will include the
NASA-led James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble.
Beyond its fundamental scientific role, ESAC will also take part in ESA's
space application programmes. SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), an
ESA Earth Observation mission to measure soil and sea characteristics, will
be launched this year, and ESAC will host the data centre for this
satellite, thus embarking on a new role in the field of Earth Observation.
Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia arrived at ESAC at noon. In front of over
120 distinguished guests and after a few words by the Minister and ESA's
Director of Science, Prince Felipe unveiled a plaque, engraved with the
words 'Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias
inaugurated the European Space Astronomy Centre of the European Space
Agency. 7 February 2008'. ESAC Director Vicente Gomez, as host of the
celebration, graciously thanked the Prince and the Princess for their visit.
The Prince and Princess were given a brief tour of the facilities, escorted
by the dignitaries and ESA experts. Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia
visited the ESAC Planning Room and the Control Room of ESA's X-ray space
telescope XMM-Newton. XMM-Newton's observations of black holes (stars that
have died as supernovae), and energetic astrophysical phenomena in general,
are opening entirely new fields in astronomy.
The Prince and Princess then signed ESAC's Honoured Guest Book before ending
their visit meeting with guests and ESAC staff during a cocktail party.
For further information:
Mrs Monica Oerke
Public Relations
ESA/ESAC
Tel.: +34 91 813 1327
[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMT2KPR4CF_index_1.html ]