Andrew Yee[_1_]
May 1st 08, 06:28 PM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
18 April 2008
ESA and Spain's INTA update ESTRACK station agreement
Senior managers from ESA and Spain's Instituto Nacional De Tecnica
Aeroespacial (INTA) agreed today to renew their joint use of space tracking
facilities at the Maspalomas Space Centre, Gran Canaria, Spain. The site
hosts ESA's 15m ESTRACK antenna, which primarily provides routine support
for the Agency's 4-spacecraft Cluster mission.
The new cooperation renews and updates the existing March 2000 agreement and
defines the collaboration between both organisations for joint use of the
facilities available at the Centro Espacial de Canarias (CEC).
The agreement was signed at Maspalomas by Mr Fernando Gonzalez Garcia, INTA
Director General, and Gaele Winters, ESA Director of Operations and
Infrastructure, and aims to meet current and future requirements of programs
in the Earth exploration and space research fields.
The new agreement is valid for 15 years, and serves as framework for the
relations between INTA and ESA in two basic areas:
* Earth exploration -- through a contract with ESRIN (ESA's European Space
Research Institute) for the joint use of a 10m antenna and CREPAD (the
Centre for Reception, Processing and Archiving of Earth Observation Data,
which supports Earth Observation satellites like ERS, ALOS, SPOT and
LANDSAT)
* Space research -- through a contract with ESOC (ESA's European Space
Operations Centre) for tracking the four Cluster satellites with the 15m
antenna
It also establishes a basis for collaboration for future domestic and ESA
programmes through the joint use of CEC facilities. This collaboration may
be of particular importance for Spain's National Earth Observation Programme
that will include the the Paz and INGENIO satellites by 2011.
Maspalomas builds on Mercury, Gemini heritage
The Maspalomas Space Centre was established in the 1960s by NASA for
tracking Mercury and Gemini spacecraft, and has belonged to INTA since 1975.
Among other on-site facilities, INTA operates a 15m ESTRACK ground terminal
on behalf of ESA that is dedicated for tracking, telemetry and commanding of
scientific satellites and Ariane 5/ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle)
launches.
Over the years, Maspalomas has been upgraded with a number of facilities,
including the Nodal Centre for the COSPAS-SARSAT search-and-rescue
programme; the Centre of Reception, Processing and Archiving of Earth
Observation Data (CREPAD); two 10m antennas for Earth exploration satellite
data reception; and several antennas for national and international
programmes.
CEC offers services to companies and institutions including HISPASAT (a
grouping of Spanish communication satellites), HISDESAT (a satellite
services provider), EUMETSAT (the European Organisation for the Exploitation
of Meteorological Satellites) and JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency), and --
since the 1980s -- to ESA's ESOC and ESRIN establishments.
ESA's Maspalomas terminal is part of the core ESTRACK (European Space
Tracking) network, comprising 13 terminals sited at nine stations in six
countries.
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEMZN34XQEF_1.html ]
http://www.esa.int
18 April 2008
ESA and Spain's INTA update ESTRACK station agreement
Senior managers from ESA and Spain's Instituto Nacional De Tecnica
Aeroespacial (INTA) agreed today to renew their joint use of space tracking
facilities at the Maspalomas Space Centre, Gran Canaria, Spain. The site
hosts ESA's 15m ESTRACK antenna, which primarily provides routine support
for the Agency's 4-spacecraft Cluster mission.
The new cooperation renews and updates the existing March 2000 agreement and
defines the collaboration between both organisations for joint use of the
facilities available at the Centro Espacial de Canarias (CEC).
The agreement was signed at Maspalomas by Mr Fernando Gonzalez Garcia, INTA
Director General, and Gaele Winters, ESA Director of Operations and
Infrastructure, and aims to meet current and future requirements of programs
in the Earth exploration and space research fields.
The new agreement is valid for 15 years, and serves as framework for the
relations between INTA and ESA in two basic areas:
* Earth exploration -- through a contract with ESRIN (ESA's European Space
Research Institute) for the joint use of a 10m antenna and CREPAD (the
Centre for Reception, Processing and Archiving of Earth Observation Data,
which supports Earth Observation satellites like ERS, ALOS, SPOT and
LANDSAT)
* Space research -- through a contract with ESOC (ESA's European Space
Operations Centre) for tracking the four Cluster satellites with the 15m
antenna
It also establishes a basis for collaboration for future domestic and ESA
programmes through the joint use of CEC facilities. This collaboration may
be of particular importance for Spain's National Earth Observation Programme
that will include the the Paz and INGENIO satellites by 2011.
Maspalomas builds on Mercury, Gemini heritage
The Maspalomas Space Centre was established in the 1960s by NASA for
tracking Mercury and Gemini spacecraft, and has belonged to INTA since 1975.
Among other on-site facilities, INTA operates a 15m ESTRACK ground terminal
on behalf of ESA that is dedicated for tracking, telemetry and commanding of
scientific satellites and Ariane 5/ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle)
launches.
Over the years, Maspalomas has been upgraded with a number of facilities,
including the Nodal Centre for the COSPAS-SARSAT search-and-rescue
programme; the Centre of Reception, Processing and Archiving of Earth
Observation Data (CREPAD); two 10m antennas for Earth exploration satellite
data reception; and several antennas for national and international
programmes.
CEC offers services to companies and institutions including HISPASAT (a
grouping of Spanish communication satellites), HISDESAT (a satellite
services provider), EUMETSAT (the European Organisation for the Exploitation
of Meteorological Satellites) and JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency), and --
since the 1980s -- to ESA's ESOC and ESRIN establishments.
ESA's Maspalomas terminal is part of the core ESTRACK (European Space
Tracking) network, comprising 13 terminals sited at nine stations in six
countries.
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEMZN34XQEF_1.html ]