Jacques van Oene
November 6th 04, 11:07 AM
N° 59-2004 - Paris, 5 November 2004
Europe reaches the Moon
During the night of 15 to 16 November, ESA's SMART-1 will reach the first of
its closest approaches to the Moon after a 13-month journey. Then the
spacecraft will begin adjusting its orbit around the Moon in preparation for
a scientific investigation of its surface, starting in January.
During the long cruise, consisting of a spiralling orbit around the Earth
that brought the spacecraft close to the lunar capture point, SMART-1
achieved all the technology demonstration goals of the first part of the
mission.
The exciting final manoeuvres to enter a stable lunar orbit, the challenges
of the journey and the results of the SMART-1 technology tests paving the
way for future interplanetary missions, will be presented at a press
conference on 16 November at ESA/ESOC in Darmstadt (Germany), starting at
08h00.
Media representatives can also follow the press conference by
videoconference from ESA/HQ in Paris, France, ESA/ESTEC (Noordwijk - the
Netherlands) and ESA/ESRIN (Frascati - Italy).
--
---------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Europe reaches the Moon
During the night of 15 to 16 November, ESA's SMART-1 will reach the first of
its closest approaches to the Moon after a 13-month journey. Then the
spacecraft will begin adjusting its orbit around the Moon in preparation for
a scientific investigation of its surface, starting in January.
During the long cruise, consisting of a spiralling orbit around the Earth
that brought the spacecraft close to the lunar capture point, SMART-1
achieved all the technology demonstration goals of the first part of the
mission.
The exciting final manoeuvres to enter a stable lunar orbit, the challenges
of the journey and the results of the SMART-1 technology tests paving the
way for future interplanetary missions, will be presented at a press
conference on 16 November at ESA/ESOC in Darmstadt (Germany), starting at
08h00.
Media representatives can also follow the press conference by
videoconference from ESA/HQ in Paris, France, ESA/ESTEC (Noordwijk - the
Netherlands) and ESA/ESRIN (Frascati - Italy).
--
---------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info