Andrew Yee[_1_]
March 5th 07, 04:38 AM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
1 March 2007
Scientists rehearse for Foton mission
Over 60 scientists and technicians have taken up temporary residence in
ESA's brand new microgravity science laboratory, where, for the coming days,
they will rehearse procedures to prepare experiments for the Foton M3
mission later this year.
Scheduled for launch on 14 September 2007 from Baikonur Cosmodrome,
Kazakhstan, the unmanned Foton M3 mission will carry 35 ESA experiments in
life and physical sciences. The Foton capsule will spend 12 days orbiting
the Earth, exposing the experiments to microgravity, and in the case of some
experiments, to the harsh environment of open space, before re-entering the
atmosphere and landing in the border zone between Russia and the Kazakhstan.
The science teams behind the mission's biology experiments are currently
gathered at ESTEC, ESA's research and technology centre, in Noordwijk, the
Netherlands, to practice the preparation of their samples and flight
hardware -- an important part of the time-critical countdown to launch.
Punctual departure
The simulation -- known as the 'Science Verification Test' -- will exactly
follow the timeline planned for the real flight in September. Counting back
from the launch, which is expected on the afternoon of Friday 14 September,
the ground crew in Baikonur will have precisely 24 hours a couple of days
before the launch (from T-72h to T-48h) in which to install the payloads in
the Foton capsule.
"To reach Baikonur in time for installation in the Foton capsule all the
experiment containers will have to leave Noordwijk no later than 2 am on
Monday 10 September," explains RenDemets, ESA project biologist. A truck
will take 2-tonnes of cargo directly from ESTEC to Rotterdam Airport. From
there a chartered aircraft will fly the experiments to Samara, in Russia.
After customs clearance and refuelling, the journey will continue to the
remote launch site in Baikonur.
"For biology experiments the samples need to be prepared as late as
possible," adds Demets. "By gathering the scientists at ESTEC there will be
five days between sample preparation and launch, giving the scientists the
latest possible access to their experiments. It means that the teams will
have to work day and night over the weekend to prepare their cell cultures
and be ready and packed for a punctual departure early on the Monday
morning."
Corrective action
Running through those procedures ahead of time gives the teams a chance to
iron out any problems before the procedures are done for real in the autumn.
Any mistakes or problems could put an experiment in jeopardy.
"What we might do wrong in the preparation stage can lead an experiment to
fail," says Michel Lazerges, ESA project manager for the eEristo/eOsteo
experiment, which investigates the influence of microgravity on bone cell
biology. "By testing and verifying everything in advance we push uncertainty
to the last. If anything shows up during the rehearsal, we can take
corrective action and make sure we have it right for the flight."
For the same reason, as in September when there will be no room for errors,
the simulation will continue when the rest of ESTEC has closed down for the
weekend. "We want to test the infrastructure fully," says Demets. "We need
to know that we can work under these circumstances. How, for example, will
we feed all these people during the weekend when the ESTEC canteen is not
available?"
New laboratory
For Peter Schiller, manager of the microgravity science laboratory, this is
also an exciting time. The Foton dress rehearsal will be the first
wide-scale use of the brand new facility. "For us this is a chance to check
out the new lab and to make sure that it fulfils its functions," explains
Schiller.
After completion of the Science Verification Test, the next major milestone
for the Foton M3 mission will be the Mission Simulation Test due to take
place at ESTEC in April. During this test the system used to remotely
control and monitor the experiments during the mission will be put through
its paces.
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMUGCN0LYE_index_1.html ]
http://www.esa.int
1 March 2007
Scientists rehearse for Foton mission
Over 60 scientists and technicians have taken up temporary residence in
ESA's brand new microgravity science laboratory, where, for the coming days,
they will rehearse procedures to prepare experiments for the Foton M3
mission later this year.
Scheduled for launch on 14 September 2007 from Baikonur Cosmodrome,
Kazakhstan, the unmanned Foton M3 mission will carry 35 ESA experiments in
life and physical sciences. The Foton capsule will spend 12 days orbiting
the Earth, exposing the experiments to microgravity, and in the case of some
experiments, to the harsh environment of open space, before re-entering the
atmosphere and landing in the border zone between Russia and the Kazakhstan.
The science teams behind the mission's biology experiments are currently
gathered at ESTEC, ESA's research and technology centre, in Noordwijk, the
Netherlands, to practice the preparation of their samples and flight
hardware -- an important part of the time-critical countdown to launch.
Punctual departure
The simulation -- known as the 'Science Verification Test' -- will exactly
follow the timeline planned for the real flight in September. Counting back
from the launch, which is expected on the afternoon of Friday 14 September,
the ground crew in Baikonur will have precisely 24 hours a couple of days
before the launch (from T-72h to T-48h) in which to install the payloads in
the Foton capsule.
"To reach Baikonur in time for installation in the Foton capsule all the
experiment containers will have to leave Noordwijk no later than 2 am on
Monday 10 September," explains RenDemets, ESA project biologist. A truck
will take 2-tonnes of cargo directly from ESTEC to Rotterdam Airport. From
there a chartered aircraft will fly the experiments to Samara, in Russia.
After customs clearance and refuelling, the journey will continue to the
remote launch site in Baikonur.
"For biology experiments the samples need to be prepared as late as
possible," adds Demets. "By gathering the scientists at ESTEC there will be
five days between sample preparation and launch, giving the scientists the
latest possible access to their experiments. It means that the teams will
have to work day and night over the weekend to prepare their cell cultures
and be ready and packed for a punctual departure early on the Monday
morning."
Corrective action
Running through those procedures ahead of time gives the teams a chance to
iron out any problems before the procedures are done for real in the autumn.
Any mistakes or problems could put an experiment in jeopardy.
"What we might do wrong in the preparation stage can lead an experiment to
fail," says Michel Lazerges, ESA project manager for the eEristo/eOsteo
experiment, which investigates the influence of microgravity on bone cell
biology. "By testing and verifying everything in advance we push uncertainty
to the last. If anything shows up during the rehearsal, we can take
corrective action and make sure we have it right for the flight."
For the same reason, as in September when there will be no room for errors,
the simulation will continue when the rest of ESTEC has closed down for the
weekend. "We want to test the infrastructure fully," says Demets. "We need
to know that we can work under these circumstances. How, for example, will
we feed all these people during the weekend when the ESTEC canteen is not
available?"
New laboratory
For Peter Schiller, manager of the microgravity science laboratory, this is
also an exciting time. The Foton dress rehearsal will be the first
wide-scale use of the brand new facility. "For us this is a chance to check
out the new lab and to make sure that it fulfils its functions," explains
Schiller.
After completion of the Science Verification Test, the next major milestone
for the Foton M3 mission will be the Mission Simulation Test due to take
place at ESTEC in April. During this test the system used to remotely
control and monitor the experiments during the mission will be put through
its paces.
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMUGCN0LYE_index_1.html ]