EU-DIGEST

The cosmos threw a curve ball at us, but a near-Earth object (NEO) called 2010 AL30 missed by over 80,000 miles. Although the object was too small to cause any damage, if it did hit, it would generated an impressive firework display before being vaporized by the upper atmosphere.

But astronomers didn't expect a collision and the 10 meter wide NEO flew past peacefully a few hours ago.

Although NASA officially declared the near-Earth object (NEO) an 'Apollo class' asteroid yesterday, there still seems to be some ambiguity as to what 2010 AL30 really is. The strange one year orbit of the NEO has led some scientists to speculate that it originated from Earth. Perhaps it's an old and used rocket booster?

Labels: ESA

The engineering model of the first Galileo satellites has completed platform integration tests at the Thales Alenia Space facility in Rome. The platform is now undergoing functional testing. Delivery of the engineering model payload from Astrium UK is expected in December. These tests are an important step towards building and launching the first four Galileo satellites. Integration testing verifies the interfaces between units or subsystems and the larger integrated system. Functional testing demonstrates that the integrated elements meet their design specifications. The proto-flight and three flight model satellites will also integrated and tested at Thales Alenia Space in Rome. They will be carried into orbit in pairs by Soyuz ST-B / Fregat MT launchers from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The first launch is scheduled for late 2010 and the second for early in 2011.

The definition phase and the development and In-Orbit Validation phase of the Galileo programme were carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA) and co-funded by ESA and the EU. Galileo is a joint project developed by the European Commission and European Space Agency. Once completed, the system will include up to 32 satellites and will work alongside GPS and GLONASS. Galileo promises to provide real-time positioning with pinpoint accuracy to within a single meter of an object's exact location. It is designed for use with mission critical circumstances and situations where lives are at stake, and it is guaranteed for all but the most extreme situations. It is also designed to work in urban areas, under trees, inside buildings and other locations GPS cannot penetrate; it will provide an "integrity" component to alert users to possible major errors that could compromise performance.

Labels: ESA, EU, Galileo, GPS

Two more pieces of Europe, and of Italy in particular, are getting ready to join the ISS (International Space Station). Twelve years of design, development and hard work came to fruition with the formal handover of Node 3 from ESA to NASA on 20 November. The ceremony took place in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. The handover completed the final major element of the barter agreement between ESA and NASA signed in Turin (Italy) on 8 October 1997 under which ESA provided Nodes 2 and 3 plus additional equipment and knowhow in return for transportation of the European Columbus Laboratory to the ISS by Space Shuttle.

Labels: ESA, EU, Space Exploration, Space Station

Europe's new space truck takes shape

"It's clear from space history that often it was not the prototype that experienced the problems; it was the mission that came later. That's why specific attention has to be paid to what we do now." Nico Dettmann is in charge of producing the European Space Agency's (Esa) next space freighter. He knows the near-flawless maiden voyage of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) last year does not mean the second flight is guaranteed to turn out the same way. Attention to detail is everything. The follow-up ship - dubbed Johannes Kepler - is slowly being assembled. Its propulsion and avionics units are being prepared in Bremen, Germany. Its pressurised module which will hold the cargo - air, water, scientific equipment, food, and clothing - to be taken to the space station is being built in Turin, Italy. The various segments should come together in September, into a single line of assembly that will lead to a launch in November 2010. Thereafter, ATVs will fly every year for three years.

Labels: ESA, EU, Space Exploration

Europe targets manned spaceship

The European Space Agency has asked industry to work out the requirements of the craft and its likely cost. Known as the Advanced Re-Entry Vehicle, it would be developed in phases - first as an unmanned vessel to carry cargo, and then as an astronaut crew ship. At the moment, Europe has no independent capability to transport humans into space and must hitch rides on American or Russian systems. Tuesday's announcement is just the start of a very long process, and there is no guarantee either ARV variant will be built.

The ARV would essentially be an upgraded version of Europe's highly successful unmanned space freighter, known by another acronym - ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle). This 20-tonne vessel flew a maiden voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) last year.

Labels: ESA, EU, Manned Space Craft

Life support pilot plant paves the way to Moon and beyond

A pilot plant inaugurated yesterday in Barcelona, Spain, is testing regenerative life support system technologies that could one day recycle waste products and supply essential food, water and oxygen to humans living on the surface of the Moon or Mars. MELiSSA, short for Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative, is an artificial ecosystem to recover food, water and oxygen from waste (faeces and urine), carbon dioxide and minerals. The laboratory will help in the development of technology for a future regenerative life support system for long-duration human space exploration missions, for example to a lunar base or to Mars.

Labels: ESA, EU, Space Exploration

OasISS mission heading to the International Space Station

For the complete report from the ESA Portal click on this link

OasISS mission heading to ISS with ESA astronaut Frank De Winne-first European to become Commander of International Space Station

ESA astronaut Frank De Winne is heading to the International Space Station at the start of his six-month OasISS mission. Together with Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, De Winne launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 12:34 CEST (10:34 UT) today. Their Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) at 14:36 CEST (12:36 UT) on Friday 29 May. The arrival of De Winne, Romanenko and Thirsk at the ISS will mark the first ever six-member ISS crew, as they join the three Expedition crewmembers already in residence on the Station: Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.

For the first four months of his OasISS mission, De Winne will be a Flight Engineer as a member of the Expedition 20 crew, reporting to Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka. With a rotation of three of the six crew members due in October, De Winne will take over as Commander of the Expedition 21 crew until his return to Earth in November. He is the first European to take on this role.

Labels: ESA, EU, International Space Station, Manned Space Exploration

Europe's Space station module handed over

Europe has rolled out its last major module for the space station. The cylindrical Node 3 - to be known as "Tranquility" - was constructed by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. Once attached to the station, it will house life support gear as well as being home to the Cupola, a giant "bay" window that was also built in Europe.

Node 3 will be shipped shortly to the Kennedy Space Center in the US, from where it will catch a ride to the station in the back of a shuttle. The delivery of Node 3 concludes a barter arrangement made between Europe and the US, in which Europe agreed to supply two connecting nodes, 2 and 3, in return for a free trip into space for its Columbus science laboratory.Some 7m in length and about 4.5m in width, Node 3 is built around the same design principals as Europe's other space station contributions. Columbus, Node 2, the ATV space freighter, and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (which serve as the packing boxes for major re-supply missions carried out by the US shuttle) all have a similar cylindrical look about them.

Labels: ESA, EU, Space Exploration

The European Space Agency's Herschel and Planck spacecraft launched deep into space to be the worlds eye in the Universe

For the complete report from BBC NEWS click on this link

Space the New Frontier - Lift-off for European telescopes - by Jonathan Amos

Europe's Herschel and Planck telescopes have blasted into space on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana. The satellites are being sent into orbit to gather fundamental new insights into the nature of the cosmos. The Ariane lifted clear of the launch pad at 1312 GMT (1412 BST) on a flight that lasted just under half an hour. Mission controllers in Germany made contact with the telescopes just a few minutes after they had separated from the rocket's upper-stage. The ascent through the Earth's atmosphere was just the first stage in what will be a long journey for the astronomical satellites. They will spend the next two to three months making their way out to observation positions some 1.5 million km from Earth on its "night side". The long cruise will allow engineers to check out sub-systems and commission the telescopes' instruments.

Herschel is the largest telescope anyone has yet tried to put in space. Its 3.5m-diameter primary mirror is one-and-a-half-times the size of Hubble's main reflector. Today's launch was also the 30th consecutive success for the Ariane 5, Europe's heavy lifter rocket.

Labels: Ariane5, ESA, EU, Europe, Space Exploration

ESA's satellite Air Traffic Management for European Single Sky prepares next phase - by Rob Coppinger

In 2014 a small geostationary orbit satellite could be launched by the European Space Agency to help modernize air traffic management in Europe. The satellite would begin deployment of a constellation that will deliver Air Traffic Management (ATM) communications for the European Civil Aviation Conference area that spans from Iceland to Azerbaijan. By 2020 global air travel is expected to double, resulting in increasing congestion in the air and on the ground and a new requirement for an independent safety-critical air-to-ground link.

Labels: Air Traffic Control, ESA, EU

EU Proposes Big Changes for GSA within Galileo Program

A proposal now before the European Parliament and Council of the European Union would complete the transformation of the European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) from the leading executive agency for the Galileo program into a diminished subsidiary of the European Commission (EC). That pre-eminent role, envisioned under the strategy of a public-private partnership (PPP) abandoned more than two years ago, would have seen the GSA sign and oversee a contract with a private consortium building and operating the Galileo system and its precursor European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). Instead, under the terms of EC Communication 139 released March 24, the GSA would be renamed the GNSS Agency with the EC holding veto power over its administrative board and the agency’s primary mission reduced to market research and promotion of Galileo as well as conducting security audits.

Labels: ESA, EU, Galileo, GPS

Ariane-5 Europe's successful heavy lifter space craft poised for take off at the ESA Kourou space center in Guiana (North East Coast of South America)

For the complete report from BBC NEWS click on this link

European Space Agency has launched its Goce gravity mapping satellite - and leads new space exploration wave - by Jonathan Amos

Goce left Earth at 1421 GMT on a modified intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in north-west Russia. The mission will give scientists new insights into how the interior of the planet is structured and provide key information on how the oceans move. The satellite is part of an armada of European spacecraft being sent up to study the planet.

Also being ordered is the Sentinel series of spacecraft which will be part of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) project, a joint undertaking with the EU. GMES will pull together all the information obtained by environmental satellites, air and ground stations to provide a comprehensive picture of the planet. Its quest is to generate continuous, cross-calibrated, long-term data-sets that can be used to inform European policies to deal with global change. The Sentinels are needed to fill in data gaps. In addition, Europe is in the process of upgrading its weather platforms, building a third generation of its Meteosat series, and introducing a new class of polar orbiting satellites known as Metop. This huge fleet of Earth-pointing spacecraft will return an avalanche of data on the health of the planet.

Labels: Earth, ESA, EU, Pollution and the environment, Russia, Space Exploration

European Astronaut Selection: Familiarization

In the European Space Agency Astronaut Selection, the first step of psychological testing is primarily computer-based. Here, you can download sample files similar to those faced by the selected applicants. The files are compressed in a ZIP format. After downloading, you will need to extract the files. Viewing requires Adobe Flash Player on your computer, which is free to download and platform-independent. You can obtain the software here: www.adobe.com or the latest version directly at: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/ Then you should double-click each file with the extension '.html' to start the sample test. When the Adobe Flash Player Security window pops up, click ‘OK’. Then you will be able to click ‘START’ or ‘FORWARD’ in the internet browser software and browse through the sample test files to test yourself against what the selected candidates may encounter in their first step of psychological testing.

Labels: Astronauts, ESA, EU

European Space Agency Has Its Hands Full This Year - At least five critical launches are scheduled for 2009 - by Tudor Vieru

The European Space Agency (ESA) has big plans for 2009, its boss Jean-Jacques Dordain announced at a briefing in Paris on Wednesday. Among the most impressive plans that Dordain presented at the conference there's the launch of the Herschel and Planck telescopes, the maiden flight of the Vega carrier system, and the beginning of Soyuz-powered space flights, from ESA's spaceport in French Guyana. Also, three new satellites will be launched, whose missions are critical for gaining a better understanding of the way ecosystems on Earth work.

"Last year was really an outstanding vintage. But there'll be no breathing space going forward," the official said. Talking about the fact that Russian-built Soyuz missiles will start launching from ESA spaceports soon, Dordain said "This will be a significant milestone in many ways. We really do need Soyuz because at least half of ESA missions are due for launch on Soyuz, whether that be scientific missions or Galileo [satellite-navigation] satellites."

Labels: ESA, EU

Ariane on launch pad

For the complete report from the BBC NEWS click on this link

Ariane makes final launch of 2008 - by Jonathan Amos

Europe's Ariane 5 rocket has wrapped up its 2008 campaign with another dual launch from the Kourou spaceport.It was the sixth flight for an Ariane 5, in a year that also saw the rocket start to service the International Space Station (ISS). Saturday's Ariane 5 mission marks the 42nd launch of Europe's workhorse rocket. In March, it lofted the "Jules Verne" freighter to the International Space Station. Next year's highlights include the dual launch of two European Space Agency telescopes - Herschel and Planck. Both will be sent out to an observing position some 1.5 million km from Earth, to study the Universe at far-infrared and microwave wavelengths.

Labels: Ariane5, ESA, EU, Space Exploration

Observing the Earth - Keeping an eye on Wilkins Ice Shelf

As the Wilkins Ice Shelf is at risk of breaking away from the Antarctic Peninsula, ESA’s Envisat satellite is observing the area on a daily basis. The satellite acquisitions of the ice shelf are updated automatically on this website to monitor the developments immediately as they occur.

In late November, new rifts developed on the ice shelf that scientists warn could lead to the opening of the ice bridge that connects the ice shelf to the Charcot island. If the ice bridge were to open, it could put the entire ice shelf at risk of further disintegrating.

Labels: Environment: climate change, ESA, EU

U.S. and Europe join forces for future Mars missions - by Stephen Clark

NASA and the European Space Agency have agreed on a strategic partnership for future robotic missions to explore Mars, officials announced last week. Ed Weiler, the associate administrator for NASA's science mission directorate, unveiled the plan during a Thursday news conference announcing a two-year delay of the agency's next Mars rover.The next two Mars rovers, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory and ESA's ExoMars mission, are multi-billion dollar flagship missions. "It will be a long term cooperation where NASA could contribute to an ESA-led mission, like ExoMars, and ESA could contribute to NASA-led missions," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA director general. The partnership will help lay the groundwork for the Mars Sample Return mission, which is likely to cost between $6 billion and $8 billion, according to Weiler.

Labels: ESA, EU, Nasa, Space Exploration, USA

Europe earmarks nearly 10 billion euros for space exploration

Ministers from 19 countries on Wednesday agreed to commit nearly 10 billion euros (12.8 billion dollars) to Europe's space program, it was announced here. The decision by the 18 members of the European Space Agency (ESA), along with Canada, included a compromise on spending for the International Space Station (ISS), which will become ESA's biggest budgetary item, sources said. ESA Director General Jacques Dordain said ministers approved spending of 9.65 billion euros to maintain current programs and launch future projects, added to which were 300 million euros in outstanding commitments.

Labels: ESA, EU, Space Exploration

Race Heats Up: China, India, Europe push ahead as U.S. program slows to a crawl - by Mark Kaufman

China conducted its first spacewalk last month. The European Space Agency is building a roving robot to land on Mars. India recently launched a record 10 satellites into space on a single rocket.Although the United States remains dominant in most space-related fields -- and owns half the military satellites currently orbiting Earth -- experts say that the nation's superiority is diminishing, and many other nations are expanding their civilian and commercial space capabilities at a far faster pace. "We spent many tens of billions of dollars during the Apollo era to purchase a commanding lead in space over all nations on Earth," said NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin, who said that his agency's budget is down by 20 percent in inflation-adjusted terms since 1992. "We've been living off the fruit of that purchase for 40 years and have not ... chosen to invest at a level that would preserve that commanding lead."

In a recent in-depth study of international space competitiveness, Futron, a technology consulting firm in Bethesda, Md., found that the globalizing of space is unfolding more broadly and quickly than most Americans realize. "Systemic and competitive forces threaten U.S. space leadership," the company president, Joseph Fuller Jr., concluded.

Labels: China, ESA, India, Space Exploration, US

Europeans Aim to Build Own Manned Spacecraft - by Jeremy Hsu

Plenty of European astronauts and hardware have gone up to the space station or to other orbits around Earth, but now the European Space Agency (ESA) is thinking of ways to get them back down on their own. A Vega rocket on the drawing boards is slated to carry ESA's Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) into space in 2012. The stubby white-and-black spacecraft is designed to use two rear flaps in a paddling motion to steer itself during atmospheric reentry. Such a demonstration craft could perhaps pave the way for Europe to return its astronauts to Earth without relying on the U.S. or Russian space programs."With ATV [Automated Transfer Vehicle] and Columbus, the European space laboratory, we believe Europe has now become one of the major players in manned space exploration," said John Ellwood, ATV mission manager.

Labels: ESA, EU, Manned Space Exploration

Manned Russian/European spaceship design unveiled - by Paul Rincon

The first official image of a Russian-European manned spacecraft has been unveiled. It is designed to replace the Soyuz vehicle currently in use by Russia and will allow Europe to participate directly in crew transportation. The reusable ship was conceived to carry four people towards the Moon, rivalling the US Ares/Orion system. Unlike previous crewed vehicles, it will use thrusters to make a controlled landing when it returns to Earth.

Labels: ESA, European Space Research, Russia

For the complete report from the Tech Digest click on this link

European manned spaceship shown off in Berlin

It's only a prototype, but the new EADS Astrium design here is based on the existing unmanned Jules Verne pod already flying about up there, so it could easily take scientists and the odd paying billionaire up into the ionosphere with a bit of tweaking.Within 10 years, according to EADS, there could be a manned European space programme should the various countries involved not mind coughing up the enormous amount of money - about one billion euros - required. With the ancient American space shuttles due to be taken out of service in 2010, Europe could well find itself at the forefront of manned space travel.

Labels: Astrium, EADS, ESA, EU, European Space Research

For the complete report from Spiegel click on this link

Europe Plans Manned Spaceship- by Christoph Sedler

The news was only announced to a small group of people. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the aerospace group EADS Astrium had invited a mere handful of journalists to Bremen. Hardly any information had been revealed before the meeting, only nebulous hints. Now the reason for the secrecy has become apparent. Astrium is planning to add a new chapter to the history of space exploration. Engineers have quietly been developing a plan that would lead to the entry of Europe into manned space travel — if it gets political backing. Planners say manned European spaceflight could become a reality within nine years. The essence of the plan is to turn Europe's unmanned Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) into a full spacecraft in two stages.

Labels: ATV, ESA, EU, European Space Research

For the complete report from the ESA click on this link

Follow live Europe's Jules Verne ATV's first attempt to dock with the International Space Station

After several days spent in a parking orbit 2000 km ahead of the ISS, Jules Verne ATV is now ready to join up with the International Space Station. This first docking attempt can be followed live on 3 April 2008 from 15:30 CEST onwards from one of the European participating centres.The docking of Jules Verne ATV is scheduled for 3 April at 16:41 CEST. The final decision on whether to proceed with this manoeuvre will be taken by the ISS Mission Management Team in consultation with the European partners only 24 hours before the operations. For this first attempt, ESA and CNES will be organising live transmission of the event from the ATV Control Centre at CNES in Toulouse to the various European sites.

Jules Verne ATV today demonstrated its ability to navigate safely from a point 39 km behind the ISS to a stand-off point just 3.5 km away using relative GPS navigation. The vessel then executed an Escape manoeuvre commanded from the ATV Control Centre in which the craft flew off to a safe distance. “All systems were completely nominal, which is very satisfying for this first day of really testing the rendezvous capability of the spacecraft,” said John Ellwood, ESA ATV Project Manager.

Labels: ATV, ESA, EU, European Space Research, International Space Station

Shooting a Par-3 hole in space: Three steps to the European ATV docking

Jules Verne ATV is lining up for Europe's first-ever automated docking in space. Following two demonstrations, the final 'putt' must be more accurate and gentle than on any rolling golf green. Now that the vessel is 'on the green' - in a parking orbit 2000 m ahead of the ISS - ATV mission controllers must pace the spacecraft through two pending and crucial demonstration dockings, moving successively closer to the ISS, and then finally go for an actual rendezvous and docking attempt on 3 April.

Labels: ATV, ESA, Space Exploration

Engineers fix glitch in new European space cargo ship - by Jason Palmer

Though mission officials described Jules Verne's launch as "absolutely perfect", they noticed a glitch once the Ariane launch vehicle broke away and communications were established with the ATV. A detector noted a pressure anomaly in one of the ATV's four "propulsion chains". These are the valve and control systems between the tanks holding fuel and oxidiser and the thrusters, where they are mixed to propel the craft. There was a slight pressure difference in two pipes that separately ferry the fuel and oxidiser from the tanks to the thrusters.An electronics box that detected the pressure difference then turned off the affected chain, rerouting the propellants through the other three chains. The box then turned itself off, "just in case the anomaly is in the box itself", said ESA's ATV program manager John Ellwood at a press conference after the launch. Now, after working through the night, engineers have switched the electronics box back on. All of the ATV's systems are working perfectly.

Later on Tuesday, the ATV performed its first manoeuvres in space, using its main engines to move closer to the orbit necessary to rendezvous with the space station. Even before the glitch was fixed, mission managers emphasized that the mission was not in any jeopardy, since the ATV can propel itself using only three propulsion chains.

Labels: ATV, ESA, EU, Space Exploration

Europe launches its first re-supply spaceship – Jules Verne ATV – to the International Space station

Jules Verne, the first of the European Space Agency’s Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV), a new series of autonomous spaceships designed to re-supply and re-boost the International Space Station (ISS), was successfully launched into low Earth orbit by an Ariane 5 vehicle this morning. During the coming weeks, it will manoeuvre in order to rendezvous and eventually dock with the ISS to deliver cargo, propellant, water and oxygen to the orbital outpost.On this first ATV mission, Jules Verne will deliver 4.6 tonnes of payload to the ISS, including 1 150 kg of dry cargo, 856 kg of propellant for the Russian Zvezda module, 270 kg of drinking water and 21 kg of oxygen. On future ATV missions, the payload capacity will be increased to 7.4 tonnes.

Named after the famous French 19th century visionary and author, the Jules Verne ATV is the largest and most sophisticated spacecraft ever developed in Europe, combining the functions of an autonomous free-flying platform, a manoeuvrable space vehicle and a space station module. About 10 m high with a diameter of 4.5 m, it weighed 19,357 kg at launch. It incorporates a 45-m3 pressurised module, derived from the Columbus pressure shell, and a Russian-built docking system, similar to those used on Soyuz manned ferries and on the Progress re-supply ship. About three times larger than its Russian counterpart, it can also deliver about three times more cargo.

The ATV is also the very first spacecraft in the world designed to conduct automated docking in full compliance with the very tight safety constraints imposed by human spaceflight operations. It features high accuracy navigation systems and a flight software far more complex than that used on Ariane 5. About half of the payload onboard Jules Verne ATV is re-boost propellant, which will be used by its own propulsion system for periodic manoeuvres to increase the altitude of the ISS in order to compensate its natural decay caused by atmospheric drag. Upon leaving, after four months spent docked to the ISS, Jules Verne ATV will carry away waste from the Station. It will then be de-orbited over the Southern Pacific Ocean and burn up in the atmosphere in a fully controlled manner.

Labels: ATV, ESA, EU, European Space Research

Anxious moments as Europe's freighter makes maiden flight to space station - by Ian Sample

The largest, most complex spacecraft Europe has built is being readied for its maiden flight early tomorrow from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The 20-tonne robotic space freighter, crammed with fuel, food and spare parts is due to blast off at 4.03am GMT on a mission to deliver much-needed supplies to the international space station more than 200 miles overhead.The spacecraft is so complex, the operating manual runs to 28 volumes. Named Jules Verne after the visionary French science fiction author, it is the first of many ATVs due to be launched at 18-month intervals until 2015. Each will dock with the space station for up to six months, before being filled up with waste and jettisoned to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. "It's Europe's biggest spacecraft, it's by far the most complex, and it's been an amazing journey already. Now we're getting excited at seeing the fruits of our labour ready to fly," said John Ellwood, ATV project manager.

The launch will be an anxious moment for European space officials.The rocket had to be strengthened to lift the ATV, which weighs more than twice the heaviest payload an Ariane 5 has ever attempted to place in orbit The space center uses the faster rotation of the Earth at the equator to give launches a free boost. Rockets launching eastwards from the site can gain an extra 1,000mph compared with launches closer to the poles. Almost six tonnes of the ATV's cargo is fuel that it will use to reach the space station and boost it to a higher orbit. A further 860kg (1896lb) of hydrazine fuel will be pumped from the ATV into the space station's own tanks. The rest of the cargo hold will carry 20kg of oxygen, 270kg of water, 136kg of spare parts for Europe's Columbus science module and half a tonne of food.

Labels: ESA, EU, Space Exploration

European space module connected to the International space station

For the complete report from the Scientific American click on this link

European astronauts open hatch to Europe's new space lab

Two European astronauts slipped inside Europe's newly installed Columbus laboratory module on Tuesday while crewmates prepared for a second spacewalk to outfit the International Space Station for new additions. The 23-foot(7-metre)-long laboratory, equipped for medical, pharmaceutical and physics experiments, is Europe's first permanent space base and the prime contribution of a $5 billion investment in the space station program. "This is a great moment," French astronaut Leopold Eyharts radioed to ground control teams in Houston and Munich before entering the module for the first time since it reached orbit on Thursday aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. "We are very proud," added crew mate Hans Schlegel, of Germany. "It starts a new era. The European scientific module Columbus and the ISS are connected for many, many years of research in space in cooperation, internationally."

Labels: Columbus, ESA, EU, European Space Research

For the complete report from the International Herald Tribune click on this link

Space for Europe - by Giovanni Bignami

When the aging Shuttle brings the European Space Agency's Columbus module up to the International Space Station on Thursday and its crew screws it all together, participating nations will finally be close to using its relatively short exploitation period. Scientists from around the world will only have about 10 years to use the facility - for it is also aging, having taken a good two decades to build. Now is the time, especially for Europe, to start planning the post-space station future of manned space travel. The Shuttle will be abandoned in two years. Access to the space station will then only be possible with that old workhorse, the Soyuz, based on essentially the same technology that shot Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961. Now that the Cold War is over, Soyuz is open to Americans and Europeans alike, but the cost of a ticket is likely to go up.The Kourou spaceport offers Europe an opportunity to give a long-term, post-ISS future to its manned space program. European decision-makers need to take an initiative that will establish a strong collaboration with NASA and demonstrate the innovative spirit and boldness of European industry and science.Certainly, the high-lift Ariane launcher, equipped with its Automatic Transfer Vehicle (which will have its maiden flight on Feb. 22 from Kourou) could come in handy for a new orbital infrastructure.

Labels: ESA, EU, Kourou, Space Exploration