LARES;ALMASat 1; 7 CubeSat = Vega (VV1) - 13.02.12 14:00 ЛМВ

[Salo]

October - LARES & ALMASat 1 & AtmoCube & E-Star & Goliat & OUFTI 1 & PW Sat 1 & UNICubeSat & UWE & XaTcobeo - Vega (qualification flight)(VV1) - TBD

[Salo]

The CubeSats for the VEGA Maiden Flight - P. Galeone, ESA Education Office, The Netherlands

[Salo]

http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php

NET DEC 2011   Vega ELV First Flight   

[Salo]

http://forum.spacealliance.ro/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=201

The first Romanian satellite, Goliat, to be launched in 2011[/size]

The European Space Agency ESA, representing the interests of the 18 members, the ArianeSpace company, ELV SpA (European Launch Vehicle) and Evry France have signed recently the VERTA document- Vega Research and Technology Accompaniment Program which establishes the mass production for the components of the new launcher, covering in the first phase 5 new missions apart the test flight (on the sponsored list we can find the European satellites ADM Aeolus, Lisa Pathfinder, the Swarm constellation and IEV-Intermediate Experimental Vehicle).
With this, the Vega project moves from the designing and development phase to the exploitation phase.

This huge operation called Vega involves directly 7 European countries (Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Swiss and Sweden) prime contractor being the Italian company ELV SpA where the Italian Space Agency ASI holds 30% of the shares and the rest is the property of Avio SpA.
The group will be represented by ArianeSpace who will offer on the commercial market the rocket's new launching services and it will take care of all the operational aspects.

The first flight approaches fast, the first stage P 80 of the rocket has been prepared and waits fully loaded at the French Guyana space center, while the other two stages (Zefiro 23 and Zefiro 9) and the rest of the avionics payload have been assembled in Italy and wait to be transported in Kourou.
Unfortunately, the testing agenda proved to be again unrealistic because the modernization and construction operations of the infrastructure in Kourou, have been slowly than expected.
The engineers currently work on several fronts (the usual preparation of the Ariane5 flights are going normally and supplementary are made efforts to bring into operations the newcomers Vega and Soyuz).
Soyuz, which has a proven technology will enter the operation directly and will have priority being able to bring fast income to the company.
The ArianeSpace director said that probably the Soyuz will have the first flight at the beginning of 2011, followed in an interval of couple of months (mid 2011) by the first Vega flight.

Vega intends to be positioned in the niche of the small launchers bellow the Ariane5 (the big class ArianeSpace launcher) and the newcomer –the modernized Soyuz which will operate in the medium sector.
ArianeSpace did not have a launcher in this niche, but the estimations speak about at least two Vega launches per year.

The rocket, with a weight of 137 tones, 30 m in length and a diameter of 3m, has four stages: a P 80 engine using solid fuel for the first stage-with a 3040kN force of traction and 107 s burning time, a Zefiro 23 engine powered by solid fuel for the second stage- with a force of 1200 kN and a burning time of 71 s, again a solid fuel engine type Zefiro 9-with a force of 213 kN and a burning time of 117s and finally a fourth stage powered by liquid fuel engine AVUM (Attitude and Vernier Upper Module) with a force of 2.45 kN and a burning time of 315 s.
The launcher is able to put in a circular, 700km height orbit, a satellite weighting up to 1500 kg which is usually the characteristic of the scientific Earth observation satellites.

The Vega rocket will use the spaceport ELA-1 from French Guyana – the same place used before by the Ariane 3 and Ariane 1 rockets. The hangar needed a complete refurbishment starting from the buildings of the complex and continuing with the auxiliary electrical, protection or control systems and last but not least the transport mechanisms. More, there will be a new mobile platform transporting the rocket, with a height of 50 m and a speed of 5m/minute, being able to cover the distance of 80 m which separates the operational position and the parking place.
The launch campaign for a standard flight has been increased from the current 2-3 weeks to 42 days, just to ensure the proper preparation, taking into account that the new rocket could serve in the future up to 4 flights per year.

Unfortunately neither the other rocket which will take part of the European launching system- the Soyuz 2 is not in a better condition, this program having also big delays.
Because it was impossible for ArianeSpace to serve the first flight in December 2010 and in order to avoid the loss of a first client- the British company Avanti Communications who wanted to launch their Hylas 1 satellite using the services in French Guyana, the company has decided to move the spacecraft onboard its Ariane 5 flight from November 2010 as the rocket has a dual launch capacity, used successfully many times before.
This being said, the inaugural Soyuz 2 flight from Kourou, will be probably marked by a political decision, ESA or CNES giving as alternatives one of their Galileo or Pleiades satellites.
Compared with the original version launched from Baikonur or Plesetsk, Soyuz 2-1a has increased the transport capacity from 1.7 tones to 2.7 tones (for a geostationary orbit).
This happens not only due to the technical modifications but also because a flight from Kourou is closer to the Equator, the Earth rotation bringing a supplementary delta to the velocity of the launcher.
It is also foreseen a Soyuz 2-1b version which will put in place an update of the flight control system, an increase of the third stage traction and another fairing system with an increased volume. With all these innovations, this Soyuz version will be able to lift 3.6 tones into a geostationary orbit.

The ArianeSpace company has reported for the financial year 2009, an income of 1.046 billions euro, increased with 9.4% compared with 2008, an income where the major contribution came from the 7 Ariane 5 flights operated in 2009 versus the 6 ones from 2008.
The previsions for the future are even better as in February 2009 a new contract of 4 billions euro has been signed, including a number of 35 new Ariane 5 units to be operated during the next years, without counting here the contribution that the newcomers Vega and Soyuz will bring soon.

The commercial market has been dominated in the last period by the variations of the launching cost especially because of the dumping prices used by the SeaLaunch operator, but as with the bankruptcy of this one, the analysts are expecting a come back of the launching prices to some realistic values, and a better economical perspective for the two major actors remained on this stage the ArianeSpace and ILS-International Launch Services.

Romania, which is at his first space adventure with the Goliat satellite, will have to wait a bit more until the road to space will open. Delayed again, the Romanian team coordinated by the Romanian Space Agency ROSA will have to see, like the other participants, how the Vega agenda will continue and when the inaugural flight will actually take place.
The Goliat project which aims to lift the first Romanian satellite in orbit, has been started in 2005 by ROSA, having an initial budget of approximately 400.000 euro.
It is a nanosatellite based on the American Cubesat standard, cube-shaped 10x10x10 cm and weighting 1 kg. There are three scientific experiments onboard: SAMIS which aims to measure the meteorites flux, Dose-N which should measure the cosmic radiation dose on an Earth orbit and probably the most valuable, the acquisition of images from a 3Mpixels and 21x28 m ground resolution camera installed on the satellite.

The latest information speak about an elliptical orbit 350x750 km with an inclination of 71 degrees which would be a major change compared with the initial requirements of the designing team – a circular polar orbit with 500 km altitude.
In more concrete terms it will mean the project will only cover the medium latitude sites and will never reach the poles. Most of the scientific missions are launched in polar orbits because they need to have a complete set of Earth data and this is the only type of orbit which can ensure a full coverage (also for the poles).
The Romanian project and some other 8 satellites from the same category are given the chance to fly in the inaugural launch of the European Vega rocket (most of these satellites coming from emergent countries which, as Romania, have started their national space programs and will soon join the European Space Agency):

-SwissCube (

[Salo]

http://www.aviogroup.com/en/media_room/press_release/2011/the_launch_of_vega_is_drawing_near

The launch of Vega is drawing near[/size]
   2011/09/28

The European satellite launcher built in Italy has left Avio's industrial plant for the European Space Centre in French Guyana

Rivalta di Torino (TO), 28 September 2011 – The transport operations began for the Vega satellite launcher. The stages of the launch vehicle were transferred from Avio's Colleferro industrial plant (Rome) to the port of Livorno to be taken on board a ship specially fitted out by Arianespace. In the next few weeks, the launcher will reach the European Space Centre in Kourou, where the launch campaign will begin prior to the maiden flight foreseen between December 2011 and January 2012.

The transfer of Vega to French Guyana is the last step in a design and development journey started out at the end of the 1990s, and concluded positively by obtaining the qualification of the subsystems by the European Space Agency (ESA), which brought about the production of a launcher that has set new standards in the aerospace industry, thanks to the use of innovative and proprietary technologies. For instance, the first-stage motor is the largest monolith in the world constructed in carbon fibre: an important containment in weight is associated to the exceptional structural quality.

In the last few months, all the tests have been carried out necessary for verifying the functionality of the launch base in Kourou and, currently, the last tests are in progress preceding the qualification flight, which will serve to test the functionality and reliability of the launcher in view of the start-up of commercial activities.

"Through Vega, our Country will enter the very limited club of Nations able to access space with their own technologies. During the last 5 years, Avio has developed a strongly innovative next-generation launcher in Italy; the first entirely made of carbon fibre, with advanced digital controls and great flexibility of configuration in order to put into orbit satellites of different dimensions and functionalities," said Francesco Caio, Avio Chief Executive Officer. "The departure of the launch vehicle towards the Kourou base, marks the end of the development phase and opens up another that will be seen involved together with both the Italian and European Space Agencies in the setting-up of the launcher with the qualification flight. We must join the satisfaction in achieving the technological goals with the emotions and pride of being part of such a relevant programme at international level. A result obtained thanks to the competences of all the Avio team in Colleferro," said Mr. Caio.

"The transfer of the last components of the first Vega launcher represents an important step for Italy. We have paved the way towards completing this programme, for which our Country, through the Italian Space Agency, carries out a leading role. From now on, all the elements to assemble the Vega will be present at the Kourou launch base. Therefore, the launch campaign will enter the final phase towards putting the launcher into orbit, whose date will be announced in mid-October by the ESA, following final tests and verifications. My own particular appreciation of this last step goes to all those who have contributed, and will continue to contribute, with their own commitment and work in maintaining Italian excellence in the field of space that, even more today, will allow Europe to have a new future in access to space," said Enrico Saggese, Chairman of the Italian Space Agency.


The programme and the role of Italy

Vega is the new European launcher developed within the area of the ESA, in order to transfer satellites up to 1,500 kg into polar orbit (700 km), typically for institutional and scientific use such as Earth observation and monitoring of the environment.

Avio has a fundamental role in this programme, started up through studies by its engineers at the Colleferro industrial plant (Rome), in the 1990s. Avio, through the ELV Company, set up in 2000 with the Italian Space Agency (70% Avio, 30% ASI) precisely for managing this programme, is prime contractor of the launcher and coordinates 40 companies in 12 countries. Avio, already European leader in solid-propellant space propulsion, has been acknowledged by Europe in its role as systems integrator.

Therefore, Italy has become one of the six countries in the world able to produce a complete launcher: 65% of the Vega is produced in Italy at the Avio Group's industrial facilities in Colleferro.

Vega is a launch vehicle for satellites of small dimensions, which completes the family of European launchers: it will partner Ariane 5, dedicated to satellites up to 10 tonnes, and Soyuz, which covers satellites of intermediate size. All the Europe launch vehicles will be launched from the ESA space centre in Kourou, French Guyana.

The commercial strengths of Vega are its flexibility in the missions and contained costs that make access to space possible also to those who previously were not able to meet these costs: universities, research centres and insurance companies.

ABOUT AVIO
Avio is an international group and a leader in the aerospace industry, based in Turin (Italy). Founded in 1908, it is present on four continents with sales offices and 12 industrial production sites. It has approximately 5,200 employees, of which approximately 4,400 are based in Italy. Company revenues in 2010 were approximately Euro 1.75 billion. The Group operates in following business areas: Aeronautical; Space; MRO and Services; Aeroderivative Gas Turbines for Marine and Industrial use; Control & Automation Systems and Electrical Systems. Avio is active in the field of technological research and development through a network of laboratories within Italian university campuses and collaborations with many Italian and international universities and research centres.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-soyuz-vega/2011/10-05-2011-vega-update.asp

The first Vega for launch is heading to the Spaceport in French Guiana[/size]

October 5, 2011

The no. 1 Vega to operate from French Guiana is ready for its initial voyage, which will take the lightweight launcher from Europe to South America by sea – positioning the vehicle for an inaugural flight next January at the Spaceport.

 Stocked aboard the MN Colibri roll-on/roll-off ship, the Vega is scheduled to depart Rotterdam in the Netherlands tomorrow on a transatlantic crossing to French Guiana for unloading and transfer to the Spaceport.   This will clear the way for a Flight Readiness Review on October 13-14, enabling the mission's three-month launch campaign to begin in November.

 Vega's liftoff next January – with a multi-spacecraft payload composed of the LARES satellite and nine small cubesats from European universities – will serve as the vehicle's qualification flight, opening a series of missions to demonstrate the launch system's flexibility.

 When it joins Arianespace's family of launchers, Vega will be capable of lofting payload masses ranging from 300 kg. to 2,500 kg. depending on the type of orbit and altitude required by customers. The baseline mission is for a payload lift performance of 1,500 kg. to a 700 km. polar orbit.

 For the upcoming ocean voyage, the MN Colibri is carrying Vega's Zefiro-23 and Zefiro-9 solid rocket motors for its second and third stages, along with the launcher's bi-propellant liquid AVUM upper stage – all of which were delivered from Avio's facility in Colleferro, Italy, where they were produced.

 These components were brought to the MN Colibri at the Port of Livorno in Italy, after which the vessel sailed to Rotterdam where the cargo was to be increased with the Vega's Swiss-built payload fairing, the Dutch-produced interstage structure that links the launcher's first two stages, as well as the LARES laser relativity satellite from Italy's ASI space agency.

 The MN Colibri is one of two sea-going vessels used by Arianespace in transporting launcher components between their European production locations to South America, and the upcoming ocean crossing repeats a process regularly employed in the shipment of heavy-lift Ariane 5s, as well as the medium-lift Soyuz.

After the Vega elements arrive in French Guiana, they will be integrated with the launcher's P80 solid propellant first stage, which currently is undergoing final preparations in the Spaceport's Booster Integration Building.


The MN Colibri is shown at Italy's Port of Livorno, where it was loaded with the Vega's second and third stage solid rocket motors, along with the launcher's bi-propellant liquid upper stage.[/size]

[Salo]

January - LARES & ALMASat 1 & AtmoCube & E-Star & Goliat & OUFTI 1 & PW Sat 1 & UNICubeSat & UWE & XaTcobeo - Vega (qualification flight)(VV01) - TBD

[Salo]

http://www.elv.it/en/media-room/news/

October 17th, 2011
Flight Readiness Review authorizes launch campaign[/size]

On October 13th and 14th, at ESA ESRIN premises, the first Phase of the Vega launcher Flight Readiness Review has been held. The Project Team (ELV, Vitrociset) has presented to the Board formed by representatives from ESA (JJ Dordain, A. Fabrizi), CNES (Mme I. Rongier), ASI (E. Saggese) and Arianespace (JY Le Gall) the status of Vega Program, in order to obtain the formal authorization to begin the Integration and Launch Campaign.

The presentation has described:

    the mission objectives
    the qualification status for the LARES mission, in particular addressing the LARES TM necessary to complete the qualification of VEGA launch system
    the launcher configuration
    the main conclusions and status of actions coming from previous reviews

At the end of the two days meeting the Review Board, considered the program progress status, has authorized the beginning of the launcher integration campaign, established at November 7th when the first stage A1A (P80 motor) will be transferred from BIP (Batiment Integration Propulseur) to Mobile Gantry.[/size]

[Salo]

Первый пуск не ранее 26 января 2012 года, согласно http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php

[Suzeren]

Вот бы у нас в стране тоже выделяли деньги и разрешали пускать аппараты для проверки новых разработок... просто тестовые.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/861.asp

Vega arrives at French Guiana in preparation for its January 26 inaugural launch[/size]



One of Vega's two payload fairing half-shells is unloaded in its shipping container from the MN Colibri docked at Kourou's Pariacabo Port (photo at left), for transfer to the nearby Spaceport. Also coming off the sea-going vessel is the interstage skirt that connects the Vega's P80 first stage with its narrower Zefiro 23 second stage (photo at right).

October 25, 2011 – Vega Flight VV01

The first lightweight Vega was delivered to the Spaceport today, with this latest member of Arianespace's expanded launcher family arriving only days after the service entry of its other new vehicle – the medium-lift Soyuz.

Vega came to French Guiana aboard the MN Colibri roll-on/roll-off ship, which docked yesterday at Kourou's Pariacabo Port after a two-week Atlantic crossing from Europe, and was unloaded this morning for the launcher's transfer by road to the Spaceport.

The four-stage Vega's first flight has been set for next January 26, carrying LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite) and nine cubesat educational payloads of varying sizes.

This inaugural launch will be a qualification mission performed under responsibility of the European Space Agency, since the vehicle represents a totally new configuration.  As its future operator, Arianespace is heavily involved in the launch – including having one of its team members assigned the role as Launch Site Operations Manager.

Vega will lift off from the Spaceport's ZLV launch site, which originally was used for the Ariane 1 and Ariane 3 vehicles.

Planning calls for Vega's first mission campaign to begin on November 7 with rollout of its P80 first stage to the launch pad, followed during the subsequent weeks by stacking of the Zefiro 23 second stage and Zefiro 9 third stage – all of which are loaded with solid-propellant.

Claude-Henri Berna, the Arianespace Vega program director in French Guiana, said a progress review will be held on December 7 to authorize a continuation of the final integration process – allowing the bi-propellant Attitude and Vernier Upper Module (AVUM) to be mated atop the launcher, and final operations to begin with the mission's multi-spacecraft payload.

Vega is produced by Italian prime contractor ELV, and will join Arianespace's launcher family as the lightweight vehicle.  It will be operated from French Guiana along with the medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5, providing Arianespace with a complete vehicle inventory capable of orbiting the full range of payloads – from small scientific and institutional satellites to the largest telecommunications relay platforms and resupply spacecraft for the International Space Station.

Using Arianespace's numbering system, the maiden Vega flight is designated VV01, with the first "V" representing the French word for flight ("vol"), and the second letter referring to Vega.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2011/859.asp

The Arianespace launcher family comes together in French Guiana[/size]

Joining Ariane 5 at the Spaceport is the no. 1 Vega, which will soon start its build-up on the Spaceport's ZLV launch pad for a scheduled January 26 liftoff.  This will be a qualification flight performed under responsibility of the European Space Agency prior to Arianespace's startup of mission operations with the four-stage vehicle.  The maiden flight, known as VV01 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering, will carry the 400-kg. LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite) along with a group of smaller cubesat educational payloads in varying sizes.


Shipping containers with components for the first Vega are driven to a storage area on the Spaceport after being unloaded from the MN Colibri.[/size]

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http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMC2OTWLUG_index_0.html

First Vega launch campaign aims for January liftoff[/size]
 
11 November 2011
The first Vega launch campaign began on Monday at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana with the installation of the first stage on the pad. Europe's new small launcher is on track for its maiden flight at the end of January.
 
The hundred-tonne solid-propellant first stage, the P80, was moved from the Booster Integration Building to the pad on 7 November using the 'Fardier' heavyweight transporter.

As with the transfer of Ariane 5's boosters, safety measures minimised the number of operators on site and evacuated nearby buildings.  
 
With the P80 installed inside the mobile gantry, all ground installations are now being configured for the booster's final acceptance, including the Thrust Vector Control system that swivels the large nozzle for steering.
 
   

Transfer of Vega's P80 first stage to launch pad

In the coming weeks, the two solid-propellant second and third stages, the Zefiro-23 and Zefiro-9, will be transferred from the Vega Booster Storage and Preparation Building and added to the vehicle.

Before the end of the year, after the Flight Readiness Review, the AVUM – Attitude & Vernier Upper Module – fourth stage, will be integrated.
 
Final preparations for launch
 
In parallel to the launcher activities, the satellites are being prepared at the spaceport.

By the end of the year the LARES laser relativity satellite from Italy's ASI space agency together with at least six small CubeSats and ALMASat-1 from European universities will be ready and enclosed in the fairing.
 
   
LARES satellite
   
The campaign will continue in January with the integration of the 'upper composite' – the fairing and payload – followed by final check-out of the fully integrated launcher and the countdown rehearsal.

This Vega qualification flight will pave the way for the next five missions that will demonstrate the system's flexibility as part of the VERTA – Vega Research and Technology Accompaniment – programme.
 
A flexible system
 
Vega is designed to cope with a wide range of missions and payload configurations in order to respond to different market opportunities with greater flexibility.

In particular, it offers configurations able to handle payloads ranging from a single satellite up to one main satellite plus six microsatellites.

Vega is compatible with payload masses ranging from 300 kg to 2500 kg, depending on the type and altitude of the orbit required by the customers. The benchmark is for 1500 kg into a 700 km-altitude polar orbit.

Altogether, seven ESA Member States (Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden) are contributing to the programme.

ELV SpA is the launch vehicle industrial prime contractor (70% of which is owned by AvioSpA and 30% by the Italian space agency, ASI) and Vitrociset is the ground segment prime contractor.[/size]

[Salo]

By the end of the year the LARES laser relativity satellite from Italy's ASI space agency together with at least six small CubeSats and ALMASat-1 from European universities will be ready and enclosed in the fairing.

Походу количество кубсатов уменьшилось до шести.

[Salo]

http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/lares.htm

LARES[/size]


LARES [ASI]

LARES (Laser Relativity Satellite) is a passive satellite with laser mirrors for the study of the Earth gravitational field and general relativity measurements (Lense-Thirring effect).

LARES is basically a solid sphere made of Tungsten with a diameter of 376 mm and a mass of 400 kg. The surface of the sphere is covered by 92 Corner Cube Reflectors (CCR). To achieve its scientific objectives, LARES will be injected into a circular orbit at 1200 km altitude with an inclination of 71°.

As LARES orbits the Earth, laser beams are emitted from a number of ground stations around the Earth, the International Laser Ranging Service, and reflected by the CCRs on LARES to the ground stations. The time delay between emission and arrival of the laser beam provides a measure of the round-trip distance to LARES, allowing a highly accurate orbit determination. Correcting for a number of effects, most importantly the deviation of the Earth gravitational field from an ideal sphere, yields the frame-dragging effect.

The main scientific objectives of the LARES mission are:
High precision tests of Einstein's theory of general relativity, in particular:
A measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect due to the Earth's angular momentum and a high precision test of the Earth's gravitomagnetic field. The Lense-Thirring effect is a tiny shift of the orbit of a test particle. Gravitomagnetic field and Lense-Thirring effect are theoretical predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity.
An improved, high precision, test of the inverse square law for very weak-field gravity and test of the equivalence principle.
A measurement of the general relativistic perigee precession of LARES and a high precision measurement of the corresponding combination of the PPN (Parametrized-Post-Newtonian) parameters beta and gamma. The PPN parameters beta and gamma test Einstein's theory of gravitation versus other metric theories of gravitation.
Other tests of general relativity and gravitation.
Measurements and improved determinations in geodesy and geodynamics.

On February 7, the ASI board approved funding for the LARES mission, that will be launched with Vega's maiden flight.Nation:   Italy
Type / Application:   Basic research, Geodesy
Operator:   ASI
Contractors:   Carlo Gavazzi Space SpA
Equipment:   92 cube corner reflectors
Configuration:   37,6 cm sphere
Propulsion:   None
Power:   None
Mass:   ~ 400 kg
Orbit:   1200 km

[Salo]

Кубосаты:

AtmoCube
http://www2.units.it/atmocube/

E-ST@R
http://areeweb.polito.it/ricerca/E-STAR/

GOLIAT
http://events.eoportal.org/presentations/12486/10003770.html

Masat-1
http://cubesat.bme.hu/masat-1/?lang=en

PW-Sat 1
http://www.pe0sat.vgnet.nl/satellite/cube-nano-picosats/pw-sat/

Robusta
http://www.ies.univ-montp2.fr/robusta/satellite/?lang=en

UNICubeSat
http://events.eoportal.org/get_announce.php?an_id=10002455

XaTcobeo
http://www.xatcobeo.com/cms/index.php

[Salo]

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/september2011/baikonur_launch_for_uwe3.htm

Baikonur launch for UWE-3[/size]

This CubeSat project was planned as backup payload for the Vega maiden flight but is now expected to be launched from Baikonur in Q4 2012.

UWE-3 will be an experimental CubeSat which will contribute to the development of an active Attitude Determination and Control System for CubeSats, by testing such a subsystem and serving as a valuable source of experimental data.

In addition a new, advanced On Board Data Handling and a new Communication subsystem will also be tested on the UWE-3.
 It is proposed to have FSK telemetry and a CW beacon.

 The IARU satellite frequency coordination panel has co-ordinated a downlink frequency of 437.385 MHz.

UWE-3 in Google English
http://tinyurl.com/CubeSatUWE-3

IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel pages hosted by AMSAT-UK http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Education/SEM3L0WWVUG_0.html

The ESA Cubs have been developed by more than 250 university students from six different countries over the last 4 years. Each CubeSat carries its own scientific or technology demonstration payload. The six CubeSats to be launched on Vega in late January 2012 comprise:

    Xatcobeo (a collaboration of the University of Vigo and INTA, Spain): a mission to demonstrate software-defined radio and solar panel deployment;

    Robusta (University of Montpellier 2, France): a mission to test and evaluate radiation effects (low dose rate) on bipolar transistor electronic components;

    e-st@r (Politecnico di Torino, Italy): demonstration of an active 3-axis Attitude Determination and Control system including an inertial measurement unit;

    Goliat (University of Bucharest, Romania): imaging of the Earth surface using a digital camera and in-situ measurement of radiation dose and micrometeoroid flux;

    PW-Sat (Warsaw University of Technology, Poland): a mission to test a deployable atmospheric drag augmentation device for de-orbiting CubeSats;

    MaSat-1 (Budapest University of Technology and Economics): a mission to demonstrate various spacecraft avionics, including a power conditioning system, transceiver and on-board data handling.

A seventh CubeSat is planned to be delivered, installed in a third P-POD and tested during the next two weeks.
 
 
The ESA Cubs will be deployed from their different deployment systems mounted on the support structure of the main payload, LARES, into an orbit of 300 x 1450 km at an inclination of 69.5 degrees. They will have a natural orbital lifetime of up to 4 years, depending on their rate of orbital decay due to atmospheric drag.[/size]

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Jan. 26    Vega  •  LARES
Launch window: 1300-1500 GMT (8:00-10:00 a.m. EST)
Launch site: ELA-1, Kourou, French Guiana

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/vega/vv01/111207lares/

Prepping satellite to test Albert Einstein[/size]

A small sphere-shaped satellite covered with laser retroreflectors to test part of Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity is being readied for its shot into space aboard the qualification flight of Europe's new Vega light launcher.

Named LARES, the Italian LAser Relativity Satellite is a solid tungsten sphere weighing almost 860 pounds (390 kg) with 92 mounted retroreflectors. The Vega rocket will launch the payload from Kourou, French Guiana in January, deploying the craft into an Earth orbit where it will fly for over 25,000 years.

Earth-based stations will bounce lasers off the satellite and precisely measure the time it takes the beams to travel between the ground and spacecraft as it passes overhead in an experiment with the Lense-Thirring effect. That part of Einstein's theories describes the distortion of space-time caused by the rotation of a body with mass -- the Earth.

Similar-looking spacecraft -- LAGEOS 1 and LAGEOS 2 -- have been launched in American-Italian collaborations in 1976 and 1992 aboard a Delta rocket and the space shuttle Columbia to track the movement of Earth's tectonic plates. A scientific team based at the Sapienza University of Rome created the LARES mission.

This photo gallery shows LARES being installed aboard its deployer system in the processing facility. Once the other CubeSat co-passengers are attached, the payload package will be encapsulated in the rocket's two-piece nose cone in preparation for attachment atop the Vega rocket next month. Liftoff is targeted for the end of January.

The Vega rocket, with its three solid-propellant stages and a restartable liquid-fuel fourth stage, has been developed by Europe as a small-satellite booster that will operate alongside the giant Ariane 5 and the mid-class Soyuz from the Kourou spaceport on the northeastern coast of South America.

Commercial operator Arianespace foresees one-to-two Vega flights per year.

Development of the rocket cost $1 billion (786 million euros) and the research program covering five demonstrative launches is valued at about $535 million (400 million euros).

European Space Agency Member States Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden are contributors to Vega.

Photo credit: European Space Agency[/size]