ADM-Aeolus - Vega - Куру/CSG - 22.08.2018

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На сайте Arianespace открыта страница миссии - http://www.arianespace.com/mission/vega-flight-vv12/

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http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/vega-flight-vv12/

Vega | August 14, 2018

Flight VV12: The Arianespace Vega launcher will orbit ESA's Aeolus wind mission



For Arianespace's fifth launch of the year, and the first in 2018 with Vega, the company will orbit the Aeolus satellite – the world's first space mission to acquire profiles of the Earth's wind on a global scale, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA).

This will be the 12th mission of the Vega launcher, which once again is to demonstrate its versatility and perfect adaptation to European missions dedicated to Earth observation.

The liftoff will be from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana (South America).

The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) will take place on Monday, August 20, 2018 in Kourou, to authorize the start of operations for the final countdown.

ESA's Aeolus satellite will be equipped with a single instrument: a Doppler wind LIDAR called Aladin (Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument) – an advanced laser system designed to timely and accurately measure global wind-profiles from space. Aeolus will probe the atmosphere with pioneering ultraviolet laser pulses, which will enhance the understanding of tropical dynamics and processes relevant to climate variability.

The Aeolus mission will provide much-needed data to improve the quality of weather forecasting, contributing to long-term climate research.

Flight VV12 is the embodiment of a long-standing, fruitful relationship between ESA and Arianespace. Indeed, it will be the 50th mission launched by Arianespace for the European Space Agency, guaranteeing independent and reliable access to space for Europe, and benefitting the world's citizens through investments in space technologies.

Airbus Defence and Space is the Aeolus satellite's manufacturer.

[/li]
• For further information, download the Launch Kit by clicking here:
  http://www.arianespace.com/press-kits/
• To watch a live, high-speed online transmission of the launch (including commentary from the launch site in French and English), go to arianespace.com or to youtube.com/arianespace on August 21, 2018, starting 15 minutes before liftoff.
  

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Arianespace TV - VV12 VEGA COMING SOON !

arianespace

Опубликовано: 14 авг. 2018 г.

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Aeolus: of weather and winds

European Space Agency, ESA

Опубликовано: 16 авг. 2018 г.

Thanks to the wind, heat is distributed around the planet. Equatorial regions receive more heat from the Sun than other parts of the world. This leads to differences in air temperature, density and pressure, which in turn, cause the air to move – creating wind. This movement of air constitutes the general circulation of the atmosphere, transporting heat away from equatorial regions towards the poles, and returning cooler air to the tropics. The wind clearly plays an important role in weather forecasts, which in turn are not only important for planning our daily affairs, but vital for numerous commercial activities such as farming, fishing, transport, and for taking appropriate measures when extreme weather is on the horizon. Although weather forecasts have advanced considerably in recent years, there is a need for global wind measurements to improve them even further. ESA's Aeolus mission will fill this gap by providing global wind-profiles in near-real time. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts will process these data and the data in their numerical weather prediction models, which will lead to better forecasting.

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/vv12-va243-payload-preparations/

Ariane 5, Vega | August 16, 2018

Payload preparations advance for Arianespace's upcoming Vega and Ariane 5 missions


Encapsulated in its protective payload fairing, Aeolus is positioned atop the launch vehicle inside the mobile gantry at the Spaceport's Vega Launch Complex.

The payload processing for Arianespace's two upcoming missions from French Guiana is moving ahead at the Spaceport, involving the European Space Agency's Aeolus wind-monitoring spacecraft for a Vega liftoff scheduled on August 21; ...

During a busy period of activity across the Spaceport, Aeolus has been hoisted to the upper level of the Vega Launch Complex' protective mobile gantry and integrated atop its light-lift launcher. ...

Aeolus will be orbited during the mission designated Flight VV12 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, providing much-needed data to improve the quality of weather forecasts and contribute to long-term climate research. It was built by Airbus Defence and Space and carries a laser Doppler wind LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system called Aladin to probe the lowermost 30 km. of the atmosphere in measuring winds around the Earth.

Profiling wind patterns around the Earth with Aeolus

The LIDAR's near-real-time observations will provide reliable wind-profile data to further improve the accuracy of numerical weather and climate prediction, and advance the understanding of tropical dynamics and processes relevant to climate variability.

Aeolus is the eighth Earth observation mission performed by Arianespace for the European Space Agency, which address key scientific challenges identified by the science community and demonstrate breakthrough technology in observing techniques. The spacecraft will be placed in a Sun-synchronous orbit.

Flight VV12 is targeted for an evening launch on August 21 and will be the 12th flight with Vega since its introduction at the Spaceport in February 2012. The light-lift launcher is provided to Arianespace by prime contractor Avio of Italy.
...

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Arianespace Flight VV12 - Mission Presentation

arianespace

Опубликовано: 17 авг. 2018 г.

For Arianespace's fifth launch of the year, and the first in 2018 with Vega, the company will orbit the Aeolus satellite – the world's first space mission to acquire profiles of the Earth's wind on a global scale, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA).
This will be the 12th mission of the Vega launcher, which once again is to demonstrate its versatility and perfect adaptation to European missions dedicated to Earth observation.

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AEOLUS SEPARATION

Watch in:

DOWNLOAD MP4 (2.41 MB)
SOURCE MP4 (72.36 MB)

DETAILS 

[/li]
• Title Aeolus separation
• Released: 17/08/2018
• Length 00:00:20
• Language English
• Footage Type Animation
• Copyright ESA
  
  
• Description
  ESA's Aeolus wind satellite is lofted into orbit on a Vega rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The Vega rocket is 30 m high, topped by the Attitude Vernier Upper Module (AVUM) fourth stage, which releases the satellite into orbit. Aeolus satellite uses powerful laser technology that probes the lowermost 30 km of our atmosphere to yield vertical profiles of the wind as well as information on aerosols and clouds. This will not only improve our understanding of how the atmosphere works and contribute to climate change research, but will also help to predict extreme events such as hurricanes and El Niño. While Aeolus is set to advance science, it will also bring considerable benefits to society by improving weather forecasts.
  

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http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Aeolus_teams_ready_for_space

Aeolus separation

AEOLUS TEAMS READY FOR SPACE

17 August 2018
The teams responsible for flying the Aeolus satellite completed a pre-launch 'dress rehearsal' at ESA's ESOC operations centre in Darmstadt today, the last major step in getting ready for next Tuesday's liftoff.

Experts in mission operations, flight dynamics, ground stations and software systems worked together with counterparts in the Jupiter Control Room on the far side of the Atlantic at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, to practise the pre-launch and liftoff sequence.

This full-scale dress rehearsal for launch came one day after the final simulation covering early operations in space — leaving ESA ready to fly Europe's wind satellite.


Profiling the world's winds

Aeolus is set to launch on a Vega rocket at 21:20 GMT (23:20 CEST) on Tuesday, 21 August 2018, carrying one of the most sensitive instruments ever put into orbit: a Doppler wind lidar known as Aladin.

Aladin will make Aeolus the first satellite to directly measure wind speeds on Earth from space, providing crucial data that is expected to greatly improve weather forecasting around the globe.

During today's dress rehearsal, controllers were connected to the satellite itself — currently nestled on top of its Vega rocket in Kourou — via an umbilical cable. This connection will be severed just a few minutes before liftoff (watch live on 21 August starting 22:45 CEST).

Спойлер

Final simulation


Final Aeolus simulation in ESOC Main Control Room

Yesterday's simulation capped off months of intensive training. It began at 8:30 CEST and saw teams in Darmstadt mimicking the first eight hours after liftoff — during which they will assume control of the satellite following its separation from the Vega rocket.

"Getting a spacecraft safely into orbit is a difficult process, and a tense but exciting time for mission teams on the ground," explains Aeolus flight director Pier-Paolo Emanuelli.

"Simulations provide an invaluable tool for the many engineers, operators and controllers working with the satellite, giving them the chance to rehearse all possible scenarios before the big day."

This final simulation was unlike the many that came before, as it was a run-through of 'normal' operations for the vital first hours in orbit.

"Whereas previous weeks took the teams through contingency plans for potential scenarios in which something goes wrong, this final simulation was to refresh in the teams' minds on what is to be done when everything is just right," says Spacecraft Operations Manager Juan Piñeiro.

Ground stations worldwide


Antenna down under ready to hear Aeolus' first words

The Vega rocket launcher will inject Aeolus into orbit at an altitude of 320 km.

"For one hour and ten minutes after liftoff, there is no possibility for us to command the satellite — it is purely in the 'hands' of the launcher itself," Juan adds.

Once the satellite separates from the rocket and begins free flight, the solar arrays have extended and Aeolus has turned toward Earth, a global network of ground stations will begin receiving signals from the satellite, marking the first data link between Aeolus and mission control.

The first signal from Aeolus is expected around 00:16 CEST (22:16 GMT) via ESA's 4.5 m-diameter dish at New Norcia, Australia.

Subsequently, stations located at Troll, Antarctica, Inuvik, Canada, Svalbard, Norway and Kiruna, Sweden will receive signals from the satellite and transmit commands from engineers at ESOC.

A critical period

After establishing contact, teams will begin three days of intense activity, working around the clock to chaperone the satellite through the 'LEOP' period — the 'launch and early orbit phase' — one of the most critical periods in the life of any satellite.

Working non-stop to verify the satellite's health, they will switch on and configure flight control systems and ensure that all critical steps – such as the deployment of solar arrays – take place as scheduled, and that all flight control systems and communications are functioning as planned.

"This period is risky," explains Rolf Densing, Director of Operations. "The satellite is not yet fully 'switched on' yet needs to be protected from the potentially dangerous scenarios that can arise in any complex space operation.

"But with ESOC's expertise on hand, this risk is reduced. Experts from flight dynamics, operations engineers and specialists in control systems and ground stations will be working together in unison to ensure this unique and important satellite is successfully placed into orbit."

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Стикер миссии от ГКЦ

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ГКЦ выпустил брошюру миссии

depliant_VV12_csg.pdf - 1.1 MB, 2 стр, 2018-08-16 17:41:56 UTC

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Погода не благоприятствует. 
Если смотреть с точки зрения вероятности благоприятной погоды, то на этой неделе улетит почти наверняка.

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/vega-flight-vv12-delay/

Vega | August 20, 2018

24-hour weather delay for Vega's launch of the Aeolus satellite from French Guiana

The liftoff of Arianespace's Flight VV12 with Europe's Aeolus satellite has been delayed by 24 hours due to winds at altitude over the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Wind conditions in the atmosphere along the launcher's trajectory are among the flight safety elements taken into account for every Arianespace mission. With this one-day postponement, the liftoff of Flight VV12 is now set for August 22 at exactly 6:20:08 p.m., local time in French Guiana – pending an improvement of the wind conditions at altitude.

Спойлер

The mission with Aeolus will be performed with a Vega launcher – provided by prime contractor Avio of Italy – marking the 12th flight of Arianespace's light-lift vehicle since entering service at the Spaceport in February 2012.

Both the Vega launcher and its Aeolus payload for Flight VV12 are in stabilized configurations and under fully secure conditions at the Spaceport's Vega Launch Complex.

Aeolus is a European Space Agency-organized mission to provide much-needed data in improving the quality of weather forecasts and contributing to long-term climate research. Built by Airbus Defence and Space, the satellite carries a laser Doppler wind LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system called Aladin that will probe the lowermost 30 km. of the atmosphere in measuring winds around the Earth.

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http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/vega-flight-vv12-postponement/

Vega | August 20, 2018

Flight VV12: Vega – Aeolus: 24-hour postponement

The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) took place on Monday, August 20, 2018 in Kourou, French Guiana for Arianespace Flight VV12, and both the Vega launcher and the Aeolus satellite were declared ready for launch.

However, because of unfavorable weather conditions over the Guiana Space Center at Kourou, the final countdown operations for Flight VV12 – originally planned for Wednesday August 21, 2018 – have been postponed.

The new planned launch date and time for the European Space Agency's Aeolus satellite is now August 22, 2018 at precisely:

[/li]
• 05:20:09 p.m., Washington D.C. time
• 06:20:09 p.m., local time in French Guiana
• 21:20:09, Universal Time (UTC)
• 11:20:09 p.m., Paris time.
  

Both the Vega launcher and the Aeolus satellite are in stabilized configuration and under fully secure conditions.

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https://ria.ru/science/20180820/1526894698.html

Старт ракеты-носителя Vega с космодрома Куру отложили из-за погоды

23:34 20.08.2018 (обновлено: 23:36 20.08.2018)

ПАРИЖ, 20 авг – РИА Новости. Старт ракеты-носителя Vega со спутником Aeolus на борту, запланированный в ночь на среду с космодрома Куру во Французской Гвиане, отложен из-за неблагоприятных погодных условий, говорится в сообщении компании-оператора космодрома Arianespace.

"Проверка перед запуском для полёта VV12 прошла в понедельник, 20 августа... И ракета-носитель Vega, и спутник Aeolus были признаны готовыми к старту. Тем не менее, из-за неблагоприятных погодных условий отсчёт времени готовности непосредственно перед пуском VV12, изначально планировавшийся на (ночь на) среду, был отложен", — написано в коммюнике.

Новое время старта: 18.20 местного времени 22 августа (00.20 четверга мск).

"И ракета-носитель Vega, и спутник Aeolus стабилизированы и находятся в полностью безопасных условиях", — отмечается в документе.

Aeolus – первый спутник, разработанный для Европейского космического агентства (ЕSA) для дистанционного зондирования ветра. Предполагается, что запуск спутника позволит получить данные, необходимые для улучшения качества прогнозов погоды, а также будет способствовать долгосрочным исследованиям климата.
Спутник был построен компанией Airbus Defense and Space.
...

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NOTMARs

NAVAREA IV 656/2018 (24,25)

WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FRENCH GUIANA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING:
   A. 2110Z TO 2151Z DAILY 21 AUG THRU 20 SEP
   IN AREA BETWEEN
   09-01.00N 08-07.00N AND 052-50.00W 052-45.00W.
   B. 2020Z TO 2151Z DAILY 21 AUG THRU 20 SEP
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   19-20.00N 053-39.00W, 19-20.00N 053-31.00W,
   17-39.00N 053-25.00W, 17-38.00N 053-33.00W.
   C. 2110Z TO 2151Z DAILY 21 AUG THRU 20 SEP
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   05-23.46N 052-53.80W, 05-48.00N 052-54.00W,
   05-50.55N 052-26.40W, 05-12.60N 052-40.98W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 202251Z SEP 18.

( 160323Z AUG 2018 )


HYDROARC 176/2018 (15,16,41) 

ARCTIC OCEAN.
DNC 27.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   2029Z TO 2246Z DAILY 21 AUG THRU 20 SEP
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   81-53N 168-30E, 83-50N 128-22W,
   83-21N 129-46W, 81-31N 170-48E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 202346Z SEP 18.

( 090848Z AUG 2018 )

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/08/20/vega-launch-delayed-24-hours/

Vega launch delayed 24 hours
August 20, 2018 | Stephen Clark


The European Space Agency's Aeolus satellite, covered in a payload shroud, was lifted atop its Vega launcher in French Guiana earlier this month. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Baudon

The liftoff of a European satellite to measure global wind fields has been delayed 24 hours to Wednesday in hopes of a better weather forecast at the Vega rocket's launch base in French Guiana, officials announced Monday.

The European Space Agency's Aeolus satellite is ready for launch aboard a solid-fueled Vega rocket, the smallest booster in Arianespace's fleet, to begin a three-year science mission to monitor wind speeds in Earth's atmosphere.

Officials from Arianespace, ESA and CNES — the French space agency — convened Monday for a launch readiness review. Managers confirmed the readiness of the four-stage Vega launcher and the Aeolus spacecraft, but unfavorable high-altitude winds predicted during at Tuesday's launch time prompted a 24-hour delay.

Liftoff of the Aeolus mission is now scheduled for Wednesday at an instantaneous launch opportunity set for 2120:09 GMT (5:20:09 p.m. EDT; 6:20:09 p.m. French Guiana time), assuming the upper level wind conditions improve.

Спойлер

"Wind conditions in the atmosphere along the launcher's trajectory are among the flight safety elements taken into account for every Arianespace mission," Arianespace said in a statement Monday.

Officials familiar with Vega launch operations said the upper level winds violated safety limits established to ensure debris from an in-flight mishap will fall away from populated areas.

The irony of the Aeolus mission's launch delay due to winds was highlighted on an official ESA Twitter account.

ESA Operations‏Подлинная учетная запись @esaoperations 13 ч. назад

Has anyone else noticed the irony in a 24-hr launch delay in ESA's #WindMission due to wind? Obviously we need more precise data on... wind! #aeolus

After liftoff, the Vega rocket will fly to the north from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, to release Aeolus in a 199-mile-high (300-kilometer) polar orbit. Built by Airbus Defense and Space, the satellite will fly in an unusually low orbit for a science mission, placing the observatory closer to the winds it will measure in Earth's atmosphere.

Aeolus weighs approximately 3,000 pounds — exactly 1,367 kilograms, according to ESA's project manager for the mission — fully fueled for its liftoff from the Guiana Space Center on the northeastern coast of South America.


The Aeolus satellite is encapsulated inside the Vega rocket's Swiss-made nose cone in preparation for launch. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – J. Durrenberger

Aeolus carries a high-power ultraviolet Earth-pointing laser to allow the mission to measure the movement of air molecules in the atmosphere. Scientists designed the mission to detect wind speeds at various levels of the atmosphere, ranging from the surface to an altitude of nearly 100,000 feet (30 kilometers).

Named for a figure in Greek mythology who was appointed by the gods as "keeper of the winds," the Aeolus mission cost around 480 million euros — nearly $550 million at today's exchange rates — to design, develop and prepare for launch. The development of Aeolus also stretched over 16 years, a decade longer than originally planned.

"It's been an exciting time," said Martin Kaspers, ESA's product assurance manager for Aeolus mission. "We've had lots and lots of issues. We've solved them all, and we are here in Kourou ready with the spacecraft to put it in orbit so it will provide data to the weather forecast community."

No other space mission has been able to measure winds at multiple layers of the atmosphere on a global scale. Previous satellites have been limited to deriving winds measurements by tracking the movement of clouds and aerosols, or by measuring the effect of winds on the ocean surface.

If scientists can prove the reliability of Aeolus data after launch, meteorologists plan to incorporate the information into global weather prediction models. The new wind input could result in more accurate forecasts, officials said.

"We were really on the edge of technology," Kaspers said. "Each time when we resolved a problem, we got further and further, and then suddenly we hit another boundary, either on the optics, or on the electronics, or on a mechanism, and each time we had to come up with new solutions. That's why, in the end, it took so long, but we're here and proud of it."

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Arianespace Flight VV12 – Launch Campaign Presentation

arianespace

Опубликовано: 21 авг. 2018 г.

For Arianespace's fifth launch of the year, and the first in 2018 with Vega, the company will orbit the Aeolus satellite – the world's first space mission to acquire profiles of the Earth's wind on a global scale, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA).
This will be the 12th mission of the Vega launcher, which once again is to demonstrate its versatility and perfect adaptation to European missions dedicated to Earth observation.

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